My believe is that quality of workmanship is one of the second best things to "looks" of the house. Everything should work perfectly. I have a lot of woodwork in my house and I am refinishing it all, making sure that it is as smooth as a fine-finished piece of furniture. I have wall paneling as well as major beam supports, and have sanded, and stained, and then finished with a water-proof finish to aid in appearance and maintenance. So far, of the realtors I have talked with, they all agree that the effort will pay off. Landscaping is next, and I believe the key is to keep it natural, simple, and where possible, self-irrigating, using timers, soak hoses, sprinklers systems, rain barrels, anything to take advantage of water runoff and rainfall. Even the dew point is taken into consideration as a water source. Shoot for perfection.. and keep a photo log (extensive) of the changes as you make them and complete them. Give the prospect a "guided tour" of all that has been done. This goes a long way to allay suspicions and only serves to support whatever a house inspector may have to report.