My best friend has just called me with the offer of a holiday at his new villa over in Spain.  Due to a promotion at work and also with having a large amount of equity to play with, he has invested in a holiday villa up in the hills in Spain which will allow him to take several holidays a year and make some money through renting it out at other times during the year.

This got me thinking about places that may be nice to invest in property, and what makes a nice location.  It could be that you are looking for somewhere nice and sunny in an isolated location.  Or maybe you want somewhere with a more lively nightlife, or somewhere with a strong expat community that may turn into a retirement property for you.

Personally, I would probably opt for somewhere a bit different, maybe Croatia or Bulgaria which are both meant to have stunning panoramic views and property that is reasonable value.

So you have made the plunge and purchased that new property.  You have been through the rigmarole of moving house, maybe including a long journey if you have relocated to another part of the country.  Now you are in your new property, and its important that you make your stamp on it as soon as possible.

Where do you start, is it bedrooms to make it nice, as you may spend a lot of time in there.  Or alternatively are you more about entertaining people and therefore its decorating living and dining areas to make guests feel more at home.  Then there is the bathrooms and kitchen areas, with many people thinking that changing them is quite important for making the home feel like your own.

Do you have any experiences, good or bad, that you want to share relating to decorating ??

So you are thinking of selling up and want to maximise the value on your home when it goes to market.  I have put together a quick look at 10 things you should look to do to ensure you get the best deal when selling.

1. Tidy up the garden – I am not talking about spending thousands, but a quick prune and present the garden in the best possible way will help viewers to see the benefits it has to offer.

2. All rooms decorated – make sure that any unfinished DIY jobs are either complete or are in a position where it won’t be obvious that work is ongoing.  This may mean you slap a quick coat of paint on walls that have been bare for months, due to you being focused on moving.

3. Get rid of clutter – similar to the garden, the last thing you want is to have all your possessions strewn all over the room.  Maximise the space, to allow the viewer to see the rooms in their full glory.  Remember they will be trying to picture it with their own belongings, so the more space, the better.

Let me know how you get on with these tips, and whether it actually helped !!