What should we be doing to sell the house quickly and for a good price ?

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We've decided to put our house up for sale next month. What should we be doing to maximise our chances of selling quickly aand for a decent price. ?

Our house is a lower villa (2 houses at bottom 2 above. Lower villas have door at front and a back door. Upper ones have a door at side of building ) It is also ex-council. 2 bedrooms in Scotland .

We have :-
Good sized slabbed front garden, no dropped kerb but loads of parking available on the road.

Back garden is approx 80 foot long mainly grass with a large patio area as you come out the back kitchen door. Fully enclosed with a 6 foot fence.
2 large bedrooms 13' 6" x 12' 6" each with fitted wardrobes. carpeted.
Living room is 14'8" x 13' 6", laminate floors and a feature fireplace.
Kitchen is 13'6" x 13'6", Slate floor , Kitchen put in 2007 with appliances.
Bathroom 7'6" x 7'6", Slate floor, fulled tiles walls. White suite with shower over bath Installed 2007.

Double glazing installed 2008 throughout. Front/back door replaced 2009. Boiler installed 2007. All walls replastered 2007 and currently painted neutral.

We bought just before the credit crunch at the end of 2007 so we know it will be worth less than what we payed. I have been keeping an eye on the properties in the area and the prices they have went for have varied by as much as £20,000 for properties that are very similar in size and condition. Some have went within a few weeks and others have taken months to sell.

Well, it's very dull advice, but cleaning very very thoroughly and getting rid of large amounts of furniture / possessions does seem to work. Clean everything you can get at - lampshades, lightbulbs, walls, doors, etc.

Then making it look nice from the front does seem to have an effect - a couple of matching evergreen plants in pots either side of the door might help. Maybe this sort of thing: www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/shrubs/topiary/laurus-nobilis-/classid.1000000625/

the words "feature fireplace" strike fear into my heart.
If it is horrible, get rid.

Feature fireplace perhaps isn't the best choice of words. The fireplace isn't a horrible one. It doesn't have a mantlepeice or anything. It's black marble on the floor and the fire itself is a gas flame one with white/beige stones in the actual fireplace. When we bought the house we did think about getting a mantlepeice put round it but decided against it as it would look old fashioned.

I've already repainted bits of the house that needed it and i'm trying to declutter but that is quite a job as I have 2 children as well. They mess up stuff as I tidy it.

Another thing does anyone know about district valuers ? Were I am the council is starting to buy back any ex-council houses on the market. They started last month and everything like our house that was up for sale was taken of the market at the same time. I assume the council bought them all but don't know what they payed for them yet. I do know that the council were offering the value that the district valuer said they were worth. Is this likely to be near the price that our surveyer said our house ?

is worth.

Keep your house light and warm for viewings as well. Pull the curtains right back, switch on lights if necessary. And this sounds odd - shine your taps. Viewers will think that if you have gone to sufficient lengths to cover every detail that your house will be clean all over and well looked after.