And buyers are currently spoiled for choice, as the number of properties on sale is currently at an eight-year high, according to the property portal Zoopla.

That means that homeowners cannot rest on their laurels and should be doing all they can to stand out from the crowd when it comes to first impressions.

Homeowners can add many thousands of pounds to the price of their property by undertaking some very simple improvements to boost the so-called “kerb appeal” of homes.

I’ve lost count of the number of homes I’ve viewed where things like flaking paint on window frames have not been taken care of before potential buyers visit.

It is the small things that can matter, as visiting potential buyers often make up their minds within 30 seconds of arriving.

Here are a number of things you can do to convince buyers they’ve found “the one”:

Paint your front door - amazingly, a coat of fresh paint can immediately add more than £1,500 to the value of your home; you might also think of replacing it with a trendy wooden door with a natural finish.

Wooden floorboards - carpets are going out of fashion and real timber floors and Victorian tiling are in vogue, so you could add around 2 per cent to your asking price by restoring your floorboards.

Wall panelling - similarly, the natural tones of timber wall panels in interior rooms are gaining in popularity and could add some £5,000 to the value of your home if three or more rooms are panelled.

Modern lighting - getting the lighting right will pay off. It should be neither harsh nor dim - even replacing old light switches, lampshades and sconces could add £2,750 to the value of your home for an outlay of around £450.

Good Wi-Fi - a fast broadband connection will also boost the value of your home, by up to £3,500. Shop around for a full-fibre connection, if you can get it, and add signal boosters inside to make sure there is a good connection in every room of the house.

Property expert Jonathan Rolande is the founder of House Buy Fast.