You can spend too much money on doing up a property in this market, you have to be careful. If you bought a property at auction to do up, you would still need to be careful.

So selling your home and buying another, you should do the minimum required. a bit of new decor and carpets, but unless it is broke, don't try fix it.

People are looking for a bargain, so price competitively and you will probably find a buyer. I sold my house which needed a new kitchen and bathroom, it was 80's style and dated. It sold 10k less than next door which had a fortune spent on it. Funny thing is the new vendors will have to spend more on mine, but they felt they got a bargain.

So the asking price is important. I would prefer a property to be perfect, but then I wouldn't want to pay for another’s work, most people seem to feel the same way.

Price and clean, not much more you can do other than start to waste money.

I would say if your property is vibrant...pink...orange...burgundy...yellow...etc...get rid and paint with cream or white! It is the most off-putting part of viewing property, the vile colours from room to room, every room a different colour. At least stick with one colour pallet and allow it all to flow. Bad colour scheme is the one of the worst off-putting factors after a decrepit home. If you have a vibrant home with an high price tag, good luck collecting dust.

Before marketing your property, research sold prices. Look at what other properties are marketing for in your area, look at the difference in specification and price competitively. In this market you will NOT sell unless you do your homework and price right. Never just rely on the value your estate agent gives you, valuations can differ by the thousands to tens of thousands. You need to be realistic, you need to look at what you will likely achieve. It isn't enough to assume buyers will look at properties 10% above what they can afford, if that is how much lower you will accept. You need to consider stamp duty thresholds and house price data which is free and easy to find. Don't be greedy and you should sell.

Also it isn't advisable to spend too much on doing property up for sale in this current climate, just do the bare essentials and keep the property clean and free from clutter.

My property was already in good shape, so I just decorated a few rooms and made the garden look nice. I priced lower than the same property a few doors down and got a buyer very quickly. The house which was more expensive is still for sale and even though they dropped their price a little, it hasn't made a difference as house prices have fallen further since I sold mine. So I agree that price and a little bit of updating gets the job done!

My advice would be to never put a new kitchen in. Every house I see has a cheap new kitchen, which is never my taste. I don't want to pay for someone elses choice, I want to choose. Most people pick the safe option of white or the cheap fake wood look, ooooh it is really annoying. I would have to pay for a kitchen I didn't choose? No way, I will keep looking for a cheaper property I can put my own tastes in to.

I wouldn't mind it if a white bathroom suite had been put in, becasue you can always change tiles etc. But kitchens are a personal choice, to expect someone to pay for your choice, in this market, well it is crazy!

Buyers want a bargain, so don't waste your money on what you think other people might like, they probably won't like it!