Thinking of selling? Here are some top tips to add some curb appeal

Every heard of the famous saying "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?"

Easier said than done apparently. Naturally some rules do not apply to the above saying, for instance job interviews, it is said the hiring decision is made within the first 30 seconds to a minute! Talk about making the first impression count. Well the same is very true with property, first impressions count massively! And let's be honest people do judge regardless, it is human nature.

We are going to share some top tips on how to make your home more appealing to get that offer in quickly.

If you have a driveway have it jet washed and de-weeded before photos are taken. Front lawn? Make sure it is freshly trimmed and looking fresh. Hedges and all. Is the outside looking tired in general? Give it a lick of paint to brighten it. Unless you are selling a "refurbishment project", there is nothing worse than setting a bad tone before a buyer has stepped inside.

And the same is true with your garage, if your garage / the garage door is visible when approaching your house, it is very much part of your kerb appeal. Make sure the garage door has had a good clean to freshen it up or as above give it a lick of paint if you need to.

Have your gutters cleaned properly and make sure there are no signs of leaks. Leaks from gutters not only look bad but if left unattended will eventually cause damp to creep inside the house. So get those rubber gloves on and get rid of all the muck and leaves that are clogging the pipework up.

Spend some time to give your home some personality with some potted plants by the front door. Lavender is nature's freshener and works well always smelling fresh and in spring has nice colourings. If the property lends itself try adding a simple water feature, which would make a lovely sound and invite wildlife to your garden. Just keep it simple and subtle but with the intention to stand out from the competition.

Lighting is just as important on the outside as it is inside. Some viewers will do an evening viewing or a late night "drive by", especially in winter months, so it is important to get this right. Some subtle solar lights along the garden path leading up to the house, like an airport runway, gives a homely and inviting glow.

Ideally you wanted rubbish collected on bin day and there is no big turn off than rubbish being in plain sight. Hide the rubbish bins, out of sight is out of mind as they say.

Although these are just a few things to think about before you present your home to market, many sellers fail to appreciate the extra effort spent on presenting the exterior is just as vital.