If you have been trying to sell your home, you are well aware of how challenging it can be. However, there is one way that you can increase your chances of success and that is if you improve your home's curb appeal.

With fewer and fewer qualified buyers in the market it has become even more important to make your home as attractive as possible.

That's because a very high percentage of people who are shopping for a home decide whether or not they would like to take a look inside the home based on what they see as they drive by the house – or when they arrive for a showing. If the curb appeal is not positive they often leave.

As the homeowner it can be rather difficult for you to see your house through other people's eyes.

That's because you have gotten accustomed to how it looks and you see beyond whatever faults it has. However, if you are considering selling your home you have to first look at is as property rather than the roof over your particular head. And, as such, there are a number of things you can do to sell this property for the highest possible dollar.

Before you can increase your curb appeal you have to identify the areas that are ripe for improvement. Here's a simple exercise that you can do to help you to gage your home's curb appeal.

First, the next time you come back home, park across the street or down the block. You want to be able to get a good view of your property and its surroundings, as if you were looking at it for the first time. As you walk towards your house imagine that this is the first time you are here.

Is the approach to your property tidy and clean? Is there anything that you could do to make it more attractive?

Take a notepad with you and jot down your first impressions of the yard and the house. Then note the house's best exterior features.

Once you've done that take a moment or two to see if you can come up with some initial ideas about how you can enhance the looks of your house and property. Continue this exercise later.

After you consider the best features of your yard and home, make a note of what the worst features are. Then see if you can think of a number of ways that you could eliminate, improve, or minimize these negative factors.

One thing that could help is if you take pictures of your house. If your camera is a digital camera take the photos in color and look at them that way first. Then turn the image into black and white and analyze them. It may be easier to see the problems when the color doesn't affect your impressions.

by: Wendy Moyer 
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6541.shtml