Selling up? Blandford Forum has everything you need to get the best value from your house.

It's not a great time to be selling your house, but if you are then you'll be wanting to make sure that you're going to get the best possible price for it.

Valuations are well down on what they were at the height of the property boom, but there are things you can do to protect your asking price:

A lick of Paint - You may have your own ideas about what's a good colour scheme but when you're trying to sell, it's time to get conservative and present a 'blank slate'. Light colours, off-whites and creams are good because they make rooms look light and airy, avoid Magnolia though as it's considered a bit cheesy. The ubiquitous Homebase has plenty of choice or get Tony Lanyard to do it for you.

Poor DIY is a real turn off apparently and a highly visible botch job can lead buyers to question what else hasn't been looked after properly? Fortunatley Blandford Forum has a wealth of independent tradesmen that can tidy up a bad job. Check our directory for listings or just see A&B Home Improvements for the complete package

Tidy up - clutter and mess don't scream 'dream home' at a prospective buyer. If you've spent years building up a vast collection of ceramic frogs that currently cover every available surface, why not consider boxing them up and to Dorset Self Storage while you're trying to sell? In fact it's a good idea to get rid of everything non-essential during this period - it'll pay for itself.

Sort the Garden Out - A garden should have plants in it. No, grass isn't a plant. And faded plastic childrens toys are not a good look either. Dig a border and get some shrubs in there. A garden shed is a good bonus too - you can get them for a couple of hundred pounds and it'll add five times that to your asking price. Hit the Digwell Nursery for ideas, then up to Southern Rustics to order that shed.

Consider the Kitchen - It's the most important room in the house so it has to look good. If yours doesn't then consider replacing it. Country Image does a nice line in Kitchens (also Bathrooms) that'll sell your house for you. Although it's possible that once you see it installed, you won't want to move anymore.

Photo by The-Lane-Team on Flickr.