By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter

When driving through a neighborhood, have you ever noticed how some people just seem to have their houses together — from the painting of the building to the plantings laid on in the proper proportions? Well that quality, called curb appeal, can be somewhat daunting to some, but from a real estate standpoint, it's the curb appeal of your house that can make a home more valuable and easier to sell.

Even in an economy that is tough, and as financial institutions think twice about lending money, while encouraging people to curb their spending.

"No matter how new or old and stylish your home may be, there are always improvements that can be made whether for necessity or sheer desire to better improve the value of your home," says Elbert Thompson, a real estate agent at HG Christie Ltd.

"And when the economy is not doing so good, purchasing a home may not be economically feasible, but for those who can [afford to purchase a home] curb appeal will make a big difference. Therefore remodeling or redesigning parts of the exterior of your home may improve your chance of selling," he said.

Your home's curb appeal is what draws a buyer in, according to Thompson. And he says within the first thirty seconds of viewing, a potential homeowner will make up his/her mind about a property. "This is why the landscaping is so important," he explained. "You should have some nice trees, the yard should be freshly mowed and should look presentable. In general, you should do all the things that will make your home attractive to potential buyers — and the most important is [that] your landscaping is done well. You'll probably want to have some flowering plants and palm trees with a nice lawn in the front and also ensure that the house is freshly painted or pressure washed at least. These are the first things people will see as they walk up to your house, so you want to make sure that it stands out and catches the attention of potential homeowners."

Before you do anything, Thompson says it's important for home sellers to set a good budget and research ways to do as many improvements to the home themselves, which he says can save money. He encourages you to shop around for fairly-priced materials, adding that when you do that, you will notice that some or all of your planned projects aren't as financially devastating as you may have thought.

If money is no object when remodeling your home and you can afford a contractor, Thompson still encourages you to do research to be certain that your chosen contractor is highly knowledgeable and seasoned in his or her specialty of remodeling. He says research will also make you better aware of what the going rates are for materials and labor so that you don't fall victim to being taken advantage of by a contractor.

Adding that the list is nearly unlimited of things you can think of to improve, Thomspon says projects can range from changing the paint color, to extravagant remodeling.

In these tough economic times he pointed out that it's best to keep it simple and start with curb appeal. He advises that you don't go overboard and overextend. Instead, Thompson recommends that you ensure that you have a home that people would want to see, because that would make the world of difference in terms of profit and the time on the market.