CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- You're ready to sell. Fresh paint is on the walls. Closets are tidy, the baths and kitchen immaculate.

But is your landscape ready?

Or will it be a turnoff that could drive away potential buyers?

"You've only got one chance to make a good first impression," says Dot Munson, president of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. "I have literally had people refuse to go into the house because of the way it looked outside."

The defects that turn off home buyers cover myriad things large and small. These include overgrown shrubs and past-their-prime mailboxes. There may be dead limbs in the trees, ivy running amok and spider webs around the front door.

In today's competitive real estate market, you can't afford to let the yard turn off potential buyers.

"We do get inquiries about this quite often," says John Barringer of Barringer and Barringer Landscape Service. "Usually it doesn't take much to get good curb appeal. You can achieve this by doing some basic things that are very inexpensive."

The goal: clean and neat. Depending on the amount of materials and time required, and whether tree pruning is needed, you might spend a couple of hundred dollars, or $1,500 to $2,000.

That means, among many things, fresh mulch or pine needles on natural areas; removal of dead, broken or diseased branches; and creating clean edges where turf meets pavement. Planting bright flowers in pots at the front door can make a big difference, too.

Having too much shrubbery in front of a home can create a bulky or overgrown look. The goal is to have a fresher-looking front, says David Blankenberg of Pine Lake Nursery & Landscaping of Matthews, N.C.

There should be some breathing room between shrubs. A reasonable remedy is to replace the front row with a new set of young shrubs. Two good choices: loropetalums or abelias. This is a flexible simple approach that freshens a landscape without the expense of an entire renewal, which new owners might not even like.

Working on the landscape is part of the same philosophy of putting a house in order for sale, such as replacing carpet, says Jonathan Reed of Paragon Landscape Management of Charlotte, N.C.

Fresh pine needles or other mulch add color and show an owner's caring hand. An application of fertilizer on the lawn and a good cut with excellent edging all combine to make the outdoor carpet look fresh and new.

"This is the first thing people see," says Mr. Reed, "and the most underrated."

And does it make a difference?

"Absolutely," says Ms. Munson.

• The mailbox. Replace one that's starting to look worn.

• Look at the trees. Dead limbs are unsightly and hazardous. Have a certified arborist work on them.

• Take a hard look at shrubs. Would pruning improve their size and shape and get them out of windows? Would removal of ones well past their prime help the overall look?

• Clean up natural areas; remove stray twigs, small branches and volunteer plants.

• Tame ivy and other groundcover plants to make them look neat and within defined boundaries.

• Make lines along flower beds and shrub borders as clean and sharp as possible.

• Add seasonal flowers near the front door.

• Make the back yard inviting by showing it is a place that people enjoy, possibly with a portable fire pit with wood ready to light.