When it's time to sell your Long Island home, you know you need to get it shaped up and ready to shine. Your first concern should be curb appeal, or how appealing your home is to a potential buyer driving by. Some experts even say good curb appeal can help you get 10% more in the final price.

You might think of asking a friend to give you an assessment of how your home looks. Make sure you get the honest friend; not the one who tells says you look great after that awful haircut.

These six tips will offer you on where to start to make your curb appeal pop:

Mailbox
Start at the curb and take a good look at your mailbox. Is it scuffed and dinghy, looking as though it is apathetic about holding the mail? Give it a good cleaning, or if it is too far gone, consider replacing it. At least re-paint the post and replace the house numbers with a style that matches your overall house.

Lawn
Next, cast an eye over your front lawn. Are there spots that could use some extra love? If it is the right season, get some extra seed or sod to green up the front. Trim the edges of the driveway and any walkways. Plant some flowers or shrubs to cover some of those shabby areas. Another more time-consuming option would be to shrink your lawn by adding some low-maintenance landscaping. This might attract buyers who don't really want to spend their Saturdays mowing and trimming.

Porch
If you have a front porch, make sure it is inviting and inspiring. You want to inspire potential buyers to envision themselves sipping coffee on their new front porch. Make sure you de-clutter it and clean it thoroughly. Paint the railings and consider adding porch curtains for a romantic flair. Any furniture should be cleaned and freshened as well.

Door
Your door should also say "welcome home," starting with the welcome mat. If yours is dull or worn out, get a new one that fits into your overall theme. Consider repainting your door in a contrasting color to your home's color. Polish your doorknob, or better yet, replace it with a newer, more artistic one. Depending on your budget, you could explore new high-tech methods of locking your door. Electronic locks and blue tooth locks are just some of the options.Another option to add flair to your door is to put a nice wreath on it to give it a homey look. Or, find an interesting door knocker to boost your door's personality. If you have a simple small porch at your door, put some potted plants on either side of the door. Such symmetry is appealing to the eye.

Roof
Make sure you examine your roof for any apparent loose shingles and get the needed repairs done. Also, check the gutters and fix any parts that are pulling away from the side of the house. At the very least, clean the gutters out.

Wall & Windows
Finally, give your home and driveway a good scrubbing. Clean the windows until they sparkle. Using a pressure washer, you can get your house looking clean and polished. Patch any cracks in the driveway so your potential buyers are eager to see the inside of the house, hoping it is as alluring as the outside.

Once you have your home all spit-shined and ready to present, contact a Long Island real estate agent to walk you through the home-selling process.