Interior designer Suzanne Goggins is on the move and her house went through the customary revamp before the signboards went up. Keeping a few personal touches is important, she advises. "It's all about cleanliness and neatness, but I don't want my house to look like nobody lives there. The children's room is tidy and the drawers are clean - people look everywhere - but their teddy bears will stay.

"And I don't agree with moving family photos. People are buying a home after all, so I leave them," she says. "Decluttering is the number one priority. I had a great big skip in front of the house and the company I used recycled 90 per cent of the contents. Anything else was packed into boxes for the charity shop."

Having the entire house painted was the next step, obliterating children's handprints and the marks and scrapes of everyday living. A trampoline had killed the grass underneath, so gardeners were hired to remove the entire lawn and lay another. Using an instant roll-out lawn meant this could be done a week before the first viewing. Colourful seasonal flowers were then planted in beds and tubs.

"I think the kitchen and garden really sell a house, because most people spend time there. And don't forget to clean the windows. Our two dogs have been sent on their holidays to my in-laws for two weeks and probably won't want to come back, they love it there so much.

"Brew coffee or bake bread if you have the time or inclination, but don't ever fry anything before a viewing. I'm a big fan of candles and I always light scented candles before viewings, especially in the bathrooms. Vanilla is really fresh and clean. Molton Brown rooms sprays are another good tip."

Suzanne Goggins's five-bedroom house at 36 Cairnfort, Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, D18 is for sale by private treaty through Savills Hamilton osborne King at €1.5 million.