Painting and powerwashing:  Powerwash the vinyl siding and make it sparkle.  Painting your house's exterior before you put it on the market gives the biggest bang for your fix-up buck. Caulk where needed. (this will helpwhen it comes to inspection time) Paint it neutral colored.  White, light grays or soft tans are safe choices for exterior walls. If your house doesn't need a new paint job, at least touch up window frames, front shutters, gutters and down spouts. (Clean the gutters while you are up there)  Also, be sure to give your mailbox and front door a fresh coat of paint.

Lawn:A freshly mowed, neatly trimmed lawn gives your house a well-maintained appearance. Pick up old bricks, and odds and end that are laying around.  Coil up the garden hose after you use it.  Make sure toys, lawn equipment. and garden equipment are not laying around.   Fertilizing and putting a weed killer on it will make your grass look better.  Get rid of all the old boards, barbeque grills, ladders that are laying around outside of the house.

Sidewalks:  Edge and sweep your sidewalks weekly.  Give it that neat appearance. Keep them free of snow and ice in the winter.

Shrubbery:  Trim up trees that are blocking the house or up against the house.  Remove or replace any dead or dying trees, hedges, or shrubs and prune anything that looks unkempt or overgrown. Weed shrub beds.  Cut back overgrown shrubs that block windows and keep light from entering your house.   Add fresh mulch or top with stone.

Flowers:  Adding a few potted flowers on the porch is a cheap way to give curb appeal.  Filling flower beds with seasonal flowers is an inexpensive way to add color and charm to a property.

Repairs: Be sure that all gutters and down-spouts are in place and clean. Replace missing roof shingles and broken or cracked windows. Repair cracks in your driveway and remove large oil stains. Replace or repair broken stairs, torn window screens, broken or missing fence slats, and defective doorknobs. Put on a new front door knob or shine it up. Make sure that your front and back doors, garage doors, and all windows open easily. Put in new light bulbs and clean the glass on all exterior lights.  Be certain that they're working properly. 

Windows:  Keep your windows spotless inside and out throughout your home.  Hire a window washer if necessary.  Another trick is to take the screens out so the windows look brighter. When you're not home, curious buyers attracted by the For Sale sign have been know to peek through the windows to size up your house.

Eliminate or hide clutter:Clear everything you don't need out of the garage. Friends and family who live nearby can be a great source of temporary places to store excess items. If you can't clean your garage out, at least keep the door closed at all times. Try to keep the number of cars parked in front of your house to a minimal.   Store boats and campers else where when selling your home.