Tax rebate can make home more attractive

(MyHomeIdeas) -- In the current desperate real estate market, it's important to do everything you can to make your house attractive to prospective buyers.

The rebate checks arriving by snail mail or electronic deposit are a great opportunity to invest in your biggest asset -- your house.

Whether you're a single expecting $600 or a married couple with $1200 to burn, here are seven sure fire ways to make that rebate work for you.

1. Buy an attractive seating group to place near your front door

A bistro table and a pair of light chairs can create a romantic atmosphere before your visitors have even stepped foot inside the door. Or a bench flanked by potted plants can provide color as well as a place to drop the grocery bags while you fish for your keys.

It also implies a warm neighborhood atmosphere where homeowners greet each other from their front porches. If your stoop is too small for seating, place a pair of Adirondack chairs in your front yard. Estimated cost: $500.

2. Highlight your address

Blending utility with personality, house numbers don't just tell visitors where you are; they can also tell them who you are. Use salvaged materials for an eclectic look, or match your home's decor more closely for a refined effect. Think beyond the front door -- consider planting numbers in a garden bed or affixing them to a retaining wall near your driveway. Estimated cost: $50-$200.

3. Makeover with paint

Pick a limited palette of 3 or 4 colors that are closely related and paint the major rooms in your house. Avoid intense colors which can be off-putting to prospective buyers. Neutrals tend to have broad appeal, and you can introduce accent color in small doses, like pillows or a throw on a sofa.

North-facing rooms, with their colder light, can benefit from a warmer paint color, like a sunny yellow, while south-facing rooms can handle cool grays and blues without feeling depressing. Estimated cost: $1200.

4. Plant window boxes. Their appeal is universal and projects a cheerful attitude. Mix colorful blooms with trailing vines for texture. Metal trough baskets are versatile and affordable, while wooden boxes can add architectural interest to the front of your house. Some boxes are even self-watering, which takes the hassle out of maintaining them if your eaves are deep. Estimated cost: $200 per window.

5. Create curb appeal

Upgrade your mailbox to one that reflects the style of your house. The varieties of styles and finishes available are enormous. If your house is clad in stone, consider a masonry column to house an aluminum box. Or if you live in a cozy bungalow, go for a vintage look with a painted mailbox.

Then put attractive plantings around the base of the post, with a mixture of ornamental grasses and vines that can climb the post. Estimated cost: $300.

6. Invest in landscaping

According to Gerri Willis, author of "Home Rich," attractive landscaping can add 6 to 7 percent to the value of your home. Have a garden designer draw up a plan that you can install yourself. Estimated cost: $1200.

7. Add ceiling molding to a room without trim

It will give the room an expensive feeling for as little as $3 a linear foot. You can choose a simple design or something more intricate and formal to match your style.

Trim can make a ho-hum room take on a luxurious atmosphere, and elevate your house above the ordinary, in a buyer's mind. Paint it a glossy finish that matches any other trim in the room, like window trim. Estimated cost: $250.

Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com

Copyright © 2008 MYHOMEIDEAS.com. All rights reserved.

All About Home Remodeling