Information for Sellers: Top tips from the experts

Here at Leggett Immobilier, we have over two decades of experience selling houses in France. To help you to sell yours, we have pooled our knowledge to pass on our top 10 tips for selling your French property....

1. Think of inexpensive cosmetic quick-fixes. Tidy up the front garden and gate. Paint the front door. Get rid of scrappy faded plastic children's toys. Plant up a few pretty pots and put them on windowsills and round the door. First impressions count and many of our clients base decisions on what they feel when they look at the front of a house.

2. Clean your windows and brighten up! Beautiful views will go unnoticed and light-filled rooms can seem gloomy if your windows are grimy. Most buyers are looking for a light, bright home. Do whatever you can to stop your house feeling dark. Take down heavy curtains, paint walls in a light colour if necessary and make the most of your lighting.

3. Add greenery to even the smallest courtyard. It's about making whatever your property has to offer, a lovely version of what it is. A beautiful little courtyard with creepers and pretty pots is more appealing to many clients than an unkempt garden.

4. Don't let your neighbours let you down. If their hedge needs trimming, offer to do it when you are doing your own. Even if your house is beautiful, if next door is a mess it will make it more difficult to sell your property.

5. Tidy up! This one seems obvious, but de-cluttering and cleaning inside your house will make a huge difference to how people feel about it. Your house needs to be someone's French dream so make it as special as it can be.

6. Viewing houses is a sensory experience and this stretches beyond just what clients see. Houses that smell musty do not make clients feel comfortable and excited. It can be particularly difficult with an empty house, but wherever possible make your home smell fresh and welcoming. Baked bread and freshly brewed coffee are clichés, but they can really work.

7. Control your pets. Loud barking dogs can make a client feel uneasy – even if the dog is yours and will be moving with you. Over friendly sheep or goats can mean that clients aren't able to appreciate your beautiful meadow because they're rushing through the gate. For many clients animals are no problem at all, but it is important to make every client feel comfortable. Make sure your house doesn’t smell of your pets, cat or dog smells can be a turn off. Hide beds and food bowls.

8. Get your compulsory diagnostic tests done as soon as possible. We encourage vendors to have the Dossier Diagnostic Technique (DDT) undertaken as soon as possible. If the tests highlight any anomalies, it is much easier for your Leggett Immobilier agent to explain this to a client when they are first interested in your property. It can be unsettling for a client (and a sale) if these tests uncover an anomaly after an offer has been made.

9. Agree to short notice viewings – or give us a set of keys. We try as hard as possible not to impose in any way, but many clients are on very brief house hunting trips. A lot of the sales we make are based on Leggett Immobilier agents proposing properties to clients whilst on the road with them. If you are able to accommodate short notice viewings, you are more likely to sell your property.

10. Allow us to do our job. It is best to let your Leggett agent show the clients around your property and be on hand for any questions. Too many people tramping round a house can make it feel smaller than it is; and too much information can be off-putting to clients. Leggett agents are trained and experienced at showing properties and are the best people to present your property to clients.