People often focus on how to decorate and improve the interior of their homes to reflect their personal taste. They often overlook the possibilities for improving the exterior of their home - its curb appeal.

By making simple cosmetic changes to the overall visual appearance of your homes exterior and landscaping, you can create a home that truly reflects your style and that increases your enjoyment and satisfaction while living there.

Too often people put off these simple, relatively inexpensive improvements until they are ready to sell and by doing this they miss out on the opportunity to fully experience living in a home that is an expression of themselves (not the previous owner). They only see their house at its best when they are ready to pass it on to the buyer.

For those of you who are planning on selling your home soon, making these changes will create a "come on in" look for any prospective buyers. While the interior might be in excellent condition, you only get once chance to make a good first impression.

Here are some tips for increasing your home's curb appeal

• Patching cracks in an asphalt driveway will prevent water seepage and further cracking. This can be done either professionally or with a do-it-yourself application for a hardware store.
• Power washing a cement driveway will remove oil, rust and other stains.
• Inexpensive vinyl shutters will add more dimension to the exterior windows.
• If the house exterior is lacking color or depth, adding window boxes with seasonal flowers adds greater curb appeal. Planters and seasonal flowers on a porch or a wide entry add both beauty and richness.
• Frequent pruning and trimming of plants and shrubs provides a well cared for look. Also, well manicured, cutter-free yards are always appealing.
• An assortment of flowers planted around the base of a tree on a lawn is always a quality feature. Using mature plants rather than planting younger ones that need time to grow should be considered.
• Homeowners should take a realistic look at their house, and compare it to their neighbors'. If it appears rather faded by comparison, a fresh coat of paint should be considered.
• Last, but certainly not least, crystal clear windows are a strong indicator that the house has been well cared for.

Julie Jalone is an experienced professional Realtor serving buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Sacramento area including Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Yuba counties. Some of the communities served by Julie include Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Granite Bay. To learn more about Julie take a look at her website, where you will find additional articles, monthly market analysis and her daily weblog, Keep in Real in Sacramento.