What can you say about curb appeal? As a realtor I can safely tell you: it sells homes. One simple truth about real estate is that sales are made and lost on first impressions. If you take the time to critically assess the curb appeal of your home and take steps to ensure that it looks its best, then your home will show better and sell quicker. When trying to improve a home's curb appeal it is best to start by taking a look at the home from the street as this is how most potential buyers will first see the home. If you are having doubts about what needs improving, ask a friend or neighbor or your realtor for advice.

Curb appeal is all about the appearance, the home must be visually pleasing and interesting at a glance. In order to achieve this effect the most important thing is cleanliness. A messy yard will still attract attention, but for all the wrong reasons. So, a full-scale cleaning of the yard is the essential basic stage of increasing curb appeal. Cleaning the yard should include cutting and trimming the lawn, weeding the garden and resurfacing any areas of the walkway or driveway that are in need of it.

Special attention should be paid to the lawn and gardens at the front of the home. Having a professional landscaper in to revamp the lawn and garden is a great idea. If the yard is kind of plain, don't be afraid to add new scenic elements such as new shrubbery, flowers, garden trim or in drastic cases, new lawn! It may seem like an excessive step but if your home has a somewhat bedraggled front lawn, new grass can be rolled into place fairly quickly and it looks fantastic.

Now take a look the home itself. This is the point where extra effort comes into play and separates some homes from others. Does the home need paint? Are there any dirt marks or other marks that could be removed from the house? Nothing sets off a home like new paint or siding, and it is an expense that is well worth the added impact that is makes during a showing.