As any association manager and board member will tell you, beautifully groomed lawns will contribute to increased property values and homeowner satisfaction. One of the most important elements of board member responsibility is to preserve, protect, and enhance the value of the property. By keeping this in mind you will be doing your association’s residents a great service.
To spruce up your lawn, your board or landscape committee should first map out a plan of your landscape maintenance—regardless of whether the landscape area is small and manageable or large and complex. Now, before you start polling your residents on their favorite kinds of flowers, your property manager, board of directors, and landscape committee need to determine the maintenance needs specific to your community and then you need to prioritize them. (Refer to CAI’s GAP Report 11: Grounds Maintenance for the Community Association.)
Presentation and Curb Appeal: What is curb appeal? Curb appeal is the overall appearance and marketability of your community. Your community’s overall appearance indicates your commitment to protecting your owners’ property values. Sound like a no-brainer? After all, who’s interested in preserving and enhancing their property values? How can you improve your curb appeal? Landscaping, signs, and architectural style. Whatever style your condominium was built in, you’re pretty much stuck with. Although you must stick with the property’s original plan, you can always consider a cosmetic makeover to improve your property’s value. Landscaping and signs give an important first impression of your community. What do people see when they approach your community? Do you have an identifying and well-lit sign? Landscaping has the biggest effect on how your community is perceived. The old famous “mow, blow, and go,” – just mowing and blowing to make your property look neat, is not where a condominium association is going to increase their value.
Communications and Professional Relationships: Strong communication is essential. Do your homeowners know what the board is doing? Try putting together a website, a newsletter, or making minutes easily available to read. If your homeowners are aware of what is going on they will be less likely to criticize the board or management company and more likely be supportive to the ideas you propose to enhance your community. To minimize any mis-communication or confusion, we recommend electing one person to serve as the liaison to your landscape company to relay your community’s needs and expectations. Typically, in a professionally managed association, this will be your property manager; in self-managed associations it should be a committee chair or board member.
Lastly, we would like to stress the importance of building a strong and enduring relationship with your landscape contractor, and all contractors you use on a regular basis. Your contractor has to take pride in what they do. And if you have a good relationship with your contractor and you trust them, then they will.
Prospect Management Company 