With all the buzz (and rightfully so) about "curb appeal"; you may feel like the Honey-Do list just seems to get longer and longer. The key is to prioritize; the place to start is "street appeal".

Curb appeal is what appeals to potential buyers as they arrive; getting out of their car from the curb and walking up to the house.

Street appeal is what a potential buyer can see from their car as they drive by or waiting at a traffic stop.

Even when your house is not being shown, potential buyers are still out there and could drive by at any time. There is a home for sale on a route I regularly take thru town that only mows the lawn about once every 2 weeks, has paint peeling from the garage door that you can see from the street and has this huge ugly stump in the corner of the front yard. If that's what I can see driving by, why would I want to stop? An un-manicured lawn, overgrown shrubs and garage doors with chipped paint could make potential home buyers drive on by.

There are 3 main areas to concentrate on: the house's worst and best features, and the yard.

Improving the Worst

You want to minimize distracting features as much as possible. Below are some common issues that can be resolved simply.

Do you have a hydro box or fire hydrant on your property?

Always double check with the local by-laws but many will allow you to enclose 3 sides of utility box with shrubs or lattice.

Does your garage stick out so far that you can't see the front entrance?

Add an archway or pergola to the side of the garage that leads to the entrance of your house. Hang a few baskets of flowers to say 'welcome'.

Emphasizing the Best

To help detract from any feature that you do not have control over, emphasize your home's best features.

Expansive window?

Ensure that they're clean, that there is no chipping paint and that any window coverings that can be seen from the street are attractive on the reverse side. What about adding some window boxes filled with seasonal plants?

Large porch?

Ensure that there is a welcoming seating area and that's it's well lit at night.

The Yard

Before you decided to sell, you had the luxury of maintaining your property at your own pace; but now you are tending the yard for it's future owner.

Hire a local teen or a lawn maintenance company to cut, rake, edge and water the lawn at least once a week. The same goes with snow removal in the winter.

Ensure all trees and shrubs are cut back to expose the house from the street. If this is not possible then at least ensure that they are trimmed and not looking overgrown.

Flowers, flowers, flowers. Even if you don't have a front yard garden you can put out planters and hanging baskets.

Remember, one step at a time.