Like most of the country, the Staten Island real estate market saw a turbulent year in 2022. Interest rates rose, bringing home prices with them. This led to fewer buyers and more competition among homes for sale.
While there's still hope that the market will improve in the new year, it's more important than ever before that sellers make sure that their homes stand out. A home's curb appeal can make a big difference.
It Sets the Stage for Buyers
Your front lawn and the front of your home are the very first things that buyers see. Studies show that almost 70 percent of Americans form a first impression of strangers before they ever speak; a similar situation occurs when potential buyers first see a home.
If a home and its front landscaping are messy, overgrown, or otherwise unkempt, buyers may immediately be wary of the home and what waits for them inside. In the same way, investing in beautifully manicured landscaping and ensuring that the front of a home is clean with a fresh coat of paint can go a long way towards allowing buyers to see beyond the outside of the home and to its many unique features and attributes.
It Suggests Proper Care of the Home
If the outside of a home requires care and maintenance, potential buyers may also find themselves worrying about what other home improvements the current owners have overlooked or put off. If the owners didn't take the time or invest the money to keep up the outside of the home, what other areas did they neglect?
But a well-cared for exterior suggests owners who care about the home and who take the time to care for it properly.
It Allows Your Home to Stand Out
There are hundreds of homes for sale in Staten Island at any given time. Today, home buyers visit an average of 8 properties before they buy. After viewing a few homes, the details of each will no doubt begin to run together.
However, in most cases, homeowners will picture in their minds the exteriors of a home. A beautiful home, inside and out, is more likely to stand out in buyers' minds. A home lacking curb appeal is more likely to be forgettable.
Navigating the Staten Island Real Estate Market in 2023
If you aren't designing a house from the ground up, your only option is to improve your home's design and layout. Luckily, many curb appeal ideas are easy to implement and relatively inexpensive.
Putting a fresh coat of paint on your front door, power-washing your home's exterior, and cleaning up the landscaping can all go a long way toward helping your home shine in the Staten Island real estate market.
Ready to sell your home? Contact us today to see how we can help you navigate the challenging real estate market in 2023.
Wonica Realtors & Appraisers are Staten Island's #1 independent full-service real estate firm, serving the needs of the community for over 30 years. Whether you are buying, selling, renting, or relocating, our staff of highly trained professionals will provide quality realty services with personal attention to your individual real estate needs.