Curb appeal is a subtle message sent to current and potential customers when they drive by or visit your commercial property. Without using words, it says a lot about your business - and we all know about the impact of first impressions on your overall image.
A clean, well-kept commercial property gives customers an emotional lift and the confidence they’ve come to the right place. But as with all first impressions, the benefits go far more than surface deep. As any salesperson can tell you, those positive emotions and the trust your well-kept property elicits are essential anchor points for creating the strong customer relationships that drive sales.
Your well-maintained commercial landscape improves your image and can help contribute to lowered vacancies, higher sales volume, more productive employees, and a more loyal customer base who are willing to pay higher prices. Of course, to maximize ROI from your landscape you’ll want to think in terms of green infrastructure and how best to get your landscape working for both your company and the community. But curb appeal is a great place to start.
Curb Appeal: Beyond the Basics
At Klausing Group, the minimum scope of work in our standard commercial landscape contract includes 28 mows, mulching, tree and shrub pruning, spring cleanup, and preemergent weed application for mulched areas. Our team is dedicated to providing value and quality for your property’s unique landscape maintenance needs. Learn more about our commercial landscape management services here.
But it’s important to understand that minimum scope is intended only to keep your property’s appearance out of the “urban blight” category. It won’t necessarily address all your property’s health and safety needs. And it certainly won’t maximize appearance to the degree of making a significant positive impact on your bottom line.
While every facility manager wants to have a good-looking property, there are always budget concerns. But don’t assume you can’t afford the extra maintenance it would take to create impactful curb appeal. Happily, there are small things that can be done to take your property from looking good to looking great -- yielding a tremendous return on your initial investment.
Low Cost, High Value Add-Ons To Amp Up Your Curb Appeal
Consider adding any of these small services to your commercial landscape contract for a huge impact on curb appeal.
Bed Edging
Having a nice crisp edge along bed lines and around tree rings really makes a big difference. A well-defined edge is something the human eye likes to follow, and we’ll make sure every edge looks neat from every angle. Bed edging also helps keep mulch in place for nicer looking beds. And a nice mulch ring around each tree not only looks good but protects and improves the health of these valuable landscape assets.
Mulch Turning
As spring turns to summer, mulch beds often get bleached out by the sun. We can rake and turn your mulched areas to refresh and restore that attractive dark appearance. You’ll be surprised at the difference this simple task makes – it really looks like new.
Aeration and Overseeding
Turf applications of fertilizer and weed control are included in your basic contract and will help maintain your lawn throughout the season. But for really good turf health, aeration and overseeding helps spruce up a lawn, making it look thick and full.
Fertilize Trees and Shrubs
To keep your valuable trees and shrubs in the peak of health, consider a plan to fertilize in the appropriate season. We’ll develop the type of treatment and timing of fertilizer applications based on the specific needs of the trees and shrubs that are growing on your property.
Additional Mows and Visits
In Kentucky the typical growing season can be 32-35 weeks long. With the industry standard for a basic contract in this area covering only 28 mows, your property may start to appear straggly. Lengthening your standard 28-week contract helps keep your lawn height under control and everything looking well-maintained all season long. More frequent visits of our staff to your property also ensures attention to all the details, and more frequent leaf removal to keep your property tidy throughout the fall season.
Winter Weeding and Trash Removal
Often, the landscape gets ignored during the dormant season. This is a mistake, because trash will accumulate and leave your property looking unkempt in short order. In our area cool-weather weeds can also be a problem. Extending the maintenance season through the winter will keep your property looking as it should—weed and trash free—every month of the year.
Annual Flowers
Bright, colorful beds of annual flowers are always something that catches a customer’s eye. Unfortunately, annuals are one of the biggest per-square-foot expenses in a commercial landscape contract. One way to control costs and still create eye-popping appeal is the strategic placement of spots of color to highlight smaller, defined areas. Alternatively, the best solution can sometimes be to place large containers filled to overflowing with colorful annuals near front doors or entry ways to enhance your visitors’ experience.
Get the Most from Your Commercial Landscape Budget
To get the most bang for your budget buck, bed edging and mulch turning are the least expensive add-on services. They are two quick jobs, require no material investment, and present your property in the best light possible.
If the cost of planting annuals is prohibitive, invest in perennials instead. After the initial expense of planting perennials, you will enjoy a low-maintenance repeat display of flowers year after year.
Ultimately, attention to curb appeal produces that priceless effect of creating happy customers who willingly give you their business time after time.
We understand that each commercial property presents its own unique challenges. Contact us today to discuss your individual needs and desires for optimizing your business’s curb appeal.