- Textured ceiling paints, such as Artex, are supremely dated.

- Bathroom suites in avocado, brown and burgundy with gold taps are relics from the 1980s.

- Padded headboards, frilly crowns or hanging veils around the bed will not light anyone's fire.

- Musical doorbells are on a par with garden gnomes. Equally awful are “Beware of the dog” signs and stickers on your front windows. Stick to “old-style” doorbells and understated knockers.

- Borders, paint effects and stencilling look fussy. Decorative wallpaper can rock but if you have limited space apply it to a feature wall only.

- Remove any knick-knacks, cheap ornaments and anything else clogging up surfaces. If it's not practical or beautiful, store it, recycle it or take it to a charity shop.

- Orange-tinted pine and wood cladding is so early 1980s. Removing varnish does require effort: wash with soapy water, sand to remove the shine, then either burn it off with a heat gun or use chemicals. After, treat with mineral spirits then apply linseed oil or lime wax.

- Cheap, ill-fitting laminate flooring is a definite no-no.

- Ceiling fans with lights, dingy fringed lampshades and strip lighting are impractical at best and a complete eyesore at worst.

- Shell-backed sofas with timber detailing and three-piece suites are terribly dated. Neutral tones with a splash of colour are far more now. Update an old chair by re-covering it with a contemporary fabric.

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