When you walk past your commercial property’s landscaping every day, you kind of get used to it.
It's easy to miss the signs that it needs some updating.
Just like us, plants decline as they get older. (You still look great, by the way.)
Landscaping doesn’t last forever. If you let things look shabby, it’ll cost you, from extra maintenance to potential liability to lost revenue from tenants who pass you by.
The best commercial landscape companies can show you the hidden costs of an aging landscape — and suggest ways to get that crucial curb appeal back.
What Do You Mean My Landscaping Looks Old?!
No offense. It happens to the best of us.
Plants don’t live forever. Landscapes evolve over time and get past their prime.
Are there overgrown shrubs that have been hanging out for 20 years? Guarantee you they don’t look great anymore.
A planting bed that was in the sun 15 years ago might be shaded by mature trees now and need more light.
Are there cracked sidewalks or sunken pavers that make your place look past its prime?
Bare patches in your aging lawn?
How about your irrigation system? Do you have old sprinkler heads that are wasting water, spraying your sidewalks and pavement?
Water waste is a big strike against you in the eyes of today’s environmentally conscious customers.
Pretend you’re a potential tenant or customer. Take a good, hard look at your landscaping. Does it look fresh, modern, appealing?
Would you want to hang out here? Or pass right by?
Hidden Cost: Liability
An aging landscape has a lot of potential liability.
- Overgrown branches can snag or poke pedestrians and obstruct drivers’ vision.
- Neglected dead branches could come crashing down onto people or vehicles.
- Aging, overgrown shrubs can block security cameras and lighting. Overgrown shrubs are also perfect places for intruders to hide.
- Have you looked at your sidewalks lately? Cracks can soon turn into crumbling chunks that are not only unsightly but can cause pedestrians to trip.
- Is your property’s lighting up to date? Or decades old? Great lighting not only makes your apartment complex more appealing, it makes it safer. Criminals have fewer places to hide. Lighting also provides security for tenants and visitors as they walk to their vehicles at night. Dark, creepy parking lots? That’s just asking for trouble.
Choose commercial landscapers that can tend to all these needs, to reduce an aging property’s liability risks.
Hidden Cost: Lost Potential Revenue
This is a big one.
Nobody wants to live at a place that looks shabby and neglected. Nobody wants to set up shop there, either.
Tenants are looking for fresh, appealing surroundings that look luxurious, contemporary, and well-tended.
They’re looking for healthy green lawns, fresh, attractive flowers and plants, welcoming hardscape areas, and a high-end vibe.
They want new stuff.
Newer apartment communities are packed with perks like grilling stations, dog parks, fire pits, and exercise trails.
Older, bare-bones apartments can’t compete.
Stick with your unappealing, aging landscaping and you’re passing up chance after chance to attract and retain the tenants you need to keep your place vibrant and bustling.
Experienced commercial landscaping companies can help you use your landscaping as a marketing tool to attract discriminating tenants, customers, and visitors.
Hidden Cost: Maintenance
Old, overgrown landscaping needs more maintenance, which means you’re spending more money just on upkeep.
- Trees and shrubs that have outgrown their spots need extra pruning and trimming.
- Grass that’s become too shaded from mature trees takes more effort to keep it looking good.
- Signage landscaping that’s grown too tall needs frequent trimming.
- Aging, overcrowded planting beds look neglected and unappealing.
It’s a lot of extra work — and money.
The best commercial landscapers can rejuvenate your property with low-maintenance solutions that look great and will save you money in the long run.
Hidden Cost: Lost Employees
If you want to attract the best employees, and keep them, don’t underestimate the importance of up-to-date landscaping.
Everybody wants to be proud of where they work, and that includes how it looks.
You don’t want to lose out on the best people because your landscaping looks old and outdated.
While you’re thinking about upgrades, consider the latest amenities millennial workers have come to expect, like comfortable outdoor patios for lunches and brainstorming sessions, and walking trails to get some midday exercise and mind-clearing fresh air.
How Commercial Landscapers Can Perk Up Your Property
You don’t necessarily need a top to bottom renovation to update an aging landscape.
A few upgrades here and there can make a big impact.
Skilled commercial landscaping companies can pinpoint your outdated problem areas and suggest updates to freshen up your landscaping.
A few ideas:
- Start with high-visibility or high-use areas for the biggest impact. Your entrance as seen from the road. The walkways to entrances. Areas between the parking lot and your buildings.
- Consider a more modern look. Opt for a contemporary mix of perennials, flowering shrubs, and graceful ornamental grasses that lend movement to the landscape.
- Update with colorful annuals. They’re replaced seasonally, so they always look fresh and up to date.
- Spruce up signage. Replace overgrown signage landscaping with appealing, low-maintenance plants that are suited to their spot and won’t obscure the signs.
- Pruning and thinning. Commercial landscapers can offer expert plant pruning and thinning that will do wonders for aging, overgrown perennials, shrubs, and trees.
- Mulch. Fresh beds of rich, dark mulch make a huge impact, especially from the street, against a healthy green lawn and bright beds of flowers. When’s the last time you replaced yours?
- Turf renovation. Over time, turf gets compacted. Consider aeration and overseeding or dethatching to help rejuvenate a lackluster lawn. And if maturing trees have turned your once-sunny lawn to shade, you may need to replace your sun-loving turf with a variety better suited to shade.
- Add trendy amenities with tenant appeal. Walking trails. A dog park. A grilling station. Fire pits. A community garden.
Phasing in Renovations
The great thing about landscaping updates is they can be done in phases, over time.
Start with a couple low-cost ideas and plan to add more updates as your budget allows.
Time for a Landscaping Update? Trust North by Northwest
Now that the hidden costs of an aging landscape aren’t so hidden, are you ready to renovate?
Updating an aging commercial property gives it a big visual boost. It makes customers, potential tenants, and buyers want to hang out at your place.
Once your updates are complete, we stick with you, providing expert landscape maintenance to keep your investment in wow-inspiring shape.
Worried the process will be a big hassle? It won’t be, with North by Northwest.
Commercial landscape companies who are skilled at what they do and attentive to your needs as a property manager know how to make the process go as smoothly as possible from beginning to end.
We’d love to partner with you to make your landscaping impressive and your job hassle-free.
Are you ready for stress-free landscaping? Schedule a time to meet with one of our experts today. We’ll gather the details, create a customized plan just for you, and you can stop stressing as we improve and beautify your commercial property.
