Verges are coloured with daffodils and lambs are gambolling about the fields – spring is definitely here, marking new beginnings as well as better weather.

And as we start to emerge from winter’s grip estate agents across the land will be preparing themselves for their traditional boom period, as spring motivates those who are keen to sell to take action.

Spring has always been a successful season for selling with the excess and expense of Christmas and New Year firmly behind us and the sunny weather making everything more attractive.

Gardens perk up and the longer days mean prospective buyers can view your property, inside and out, in daylight hours. With all this in mind it’s easy to see why spring is a good time to sell.

So how can you maximise your property’s appeal to potential buyers? Here, we’ve put together our top tips for selling at this time of year:

·         Sooner rather than later – as spring is such a popular time for selling it’s important to act fast so you can capitalise on the full seasonal window. If you’ve not already appointed an estate agent find one you’re happy with as soon as possible. We have served Cranleigh and its surrounds for more than 25 years and are proud of our successful selling record. To discuss how we can market your home in spring call us on 01483 268555.

·         Get gardening – whether or not your house is on the market, get your garden looking shipshape. Having a neat, trimmed and attractive garden can boost your home’s value and is a wonderful feature to show off in spring. Mow the lawn, pull up the weeds, sweep the patio and tidy away bikes, barbecues and tools into a shed or garage.

·         Spring clean – March is a popular time for people to give their house a deep clean and if you’re looking to sell you couldn’t have a better excuse to pull on the marigolds. A sparkling kitchen and bathroom, sweet smelling bedrooms and well-dusted sitting room will instantly make your house more attractive, and chime with seasonal spring cleaning.

·         Make the most of windows – you’ve scrubbed the bath, changed the sheets and even de-scaled the kettle but don’t overlook an important feature - your windows. Sparkling windows look good inside and out and having them looking their best demonstrates how much natural light they allow in – ideal when selling in spring.

·       Bring the outside in – if you don’t have a garden or are limited on outside space you can still bring a slice of spring inside by putting out some potted plants and flowers. They will bring colour to a room and a lovely fragrance but be sure to keep them in good shape. Remove dead heads regularly, change the water and when they start to look beyond their best throw them out.

  Get voting!

Our Star Awards are continuing in 2017 and we are now preparing to hand out our next title, that of star teacher. But it is down to you to decide the winner and voting is now open.

To vote for who you think should win email starawards@pmwcom.co.uk with the name of your star teacher in the subject heading. Voting closes at midnight on Sunday, 19 March.

The finalists are:

·         Dawn Phillips, Deputy Headteacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator at St Joseph’s specialist school and college, Cranleigh – Dawn has been at St Joseph’s for 22 years and even postponed her retirement to support the school through leadership changes. Described as “professional with endless warmth and patience” she is respected by all at the school.

·         Matthew Kemp, teacher at St Cuthbert Mayne primary school, Cranleigh – Matthew teaches Year 5 pupils and has been nominated for his “friendly, reliable, approachable and dependable” nature. He was involved in securing funding from Sport England to build an outdoor multi-use ball court at St Cuthbert’s and has provided sports clubs for pupils.

·         Yolanda de la Fuente, teacher at Jigsaw School, Dunsfold – staff at specialist school Jigsaw said Yolanda is quick to volunteer for anything, regularly stays late and has a great way with pupils. She coordinates and oversees all food technology lessons and happily undertakes additional teaching responsibilities.