The way you present your home for sale can make a significant difference to its ultimate price tag. Here are our first three tips for a DIY presentation project.

Step 1 – Know your target market

The presentation of your home is part of its marketing strategy, and as with any sales or marketing campaign, it pays to understand your customer. Is your property a family home close to schools, or a two-bedroom city-side semi, ideal for a professional couple? A single-level retiree’s dream or bachelor pad amid buzzing night-life? Tailor your presentation – the furnishings, function and features to the prominent buyer type, without alienating a broader pool of interest.

Step 2 – If it’s broken, fix it

The more damaged items there are – a flimsy floor board, a dangling down-light – the longer the Builder’s Inspection Report, and the more the buyer’s attention will start to focus on problem areas, instead of positive areas. “[They’re] the compulsory things you need to do in a property – busted light fittings, broken windows, cracks in walls,” says Richard Armstrong, Director of The Makeover Group.

Step 3 – Think big and bright

“[Clutter] will make rooms feel small,” says Paul Davies, Managing Director of One Agency Real Estate. “Rooms should be presented to feel as spacious and large as possible.” Remove excess items and arrange furniture in a way that opens up a room, creates clear walkways and demonstrates a room’s size potential. If a bedroom can fit a queen sized bed, show it.

Davies says that bringing light in, without losing privacy, is essential. “If a blind has to be down, it has to be down, but perhaps it’s a transparent or opaque blind so the light can come through and privacy is retained.”

Look out for more handy hints in Staging to sell: DIY home presentation (Part 2).