Potential buyers and tenants are looking for love at first sight. They are seeking that immediate attraction, something that makes their heart beat faster, complimented by good looks and a little charm.

Here are ten tips from Place’s Sarah Bushell on getting buyers and tenants to call for your place without spending a fortune.

Street appeal is so important. Tidy the yard, put out fresh mulch in the garden and add a new latch to the fence so that it opens easily. Give the fence a fresh coat of paint, wash the house and acid wash your pavers or concrete paths.

Your agent will greet your potential buyer/tenant at the front door. They may take their shoes off and will definitely have time to look around at this point. The front door needs to be clean with a homely touch, such as twin pot plants or a nice door mat.

De-cluttering will make the whole house feel larger and take away distractions from the buyer/tenant so that they can focus on the house. Take appliances off the kitchen bench tops.

If the temperature is right, open up windows, French doors and curtains, creating light and breezes. Put lights on, even in the day time, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Lamps are effective too.

Present the house as if you are about to have friends over. Set your table, it doesn’t have to be a formal setting, casual is better. Put a jug of water and nice glasses out or a bread loaf on a nice platter with napkins. If you have a deck or courtyard, focus your efforts there rather than the formal dining area that is not regularly used.

Use striking fresh flowers to create a centre piece in a room. I recently purchased some pink tiger lilies and matched them with two hot pink couch cushions and it brightened the room dramatically. Use a single magnolia or camellia from the garden in a float bowl – very dramatic and so homely.

Make sure your bed spread is crisply ironed and the bed is perfectly made. Purchase a new doona cover if you’re not happy with the ones you have, but keep it neutral. A blanket neatly folded at the bottom of the bed is very effective. Ultimately, you want it to look like a hotel. Add extra pillows, make your bed the feature. Look at some magazines for ideas.

Soaps, hand towels, towels and bath oils should be displayed in the bathrooms, again to look like guests are coming over. Buy a beautiful set of towels and new quality soaps that you just use for the open house/inspection.

Music works extremely well as buyers/tenants can freely look and talk about the house without feeling like someone is watching over them. There is an amazing array of compilation cd’s for sale that you can use to set the mood. We want the experience to be as comfortable as possible for buyers/tenants.

Finally, know the best hours in the day to present your house. If your house faces West it is better to do an open house in the morning. This is important if you do not have air-conditioning. If your house has a lot of shade, hold open houses in the warmer hours. Work out when the entertaining areas are sunlit but not boiling.