Specialist mortgage website www.polarmortgages.co.uk has launched a free guide showing householders how to make the best of their home whether they are looking to sell and get the best price or want to release some equity via a remortgage.

The guide offers 55 no-nonsense tips on how to smarten up your home quickly and easily – and at a realistic cost.

Television programmes about making more money from your property or property developments are now almost an epidemic. But normally the outlay for the schemes portrayed is huge.

Jason Hulott, business development director from the website said: "While there is no doubt that you can add thousands of pounds worth of value to your home by building conservatories, or perhaps adding bedrooms, many people simply do not have the time, money nor DIY skills to do this."

"This Guide shows you how you can spruce up your home on a budget and still generate a sizeable amount of equity".

Examples of ways to make the most of your home include:

• Highlighting the primary features of every room, making sure that they have not been hidden or obscured by furnishings, plants, or other belongings such as fireplaces and French doors
• Getting rid of ‘nasty niffs’ that you may be oblivious to
• Removing ‘personal’ items such as family photographs or niche magazines
• Downsizing the contents of your cupboards by taking everything out and only putting half of it back in. (This is because while no buyer will expect cupboards to be perfectly neat or empty, they are looking for a large amount of storage space for their own things)
• Testing your home for baby compatibility (e.g. would put your own child on your floor and let him or her crawl about?)

The guide can be downloaded at www.polarmortgages.co.uk