By Chaya Goodman Kurtz, Networx

The curb value of your house depends on one thing: the buyer's first impression. If you want to know how to increase the value of a home, think about how you would feel walking up to the sidewalk as you approach a house you might buy. The first thing you would notice is the exterior of the house. Picture the difference between a modern, orderly, attractive exterior and a house with gutters falling off and a pile of old tires in the driveway. If you want to increase the resale value of your house, you need to grab the buyer at first glance with a clean, neat, beautiful exterior. Homeowners who maintain their house's exterior can expect a yearly home value increase. The sweat equity that you put in will increase home value.

Sprucing up the exterior of your house is a less expensive way to increase home value than you might think. You can do many of these home improvement projects it yourself, but some will require the assistance of a qualified contractor . You can easily recoup the cost of the following exterior home repairs. They will increase the value of your home, and most will not make a major dent in your wallet.