How to stage your home

Many homeowners replace their kitchen before putting it on the market. A spanking new kitchen always looks good for a sales campaign and usually adds to the value of a house.

However, be warned - there is no point spending a small fortune on a knockout kitchen if you haven't got the basics right.

Kitchen ergonomics can seem a bit technical but the golden rule (or the golden triangle) of kitchen design is to place the most commonly used equipment and work areas together allowing the chef to work as efficiently as possible.

The difficulty of course is deciding what the most commonly used equipment is. Is it the dishwasher and microwave or the refrigerator and cooker? Experts advise that the sink or dishwasher should be one of the three points in the triangle.

Traditionally the work triangle is defined as an imaginary line drawn from the centre of the sink to the centre of the cooker or cooking area to the centre of the refrigerator and back to the sink. Some experts advise that the triangle should total 26ft or less.

Another kitchen guideline is the "point of first use" rule. This essentially means that objects should be stored close to where they will be first used.

Pots and pans should be near the cooker and tableware should be near the table - i.e. in a cabinet away from the food preparation and cooking area and close to the dining area.

Accessibility and visibility is also important in a kitchen, so pull-out shelves, drawers and larders are always a winner.

If this is not possible a simple pot rack can be a good idea or a cupboard to stack saucepans by size with lids in a rack alongside them - anything to avoid the cook having to go on hands and knees rooting for a pot in a dark cupboard.