Curb appeal is one of the most important aspects of real estate marketing and the initial consideration when planning to make a house more saleable. Imagine that you have arrived in Pelham for the first time – what do you see? How pedestrian friendly does it appear. Would you feel inspired to stop for the afternoon and stroll about to all our local shops.
Often potential home buyers will not even consider booking an appointment for a viewing if the house or yard looks poorly maintained from the street. Realtors always recommend to Sellers that they keep their property in the best possible shape; lawn mowed, leaves picked up, windows washed, and driveways and sidewalks cleared of snow.
Money spent to stage a home prior to putting it on the market will inevitably increase the potential selling price for the property. In the case of investment in Downtown revitalization the return to the community is exponential.
Visitors are attracted to stop more often and stay longer. Local residents develop a stronger sense of pride and attachment to the attributes of their hometown. In turn, more potential homebuyers are drawn to establishing themselves personally within the positive energy of our welcoming neighbourhood environment.
Of course, you can also have the best product but if no one knows about it, the chances are less likely that it will sell. According a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, 90 percent of home buyers now use the Internet to search for real estate information. How visible is the Pelham community on the internet? Take the time to decide for yourself.
The Town of Pelham in conjunction with the Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce and the Pelham Business Association provides a business directory within the Town’s website, www.pelham.ca. This site is currently in the midst of an extensive update that will be re-introduced in mid-February. The www.MyPelham.com community website is a recently launched centralized on-line information resource. The www.PelhamTourism.com website is currently inactive and under review.
It is important to always remember that the image that we project as a community fundamentally impacts our long term potential for economic growth. I, for one, have grown weary of the descriptive – “come to Pelham, Niagara’s hidden gem”. Let’s all work on polishing up our gem instead.
