Curb Appeal

The exterior appeal of an apartment community has a great impact on people's desire to live in it, and many companies know that to keep the exterior of a property in excellent condition is required to have a plan. Part of this plan should be to implement proactive procedures, which must be followed by all member of the team and monitored by managers and supervisors on regular bases. All employees regardless of their position with the company would need to be actively involved working together to have the exterior of the community in excellent condition.

Check lists are a very good tool to utilize when inspecting all exterior areas of the community to determine work that needs to be completed, and the same check lists can also be used to verify that the work has been completed up to company standards and guidelines. The use of check lists will ensure that everything has been checked properly and no items have been overlooked, the work has been done in an organized manner, and records have been kept for future reference.

The front of the property is the first part of the community potential future residents are going to see when they pass by or when they come into the property to consider living there. Their first impression of how good or not so good the company and its employees are is in most cases based on how good the exterior of the community looks. If they see everything cleaned and well maintained, they are going to have a very good first impression and they are going to start thinking "This is the kind of place I would like to live in".

A beautiful landscaping where grass is being maintained properly and plants, flowers, and trees look healthy will give the impression to potential customers that the company and its employees really care for the place and its residents, and current residents must be proud and happy to call it home. Happy and satisfied residents are the best advertising tool for any community; they are going to tell others about it.

To make and maintain the exterior of any community beautiful takes much hard work and dedication, and is not an easy task, it requires everyone's participation and many resources, methods, and tools. First employees need to be motivated to be proud to work in a community where everybody cares, and everybody is making their own contribution to reach a common goal, and then, everyone must participate on a plan to decide who is going to do the work and how is the work going to be completed and checked.

For landscaping, many companies use contractors, and others do the work themselves with in-house employees. For companies that use contractors, here is a list of items that must be included in detail as part of a contract signed and agreed by both parties before any work is completed:

•A.   Specific detailed information of work that will be performed.

•B.   Explaining how the work will be performed

•C.   How much time is going to be spend doing the work

•D.   What equipment and materials will be used to do the work

•E.   How many people will be doing the work

•F.    Who will be in charge of the employees doing the work

•G.   What will be the process to correct any work that is not satisfactory

•H.   What kind of warranties will be provided and how they work

•I.      What items are going to be maintained, repaired, and/or replace and how.

•J.    What insurance coverage the company and its employees will be providing.

•K.   How much is everything going to cost.

For some those who will be doing the landscaping themselves. Grass, plants, trees, and flowers are very much like "people". They require "tender loving care" TLC. Plants can be very sensitive, they can be stubborn, they can be weak or strong, and they can react to the environment in many different ways, some like the hot weather and some like the cold weather, others will not last for a very long time, and some will stick around for many years.

Plants need sun and shade, some need more water than others, and some need different kinds of soils and nutrients, while others need to be protected from insects and other deceases. The growth, beauty, and health of plants depend on all these elements. Here are some basic tips on how to maintain them nice, strong, and healthy:

• A.   Make sure you plant the right plant in the right place. Find from the supplier or the instructions how much sunlight or shade the plant requires.
• B.   Find out how much water the plant requires to stay strong and healthy. Consult with the experts about each particular plant and follow their instructions.
• C.   Remember to plant the right plant for the right weather. Some plants are required to be planted at specific time of the year, and following recommendations will determine how long the plant will live.
• D.  When placing plants in any area think of definition, scale, and color. Have a clear separation between plants, and plant the tallest plants closer the building walls and going down in sizes away from the buildings accordingly, mixing shapes and colors that complement with each other.
• •E.   Place mulch in flower beds to maintain soil moisten, beds looking nice, and to serve a nutrient when decomposing.
• •F.   Have a schedule set up for cutting and edging grass, trimming bushes, mulching, and planting new plants for the season.
• •G.    Plan how plants are going to get water, using sprinkler system or watering by hand with water hoses.

Another feature of a community that can cause great impact on current and future residents is the pool area. This is also one of the areas potential future residents tour during visits and current residents like to enjoy all the time especially during the hot summer. Like the landscaping, the condition of the pool area is something that requires hard work and dedication and the active participation of everyone in the community.

Many companies prefer to hire a contractor to take care of pool maintenance and repairs to lower their liabilities and/or to meet their budget among other reasons, and others prefer to do it in-house. Here are some of the recommendations when considering using a contractor:

• Get at least three estimates from three local contractors with 5 or more years of experience in the business
• Ask them to give you three recommendations from customers they have provided their services to in the last three years
• Check their references
• Have them provide you with insurance certificates that meet your company requirements
• Ask them for a copy of their license or certification required by you location to meet federal, state, and city regulations
• Ones you have selected your contractor, request a contract that explains in detail how the work will be performed, who will be doing it, how often will be done, what materials and equipment will be used, who will be in charge in case of any questions or concerns, and how much will it cost.

For those who will be taking care of pool maintenance in-house, it is very important to first determine if any certifications and/or training are required by your local, state, or federal agencies to operate and maintain your pools, and you must meet these requirements prior to open your pool. For those who at this time are not required to be certified to operate and maintain your pools here are some basic recommendations:

To have and maintain a pool that looks great and is safe for everyone to enjoy it is necessary to spend time and resources in these four different areas:

•A.   Pool Equipment and Tools

•B.   Water Chemistry

•C.   Safety Equipment, tools, and guidelines

•D.   Comply with Federal, State, and Local codes, regulations, and laws