With the housing market in a slump it's no surprise that every home builder is looking for an edge over his competitors. The exterior of a home is often the first thing a potential homebuyer will look at and it can set the entire mood before they even set foot in the door. A great first impression on the outside can often make up for a lackluster inside. Alternatively, a bad first impression on the outside can often keep potential homebuyers from acknowledging the great assets on the inside of a well done home. That's why it's important to make sure that if you're selling a home you have the right amount of curb appeal on the outside to get your potential home buyers in and exceed their expectations.

The builders bloom of 2006 has come to a halt and now there are many builders in 2008 sitting on houses. For the last couple years many of these builders have been trying to build a better house cheaper and sometimes this has meant cutting corners or keeping the exterior simple to lower costs. Now, these same builders are having trouble luring any home buyers into the house. With a flooded buyers market, builders are having to go back and add extras, upgrades, and incentives to pull their clients in. It's no surprise that window boxes haven't missed a beat and are flying off the shelves faster than ever. Even the home owners who are trying to sell are having to dress up their homes to get any attention.

PVC material is now being used to make PVC window boxes and is a great selling feature of a new or old home. Because the material is resistant to rotting and maintenance free, many builders are using it as a selling point and upgrade feature. With the advent of PVC and other low maintenance materials, architectural accents that faded away are starting to make a comeback. Detailed accents that normally rotted out can now be added to a home and last virtually forever.

With the coming of track homes, architecture in the 20th century has been somewhat simplified in regards to details, accents, and historical truths. The housing recession will certainly work to reverse some of that by not only correcting the housing market, but also by correcting the architecture. Don't be surprised to see craftsman style homes and french-country architecture make a comeback.

Matthew Buquoi is the owner of Flower Window Boxes, an online company that sells PVC window boxes and custom window boxes to builders, landscapers, remodelers, and homeowners.