Several properties new to the market in my patch have been snapped up quickly in recent weeks - and they all have something in common…………lovely gardens.

I wonder whether the ability to ‘grow your own’ has suddenly become a significant factor when searching for a new property. Top end rural properties have always commanded a higher price if a pony paddock, orchard or charming kitchen garden is part of the package. Buyers proceed with every intention of living the rural dream, even if the reality is quite different. But now, even more modest properties it seems sell more swiftly or at a higher price with a well-tended vegetable plot and a pretty space in which to eat and entertain outside.

Buyers are still wary of borders and lawns requiring serious time and money to maintain but well planned unfussy beds, an outside dining area and a couple of easily weeded raised beds from which to pick some veg, herbs or salad is a sensible addition to your home if you’re looking to make it more saleable in a current climate.

One of the Wiltshire villages often mentioned by clients as a desirable search location is the National Trust’s Lacock. It’s hardly surprising. Unspoilt 13th century charm and fabulous period buildings surrounded by stunning countryside is a winning combination. Yet property is scarce. When a house not owned by the Trust comes up for sale it’s not unusual for it to be snapped up quickly, even in a depressed market.

One of the reasons for its popularity is its countless screen appearances in the Harry Potter epics, the BBC’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and more recently ‘Cranford’. In fact ‘Cranford’ is due to start filming there again in June. Doubtless several of the residents will once again be donning their wigs and frocks as extras and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Greg Wise.

But popularity comes at a price. I would have no problem securing my unruly locks under a bonnet for a few days at a time - but I’m not sure I’d be prepared for thousands of tourists peering over the garden wall whilst I’m pegging out my smalls. Clients who opt to live in tourist hotpots and especially those who fall in love with a place whilst on holiday need to think carefully about the pros and cons of making a move there full time.

Here’s my three point plan for clients making a move they won’t regret.

• For a start forget the fact that you ‘love the place’ and make sure you like the property and can access work, the shops, send your children to a good school and pursue your interests without having to spend the bulk of your day in a car or on public transport to do them. If you can’t, when the initial  sparkle rubs off as it surely will in the middle of Winter, you’ll be very unhappy and want to move again.
• Remember tourist places can be very different out of season so make sure you visit a place at different times of year to ensure that you know what to expect.
• Make sure the pros outweigh the cons before jumping in wholeheartedly. Of course if you’re running a retail business there may be very few cons. Try renting for a while if you’re really not sure you can cope with hoards of tourists.

 And don’t forget that if you live in a village like Lacock, you’ll never be without weekend guests. There’ll always be someone from your past who ‘just happens to be in the area’.

I see that the debate about whether to employ a homestaging company in a bid to sell your house has reared its head again. For the uninformed homestaging or house doctoring is the practice by which a house is ‘improved’ by an interior designer, thus making it more appealing to would-be buyers. Time was all you needed to do was to spring clean, brew some coffee and add a vase of flowers here and there to make your home more appealing. Now we are exhorted to declutter, neutralise and define each space. All great advice but when you visit as many properties as I do, you develop an uncanny ability to spot a ’staged property’ before you’ve stepped into the immaculately coiffured hallway. I swear I could even win competitions identifying which items of furniture actually belong to the vendor and which are hired in for the duration.

As you see, I’m not entirely a fan. It works for some vendors, providing a much needed boost when they are in very low spirits. Some fall in love with their houses again and decide to stay put; but others can spend thousands only to find that their house continues to languish on the market.

What is important to remember is that preparation for sale is essential. In the current market especially it’s no good  expecting your home to be snapped up without some considerable effort. Getting a critical friend to cast their eye over your home before you head to the estate agent is a step in the right direction. They’ll spot areas which are off-putting, allowing you to rectify these immediately. You could have a look here to get you into the right frame of mind for selling your home.

And in terms of presentation, here are the key things I look for when visiting property on behalf of clients. Sort these out and you’ll stand out from the crowd, believe me.

• Firstly make sure your house is correctly priced taking into account the actual selling prices for comparative property in your location. You can take advice from your agent and find information online from the Land Registry.
• Maintenance needs to be taken care of. A property which has clearly been properly looked after holds no nasty surprises which will send buyers running for the hills. So fix the leaky tap, repaint the front door and replace any cracked panes of glass.
• Clean, clean, clean. Who wants to look at a somebody else’s dirt? Sparkling windows let in more light and a spotless bathroom suggests that you really care about your home…making it instantly more appealing.
• Tidy up and get rid of clutter. A house jam packed with excess belongings is a problem in two ways. To vendors it means that your house is too small and has too little storage space. If you haven’t found room for all your stuff by now, then neither will they. Secondly if you do actually secure an offer your removal bill will be considerably higher. Do yourself a favour and sell it, give it away to friends, to charity, post it on Freecycle or get up close and personal with your neighbourhood recycling centre.
• Make your house a home.  Agents will tell you that you are selling a lifestyle not just a home. This is the very essence of house doctoring. Your job is to make it easy for would-be buyers to want to live your lifestyle in your home. If they can do that, then they’ll be well on the way to buying it. But don’t think that the only way to do this is to get rid of all evidence of your children and dog and hire in a designer sofa or two.  You might have to do an amount of reorganising and some decoration but remember your job is  to accentuate the positives. Cosy evenings round the fire, a relaxing glass of wine under the pergola, picking fresh veg from the garden for dinner, a den for the children to make their own…whatever your house has to offer, make the most of it. If you live in a vibrant community, make sure you have some evidence of that lying around - local village magazine, posters for events. If the school is great or the pub a good place to go for a meal, make sure you mention this too.

          You know best what’s good and bad about your house so you are  in the best position to deal with it …with or without the help of a house doctor.