The Value of Good Community Association Landscaping

Ever heard the phrase “first impressions are the most lasting?” We're betting you have, and were betting you've experienced the truth in it. As much as many don't want first impressions to be so important, the bottom line is that they are, and when it comes to communities and homes, the landscaping and outdoor environment is often the first impression that potential residents will get.

One of the hardest parts is landscaping is upkeep. While it is time consuming to initially get your community grounds looking the way you want them to, it's often done all at once with one company- so it's not necessarily a difficult process once you've picked what you want. When it becomes difficult is through regular maintenance. People are driving over the grass, the weather is getting colder and plants are dying, and generally you just have a lot on your plate. That's where we come in.

Here are 3 tips for maintaining community association landscaping:

1. Find the right vendor: This is one of the biggest parts of maintaining your community landscaping. You can't afford to have potential residents come on a tour and see brown grass, and you certainly don't want current residents to be embarrassed of the way their community grounds look. You need to find a vendor you can trust to do a job well done, on time and on budget.
2. Choose the right materials: When you initially picture what your community landscaping will look like, you need to think about the future. Don't buy plants that die quickly or need a lot of care to upkeep. Think about how much you can afford on water bills and choose landscaping materials based on your budget, the weather (luckily for us, it's pretty standard year round in Florida), and how often you want to have your landscapers come to the property.
3. Get on a schedule: This one probably seems obvious, but you would be surprised how often we see communities that aren't on a regular landscaping schedule. If you have the right vendor picked out, then you should be comfortable having them come routinely. It makes it easier for you because you won't have to think about planning for landscaping work, and you will likely be able to get a better deal with the vendor.

Humans are visual people, so don't let your landscaping make a bad first impression. Just as it's important to keep your community office clean and presentable, you need to keep the grounds of the community clean and presentable as well. Click here for more information on why community association landscaping is so important.