Get rid of the clutter, sellers are urged

Around 85 per cent of estate agents said tidying up and removing some ornaments and furniture made a property easier to sell, with 55 per cent rating it as the top improvement people should consider, according to HSBC.

Cutting the grass and trimming the flower beds was seen as the next most significant improvement people should carry out, rated by 75 per cent of estate agents, while 73 per cent recommended repairing paint chips or damaged wallpaper.

But while 65 per cent of estate agents thought repainting or varnishing the front door would make a property sell more quickly, only 26 per cent of homeowners thought this would make a difference.

Instead 69 per cent of homeowners thought cleaning their windows inside and outside would make their property more appealing, despite only 39 per cent of estate agents thinking this would make a difference.

Homeowners were more likely to place an emphasis on getting new plants for the garden and washing their car than estate agents, who rated repairing fences and gates more highly than homeowners did.