Start with a sensible declutter

Going through toys, books, clothes and all the other things that tend to accumulate in a family home is a useful part of preparing to sell.

You don't need to clear everything away. Concentrate on anything that is no longer used or could easily be packed away until after the move. It will make rooms feel less cluttered and, as an added benefit, there will be less to pack later.

For the things that are still in regular use, baskets and boxes can make it much easier to keep toys reasonably contained and quickly tidy up when needed.

Let children's bedrooms still look like children's bedrooms

There's no need to strip all the personality out of a child's bedroom.

Buyers looking for a family home often want to understand whether bedrooms will work for their own children. How the room is arranged, where toys are stored or whether there is space for a desk can help buyers understand how it works in everyday family life.

What matters is that buyers can properly see the size and shape of the room. If floors, surfaces and furniture are covered with belongings, it becomes much harder to judge the space available.

Tidy and uncluttered is enough; it doesn't need to look like a show home.

Make an extra effort for the photographs

Your photographs are likely to be a buyer's first introduction to your home, so it makes sense to spend a little more time preparing for them.

Clear away excess toys and anything that makes a room look particularly busy. This is also a good opportunity to put away personal items that you would rather weren't shown online, particularly anything relating to your children that you would prefer to keep private.

You don't need to remove every toy or family possession. The purpose is to show the rooms at their best, rather than disguise the fact that a family lives there.

Keeping on top of things during viewings

Once viewings begin, the challenge is maintaining a good standard of presentation alongside normal family life.

This is where having decluttered beforehand really helps. Toys can be quickly put into baskets or boxes, and the usual collection of school bags, shoes and other everyday belongings can be put away without every viewing becoming a major exercise.

The house should, of course, be clean and tidy. But there's a difference between untidiness and the normal signs of children living in a home. A basket of toys, children's books on a shelf or a play kitchen in the corner isn't going to prevent buyers from appreciating the property.

Finding the right balance

Preparing a family home for sale is really about finding a sensible balance. It should be clean, tidy and presented at its best, without feeling as though every trace of family life has been removed.