With the fast pace of today’s modern lifestyle, many people spend little time at home actually enjoying the property that they have worked so hard to own.

Over the last few months this has become even more apparent to us when working with clients who are considering selling.

Every month, it is recommended that all homeowners should spend a clear non-work day in their property performing basic maintenance items such as the following:

1. Check that all doors close correctly and all hinges are oiled.

2. Touch up any paint that needs to be done so that the property always looks presentable.

3. Remove any marks on walls to keep a fresh and clean appearance.

4. Clean windows to let the outside in.

5. Dust and vacuum the hard-to-get-to spots such as window sills, door tracks and inside cupboards.

6. Adjust any sticky screen doors to make sure they glide with ease.

7. Sweep down all paths and outdoor areas.

8. Remove cobwebs, dust and dirt.

9. Freshen up outdoor areas with a coat of paint or a simple scrub down.

10. Prune plants and weed garden beds.

Although these may seem like simple, regular maintenance items, they are the sort of items that we put off doing.

What we never seem to realise is that if we give our properties this attention, it will provide us with a much more pleasurable environment in which to live. Even opening the house up once a week to allow fresh air to circulate makes it a different place to live in.

When it comes to “special projects”, only do one project at a time. We see so many homes where only half a job has been completed and the client says: “I just never got around to finishing it.”

This can make the home both unappealing and unattractive. Do one special project at a time and complete it to a professional standard; it makes the whole process of improvement easy.

A great habit to get into is to once a month get everything in your home that is out of place and put in the centre of a room (preferably a room that you need to use so that you can’t just leave it there). Then, over the next few hours, correctly place each item back where it should go.

This simple process of putting everything in its right place quickly gets your home back on track.

If you want to maximise the enjoyment of your property and ensure a good sale price, then regular attention and maintenance will make it an easy process.

Don’t let the years of dust and dirt build up – keep it clean and keep it enjoyable to live in for now and for the future.