Attempting to sell a home in today’s challenging market can be as much fun as running over your toe with the car.  Half of the battle, it seems, is just getting potential buyers through the front door.  The inside of your home, you insist, is in move-in condition and has the most updated of everything.  Attracting more house shoppers, though, may depend more on how the home looks on the outside.  At least initially.

Spice up a home’s curb appeal, and you could very well turn home buyers who are just passing by into home buyers who actually stop to take a closer look.  Curb appeal doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, either.  To make your home’s exterior more inviting, pay attention to the following details:

• Neat and Tidy — Take the time every day or so to tidy up your outdoor space.  Put away trash cans in a neat corner, pick up any stray garbage blown in by the breeze, remind the kids to store their toys away when they’re done playing, sweep off your front door step.  People are more likely to notice what’s wrong before they admire what’s right, so put away or clean up anything that takes away from the appearance of the home.
• Colorful Gardens — Purchase some colorful and inexpensive annuals at your local garden center, and plant them in your front garden to add a punch of vibrancy.  While you’re at it, remove weeds that may be growing wild, and rake any old leaves and garden debris from the beds.  Top it all off with some fresh mulch, and you’ll have an attractive focal point rather than a weedy and unkempt garden mess.  Don’t have front garden beds?  Plant your flowers in an attractive garden planter or container, and place it on the front porch to produce the same inviting effect.
• Front Door Impressions — Freshen your front door by adding a new coat of paint.  Whether you choose the same color or attempt a different one, a coat of paint can do wonders to spruce up a front door.  Once the paint is dry, hang a decorative, seasonal wreath to welcome your visitors.

No matter how good your home looks on the inside, you won’t get much interest from home buyers if the home’s outside doesn’t show the same amount of care and attention to detail.  Making a little effort to improve a home’s curb appeal may be all that’s needed to draw potential buyers into the front door.