Selling a property can be stressful, especially when there are so many properties on the market, all competing for the same Tooting property market space. Well, I've put together a list to will make your life easier when preparing to sell your property.

This article was produced by Chuk - Your Local Property Expert for Tooting and Surrounding Areas, you can write an article for us by using our Nub It button.

If this is you and you would like to make the process as smooth and quick as possible, read on..

Spruce up your home to a valuation

Even the best-kept properties show signs of wear and tear. So before you do anything else, it's best to sort these out to give yourself the best chance of selling your property ASAP, and for the maximum price.

Clean up the property's exterior

First impressions matter, so spruce up your property from the outside in. Some top tips, which don't cost much, but could add value:

• Mow the lawn

• Clean your windows

• Get your front door and driveway spick and span

Sort out the interior

Simple tasks such as tidying and decluttering (which could even make you some cash if you sell anything you know longer need) can make your home more sellable.

Ensure any features that first attracted you to the property are visible, make it less personal to you to encourage viewers to see themselves there, make sure each room clearly shows its purpose and hang up mirrors, especially in small areas like hallways, to add light and the illusion of space.

Get your home valued

Once you've got your property looking its best, you need to get it valued.

It's imperative to research thoroughly at this stage as getting it wrong could leave your home on the market for a long time, or it could sell way below the market price.

Before you get an estate agent through the door, I would recommend you check sold house prices in the past 12 months with online agents such as Nethouseprices, Rightmove and Zoopla.

Compare your property to those of a similar size and spec and location.

You can do this pretty accurately with Rightmove, which shows the original property adverts (including photos) at the point of sale. Be realistic and don't let stubborn pride about the state of your property cloud your judgement and lead to overpricing.

Once you have more of an idea of the house prices within your market, you can start looking around for an estate agent and invite them in to do a valuation of your property too.

To be honest, you should invite 2-3 estate agents in and have them all do a valuation on your house. Although they may all differ, you will get to see who you would prefer to work with and also see who is most likely to take the most care if the sale of your home.

Once you have conducted your own valuation of your property and have heard back from the local estate agents, you'll have a more realistic value of your home. If you and the preferred estate agent can agree on the value, then you have found your estate agent.

Prepare Your Property For The Market

To some degree, this is to be decided between you and the estate agent, but it will obviously involve both a photographer coming in to take professional photographs; and shortly afterwards, viewers who are interested in seeing your property.

So, despite what you and your estate agent decide, it would be an excellent time to start preparing to market your property correctly. Who knows, you might even add a few more £1,000's onto an offer?

1. First impressions count

Most house buyers form their first impressions within seconds of walking through the front door. If you have a front garden, spend a little time sprucing it up. A few plant pots and a clear pathway can make the front of your house more appealing.

Cleaning your front door can make a huge difference.

2. Clear worktops and declutter

A tidy room should never be underestimated, especially as dirty or cluttered rooms can be an immediate turn off for some property buyers.

So take some time to clean each room from top to bottom, paying special attention to high impact rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom.

You should also think about having a spring clean; if there is too much furniture and things like children's toys and unused gym equipment lying around, it can make the property feel smaller.

After a deep clean, your home will smell fresh and be much more appealing to potential buyers. It should almost make you not want to put the property onto the market.

3. Add a lick of paint

Neutral colours are appealing to house buyers; a fresh coat of paint will brighten up your home and will allow would-be buyers to envisage themselves living in the space.

4. Do some DIY

Straightforward DIY jobs such as filling holes in walls and checking for clogs in the guttering are easy to do and is one less thing your buyer needs to think about doing once they've moved in. Getting any problems fixed before putting the house on the market is a smart idea. You don't want anything negative to turn up on the property survey either.

5. Think about your pets

Whilst you might think your pet is adorable, others may not. Potential buyers may be allergic, so make sure any pets are confined to one room (such as a utility room or the garden) or removed from the home during viewings.

Animals can also detract attention away from your property, leaving them with a neighbour or family member will ensure home buyers are kept focussed on your home.

6. Think smart

Smart home technologies are increasingly important to buyers. Smart technology such as Hive, which gives mobile control over heating systems, is a feature worth considering.

If it moves your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) up a band, it could add thousands to the sale price.

Consider an open house

This is a bit American but does honestly work. An open house can be a significant benefit for property sellers, and setting aside one or two days to open your home up to the public will save you time in the long run.

Spare yourself the effort of cleaning your house from top to bottom every other day and answering the same questions over and over by getting most of your house viewings out of the way in one go.

Having several viewing booked in during a 1-2 day period also ads urgency to anyone who is seriously considering an offer on your home.

Well, I hope this helps. Not only do I provide posts to help promote and support the community of Tooting and its surrounding areas, but I am a local property expert too. As always, please do get in touch with me should you need help or advice with the sale or rental of your property, I am here to help.

Chuk - Your Local Property Expert for Tooting and Surrounding Areas