Take a good look at your property from the front and approaching to the property, compare it too the neighbours, are they all similar or is your property in need of repair? If you home looks well cared for on the outside potential exchange parties will be interested, if it does not then you will need to do something about it, otherwise they may not even ring the doorbell.
Rubbish outside the home

• Remove your large unwanted furniture items and old rubbish and arrange to take it to the tip or hire a skip

• The pathway entrance to the house, must be clear and cleaned, free of leaves, weeds and litter. If your lucky enough to have a driveway, clean unsightly oil patches.
• Make sure steps are always in good order damaged steps are dangerous.
• Hide dustbins out of view and remove milk bottles on the doorstep.
• If your car is past its sell by date then park it down the road, you will be surprised at how many people base their exchange on their first impressions.

• Gardens should be tidy, hedges trimmed plants tidy and grass mown.
• Broken planters renewed and hanging baskets cared for.
• If you have a communal garden take it upon yourself to tidy it up to gain that all important exchange.

• If you have fencing make sure it is in good repair, its its looking tired and old, then give it a coat of fence paint, choose a standard "wood colour" not blue or green, as you need the colour scheme remain neutral, not everyone likes coloured fencing.

• The door itself needs to be in good repair, the door knocker or bell working and any glass clean and not cracked, If the glass is broken get it fixed. If the door looks unkept then sand the door, fill any dents and holes and paint it with a good gloss paint, The main choices of colour are Black, White, red, green and navy blue, avoid colours such as yellow, pink or orange.
• Fittings need to be polished or replaced if they are old, rusty or damaged, ask your landlord to do this for you.
• Remove stickers, political campaign posters and no junk mail signs off the door.

• Make sure net curtaining is clean and cared for, if its not then take it down after all it will improve the light coming into the property
• Kake sure the curtains or blinds are open fully and also the windows in the bedrooms at least during summer weather conditions.
• Make sure the windows are clean inside and out, as they are likely to look out of the windows to see their prospective neighbours and their properties.

• If you have outside lighting make sure it is working and in good decorative order.

• Stand on your own doorstep ring your own bell, ask a friend or relative to answer the door, imagine you are the potential exchanger coming to view the property be crtitical as they will! What do you see a calm clean hall/room with pleasant atmosphere, children playing or do you see and hear kids screaming, dogs barking the whiff of deep fried food, cigarette smoke filled rooms a blaring television or booming music system. It’s your move you decide just how much you want that exchange!

• Tidy up removed all the junk mail that’s piling up and post the tenants mail for them sweep and mop the floors if you have to, a good spray of quality air freshener will remove the nasty whiffs of fried food lingering and any musty smells the last thing you want is your potential exchanges to have to step over the junk mail and other tenants letters only to be confronted with the smell of everyone’s last meal!

All the above will take is a little hard work and a lot of the costly repairs can be done by your landlord don’t wait until the last moment apply for the repairs to be made ASAP.