You don’t have to spend a fortune renovating your house to ensure a quick sale at the best price. Some of the most effective fix-ups are the cheapest. Spending just $400-$500 on fresh landscaping, for example, can boost your homes value by $1600 - $1800 according to one survey. Spend another $300 on cleaning and de-cluttering your home, the survey found and you could add another $2000 or more to the sale price. To pinpoint the projects that make sense, start by touring the property with fresh eyes. Look at the property as if you were a prospective buyer. What do you see?

On the Outside:

Sidewalk - Landscaping makes a huge difference! Trim overgrown bushes and trees so that the house can be seen from the street. Plant colorful annuals in beds. Keep the lawn green and trimmed.

Revive a tired exterior - Painting the doors and window trim can freshen your home’s look without the expense of a complete exterior painting. Shine worn door knockers and hardware. Replace or remove torn screens or damaged storm windows. Make sure that the exterior lights work and have fresh bulbs.

Remove outside clutter - Get rid of anything that blocks pathways or clutters up side yards, back yards and patios. This includes toys, excess furniture and tools.

Clean your windows - Let the sun shine in! You want your home to look as light and bright as possible. Dirty windows drag down a home’s appearance.

On the Inside:

Dig out the dirt - Deep cleaning is essential for a good first impression. Inspect your floors, walls, kitchen, bathrooms and closets because your buyers will. It’s also key to keep up the cleaning as long as the house is on the market. Bathrooms and kitchens should be kept spotless.

Banish bad smells - Air out your home by throwing open windows once a day or running your exhaust fans. If your home has sat vacant or been a rental, get the carpets cleaned.

Remove inside clutter - You need to move anyway, so why not get a head start and make your home look larger by packing away at least 1/3 of your stuff? Stowing away knickknacks, mementos and family pictures helps depersonalize your home, which is actually a good thing: You want potential buyers to picture themselves in the home. Consider renting a temporary storage space instead of using your closets or garage which will make them look smaller.

Organize what is left - Tidy closets and pantries look bigger and more appealing.

Fix your floors - Buyers really notice the condition of floors. Hardwoods should be polished, carpets shampooed, or if they are in really bad shape, replaced. Repair any broken tile or linoleum.

Brighten the walls - If you have painted or wallpapered in recent years, you may be able to get away with just washing your walls. Otherwise, consider painting your rooms in neutral colors.

If your home is older - you may want to consider a pre-sale inspection. This can alert you to any problems you didn’t know about, giving you a chance to fix them before they can complicate or even ruin a potential sale.