PROPERTY presentation, home staging, house doctoring, call it what you will, is becoming increasingly popular as sellers strive to stand out from the crowd.

Chrissy Halton, professionally trained and accredited by Anne Maurice - TV's House Doctor - is here to advise you.

With these tricks up your sleeve it will become easier to present your home successfully, and get that all important sale.

Focus onlighting

As key as it is to any interior design scheme, lighting comes into its own when selling your home. Both inside and out, it is the key to providing the sense of warmth and welcoming that a buyer's subconscious will pick up on.

What looks more welcoming from the outside for viewers when looking at a property after dark? A lit or an unlit property?

Having a few lights on inside and lighting the path to the front door will help to instil a sense of relaxation in a buyer as they walk up to your home. Having no lights will make a buyer uneasy and unwelcome and this will form a negative image of your home before they have even got through the front door.

Buyers make decisions with the feelings they get for houses - if they are looking at four homes that all tick the right boxes on paper (number of beds, garden, GCH etc) then the differentiator will be their reaction to the home.

The more positive feelings you can instil when they view, the more likely they will be to want to live in, and therefore buy, your home.

Even on a bright summer's day I advise keeping lamps on in every room for viewings. They won't necessarily add much light (unless it's a naturally dark room) but they will add a warm glow that enhances rooms, creating positive emotions in the buyer.

A dark home will simply feel cold and unwelcoming no matter how nicely furnished or staged.

To help understand about lighting and how your home can benefit from being better lit, here are a few pointers: Lighting is split into three main areas: - General - ceiling or wall lights - Ambient - floor and table lamps, even candles - Task - spot lights, desk lights, under counter kitchen lights etc All three need to be taken into consideration in every room of the house. If you only have one type of lighting then the room can look cold and unwelcoming - think of it as layering the light.

With these layers you can create any mood you like. If you were relaxing in the evening in your living room it is preferable to have softer lighting than if you were doing the ironing for example, therefore it has to be adaptable to your needs.

One ceiling light will cast shadows around the room, whereas several lamps dotted around a room alongside a ceiling light will highlight all areas and make the room feel not only more welcoming but also more spacious.

It is also worth remembering that the type of light you choose can make all the difference as well: - White shades can create a harsher light than a cream shade - Soft coloured bulbs can add warmth and cosiness to a room, especially successful in bedrooms (try a soft peach or pink, but match to your décor or you may find the result less than relaxing!) - Use dimmer switches on your main lights to soften the look in the evening when relaxing - Add candles for that touch of luxury - Use light fittings that match the period of the house - spotlights in modern builds/more ornate fittings in older properties. Buyers will expect these kinds of features - Clean your lights - dust settles on all types of fittings and makes the light feel darker than it should - Don't forget about natural light - maximise this as much as possible during daytime viewings.

Have a play around with the lighting in your home and work out what you would feel most comfortable with if you were seeing the house for the first time.

This is the set up you need to have in place when viewings take place. Don't underestimate the effect lighting has - great lights can be a feature to any room.

Light up your home properly and you will be another step towards your sale.