Let the photos tell the story!

Selling up in France? Spring is a great time to get started - days are longer, the light is lovely, leaves are back on the trees and serious buyers abound.

This is a great time of year to get your French property on market or to refresh the presentation if it went on over the winter.

Here are our top 10 tips to help your agent get the best results.

1. It should be obvious, so excuse us for saying… Tidy up, clean up, hide the laundry, clean the windows.

2. Style the kitchen but stop short of making it look as if Delia is about to do a demo. A loaf of bread, bottles of olive oil and vinegar, a bottle of wine, a fruit or vegetable bowl all add to the lifestyle dream that is part of moving to France.

3. Have a fresh flowers in a vase - simple bunches picked from your own garden look gorgeous.

4. Put fresh soap out in the bathrooms, towels should be neatly stacked or hung, bottles of potions and lotions hidden (apart from your nicest brands).

5. Pick up dog and cat bowls and keep animals out of the way. Not everyone loves pets - I know, it’s amazing!

6. Make sure beds are neatly made with fresh linens.

7. Get some colour going on either at the gate or around the front door. Pots of pansies, primulas or daffodils all look cheery and welcoming.

8. Mow the lawn, open the pool if it was shut for winter and get the water sparkling, rake gravel paths and pressure-wash terraces.

9. Let your agent know which part of the day gives the house interior the best light. If rooms are a little, ahem, atmospheric, at any time of day don’t be afraid to have lights on.

10. If you are not resident in France it will pay to have a responsible local keyholder who cares about your property enough to make sure it looks its best for the photos and viewings.

The photo here is a great example of an attractive lead photo: clean,glistening pool, splashes of colour, shutters open, tidy outside space...

This property is on the market in the Dordogne, with agent Alex Overton-Hunt who prides himself on his property presentation. In the area and want to get advice on selling yours? Contact us.