Think how businesses sell things to us. They take goods we want and package them up to make them even more attractive. You can do the same when selling property.



For example, would you consider repainting your front door if you knew it would make your home more appealing to buyers? Of course you would!

And that's good news, because new research just released by the Co-operative Bank Mortgages shows that 29 per cent of buyers would prefer to see a property with a white front door.

That's the top performing colour in their survey on selling property. After that it was red, picked by a fifth of all people surveyed, and then blue attracting 16%.

But whatever you do, don't repaint your door pink. That wasn't just bottom of the survey ? more than a third of people said it would actually put them off viewing a property? despite the fact they could easily give it a lick of paint if they bought the house! Such are the foibles you have to deal with when selling property.

Of course, good marketing doesn't stop at making sure the outside of the house is right. It's just as important to get it right inside. And your biggest enemy there is unwanted smells.

If you have pets or you smoke indoors, there will be a certain smells in the house that you stopped noticing a long time ago. When you're selling property potential buyers WILL notice it. Nearly 40% of people in the survey said a bad smell would put them off making a purchase.

The one they're most scared of is dampness. A quarter of people asked said they would walk away if they detected it, and no wonder ? dampness is a sign the property hasn't been maintained properly. It's something to be tackled early on, or will come back and bite you when you are selling property.

Other hated smells include tobacco say 25%, and drains voted by 19%. These are the kinds of smells which will also put people off property rentals.

So what positive marketing changes can you make to the whiff of your home? The old favourites are the best. One in four buyers are attracted by the smell of freshly baked bread. It makes your house smell like a home ? that's going to psychologically affect how people look at the property.

13% like to smell fresh flowers, and they liven up a home too. And 11% of buyers enjoy the smell of clean washing.

Of course there are many more exciting marketing options open to you when selling property (for more info see http://www.propertytoday.co.uk/Marketing-tips-for-selling-property.11018.3846319.story ).

One new service which has just launched is Property Web TV. It's aimed at the YouTube generation who want to see everything as a video on the internet.

The idea is simple. When you're selling property you get a professional video production crew round to film your home inside and out. They put together a professional video including voiceover and host it on their website.

Then as potential buyers are researching what's on the market, they can see all around your home without leaving theirs! It's a simple way for them to decide if the house is for them, and means you will have to show a smaller, but more interested bunch of prospects around.

And if that frees your time to give the front door a new coat of white paint, it can only be a good thing.