The best-looking house on the inside will not even get a glance if the outside scares away potential buyers. In the current buyers market, sellers need to do everything they can to improve their odds of finding a buyer. Here are 8 ways to improve the curb appeal of any house and increase the chance of getting that potential buyer through the front door.

1. Clean Up The first thing to do is also the simplest. Clean up everything lying around such as leaves, papers, and anything broken like pottery, bricks, or concrete. You will also want to clean all windows and the exterior sides of the house. The one-day rental cost of a power washer can be well worth the expense.

2. Bushes and Hedges Think trimmed and neat. Remove all dead branches and leaves. Remove or trim back from around the windows to dispel safety concerns.

3. Walkways Clean any paint and stains from cement and brick walkways. There are products at home center stores to clean these. You can hire a professional cleaner for really tough stains. Many homes can benefit from a stone or brick walkway. Breakup a basic yard by installing a walkway; this can be done relatively easily and inexpensively.

4. Grass Dead or dying grass can be replaced with sod and will do wonders for the look of the house. Most buyers are unaware of how easy and economical laying sod can be, so impress them and do it before they write their offer.

5. Gutters and Downspouts Make sure these are in place, cleaned out, and in working order. Gutters and downspouts hanging askew make the entire house look like a mess and make any prospective buyer wonder what else is falling apart. Seeing this from the curb will likely make your "buyers" cross your house off their list.

6. Front Entrance A new welcome mat, a working doorbell, clean glass, a new screen, a new door-knob or opener, no peeling paint, and no stains on the bricks or concrete are some of the things you must take care of at the front entrance. This area sets the tone for the rest of the house so make sure you pay it the attention it deserves.

7. Exterior Paint and Repairs This includes the repair and repainting of any damaged area of the house. Completely repainting is a major expense and would not really belong on this list unless the house is so bad there is no chance of a sale without it.

8. Flowering Plants This is one of the easiest and most cost-effective things the seller can do to improve the curb appeal of any house. Try to spread these out along pathways, in planters, or even window boxes. Hanging plants can also be used if the house design supports them.

A home seller today must do everything possible to improve the impression they make on a prospective buyer and this must start with the outside of the house. Many sellers do not give the exterior of their home much thought but this area can often lose the sale before the would-be buyers even get out of the car.