With so many homes on the market these days, you've got to make yours really stand out from the crowd if you want to sell it quickly. Never underestimate the power of curb appeal at drawing in prospective buyers and generating interest in your home. After all, no one wants to tour a home that looks shabby and poorly maintained from the outside, much less buy it. Sprucing up your home's curb appeal doesn't have to extremely costly. To that end, we've compiled a short list of five things you can do to quickly and easily boost your curb appeal.

1. Clean up your front yard and landscaping. No one likes a yard that is poorly maintained, and a good mowing, trimming, and edging of the lawn can go a long way toward cleaning up your home's outer appearance. If your landscaping is looking shabby, go through and weed thoroughly, trim the bushes, and apply a new layer of mulch.

2. Add some architectural details. A little something on the front of your home can go a long way toward setting it apart from the competition. One good option might be to add shutters, either functional or decorative. If you opt for functional shutters (a more expensive option, but one that will also improve your home's value), be sure to choose good quality shutter hinges and hardware that won't rust.

3. Paint your front door. A freshly painted front door can make a big difference, and it's not nearly as expensive or time consuming as painting the entire house. Consider a bright color that will coordinate with the color of your siding and trim. Red is always a nice choice, because it draws the eye in and creates a focal point.

4. Add new door hardware. Once you've got your door painted, complete the look by adding a new door handle. Remember that the front door is the first thing that prospective buyers see when they are entering your home, so you want it to look its best, and a new handle in a nice finish is a great touch. Don't forget the storm door, too. If you have a storm or screen door, be sure to clean it thoroughly, including the glass or screen, and consider buying some new storm door hardware in a color that will coordinate with the hardware on your prime door.

5. Update your address plaque and/or mailbox. If your home has a house number plaque or a mailbox on the front of it, you want to be sure these look good and are in good repair. If they are not, it's worth a little bit of money to buy new ones in colors or finishes that coordinate with the rest of your home's exterior. A lighted address plaque can also be a particularly nice touch, and a minor selling point for the home, because it improves home safety. If you'll be buying a new mailbox for the front of your home, consider a locking box. This is another small selling point that buyers will appreciate because it adds to home security.

As you can see, it doesn't take much to improve your home's curb appeal. One day on a weekend will be plenty of time to do a few updates, and the small improvements that you do make will go a long way toward helping your home sell faster and bring more money.