It's one thing to live near a house that stays on the market month after month. But it's a different matter when that house belongs to you and you're desperate for a sale.

You'd be surprised at some of the simple things that can stop house hunters in their tracks.

With patience and a little effort, you can turn these deal breakers into deal makers.

House hunters make decisions before they get out of the car. A lousy landscape can stop them in their tracks, so spruce up the yard.

"Sprucing up the landscaping is not expensive, and you only get one chance to make a first impression," said long-time real estate agent Shari Kruse with Prudential Northwest Realty in West Seattle.

Kruse says homes that sell look great, inside and out. They are clean and inviting.

Paint is another good place to start. A fresh coat of paint is a relatively inexpensive fix for most people.

If your walls or exterior are dingy, have been painted bad color or just in need of a paint job, get it done.

And clear the clutter -- all of it, including that hat pile of papers on your desk, all those kids' pictures and photos and magnets on the refrigerator.

For most people, the way you keep up your home for everyday living is not the way to show it when you're trying to sell.

The tips may sound trivial, but they make a difference.

Kruse says it's a good idea to stage your home. Try to make it look like a model home or a picture in a magazine. Staging homes has become a thriving business in the real estate industry.

And here's a tip that might surprise you -- change your light bulbs from low-watt to high-watt.

"Because the house then looks brighter and more welcoming, and warmer," said Kruse.

Another trick-is to adjust the temperature when it's cold outside.

"Keep the temperature up. Even if you're used to living with the thermostat at 60 degrees, keep it at 68 or 70 to show it so that people feel comfortable in the house."

Get rid of unpleasant odors from smoking, pets or cooking. That's a major turnoff. If you smoke, repaint the interior walls, deodorize furniture and clothing and smoke outdoors. Have a friend or neighbor come in and give an honest evaluation of how your home smells when they first walk in.

Check your floors and counter tops. Clean them, repair them or, if necessary, replace them. It's not necessary to install granite if the rest of your home is outdated, but if your kitchen is the only room in the house that is not updated, new counter tops and cabinets might be a good investment. Same holds true with appliances.

"If your kitchen needs remodeling, then I would say no, don't buy new appliances, because whoever buys your house will want to come in and remodel the kitchen.

"If your kitchen is really nice but you kept that old refrigerator just because it worked, then maybe buying a new one would be a good idea. And leave it with the house and consider it a cost of sale," Kruse said.

Accessibility is another potential deal breaker. Be accessible for showings and never turn down a potential buyer who wants to see your home, even it if means interrupting your dinner to leave the house. The potential buyer who wants to view your home may be in from out of town with limited time to look. If you really want to get your house sold, you have to be accommodating.

And finally, don't overprice. In a buyer's market, being stubborn about your asking price lengthens the time on the market.

"You can stay, or you can go. You have two choices." said Kruse. "You can keep your house and stay there or you can sell it; you can reduce the price and let someone else buy it, or you can stay."

Kruse says the average (median) time it takes a home to sell in Seattle now, is about 70 days. Some sell more quickly, others stay on the market for nearly a year.

But she's seen cases where two practically identical homes are for sale in the same neighborhood. One is cluttered and poorly maintained while the other is clean and staged inside and out either by the seller, their realtor or a professional stager. The staged house sells faster and often for more money.