Are You Sure Your Community Is Ready For Summer?

Summer is on its way and will be here before you know it. There are many small improvements and preventive maintenance tasks you can do now to get ready for the busy leasing season and most are very low cost. You have probably heard that first impressions are lasting, that is why maintaining the exterior of your community is crucial to your success. Improving your curb appeal is an inexpensive way to leave a positive lasting impression on potential clients. We have some simple yet very effective ideas for your community that will make an incredible impact on the success of your leasing season:

Keep it Clean

The easiest and most cost effective way to improve your curb appeal is to keep it clean no matter what the season.

Every morning and throughout the day, clear all litter and debris from outdoor common areas. Walk and inspect your community routinely to see if anything looks dirty or run down and clean it immediately.

Something as simple as cleaning the outside of your entry door and washing the windows will brighten and freshen the look.Warmer weather brings everyone outside so you may want to power wash your sidewalks.

Wash or replace your door mats.

Broom sweep cobwebs from the entryways.

Wipe down and reset your pool furniture every morning.

Place ash cans in strategic places to help prevent that type of litter.

If you have pet stations, keep them supplied with fresh bags and empty the containers daily in the summer time.

Landscape For Maximum Impact

A beautiful landscape really adds to the look of your community.

One great idea to keep costs down in the summer is to plant native vegetation that won't require special attention. Focus on areas seen most frequently by potential clients such as outside the leasing office and along the path that leads from the street to the office. These areas make the highest impact.

Just before summer when your water usage may increase, have maintenance check the sprinklers, drip systems and all timers.

Remove dead plants and trees.

Reseed or re-sod bare spots if you have a lawn.

Use colorful summer flowers in the beds around your signage and office and in pots around the pool if you have one.

Paint

Painting can be a low cost way to keep things looking new.

Use appealing color schemes and add accent colors for things like doors and shutters.

Ask your paint supplier for "brush out" test samples. Pick your top three favorites then purchase small quantities of each.

Test paint colors in an inconspicuous place within your community then pick your favorite.

If maintenance has to "touch up" an area of an exterior wall, remind them to paint from "edge to edge" or "wall to wall" because paint fades and nothing looks more unprofessional than paint that does not match and a bad touch up.

Lighting

Proper lighting not improves your curb appeal and makes your community more inviting it can also remove potential liability as it can deter crimes such as theft and property damage after dark.

Effective lighting is a great way to add to your curb appeal at night. Outdoor solar lights are now very inexpensive and they come in a variety of styles, colors and types.

More of your residents will take evening strolls in the summer so light their way with strategically placed solar lights.

You can also use them to spotlight your signs, use as accent lighting in your pool area and add them to landscaped areas to create an attractive space.

Take the time now to inspect your other types of community lighting such as light poles, carport lights, porch lights, etc.

Decorative Accents

Don't be afraid to get creative and add some splashes of color for the summer. By adding some small decorative accents can have a big impact to your curb appeal.

If you have a pool, change out your table umbrellas with vibrant new popular colors.

Add an outdoor cabana tent with a lounge and brightly colored pillows to create a spa effect.

Add a few pots with pygmy palms for a tropical effect.

While you are in the pool area, check the pool furniture straps or fabric for needed repairs or replacements.

Is it time to upgrade your building and apartment numbers? This is a low cost improvement that will help your community stand out.

Consider adding molding and decorative trim to doorways and windows.

Hide Utility Boxes

Utility boxes and large banks of individual meters are necessary but can be very unattractive. To create better curb appeal, this summer use landscaping and paint to hide them.

Install a trellis a short distance in front of a bank of meters and plant a climbing flowering vine to grow and train up the trellis or plant a green hedge.

Paint the large electrical boxes the same color as your building exterior color so they blend in with the color scheme of your community. As long as you don't paint over the utility company identifying numbers, they won't mind.

Parking Lot

The most overlooked part of the exterior of your community might be the parking lot. You don't have to resurface it to keep it looking great. This summer and on an annual basis repaint the stripes between parking spaces, speed bumps, curbs and the handicapped parking areas. Do this and your parking lot will keep looking fresh which adds to your curb appeal.

If you want more cost effective ideas that will give you the edge this leasing season or are looking to make a larger exterior renovation or capital improvements, give Occupancy Solutions a call. Our knowledgeable staff members can help put together a customized plan to make your community more appealing this summer.

Visit our website at www.occupancysolutions.com or call today for a free consultation.

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