A joint study conducted by the University of Alabama and the University of Texas at Arlington quantified the impact of exterior aesthetics and confirmed what real estate agents, developers, and HOAs have probably always known: Curb appeal can maximize property values.
- According to the study, homes with an inviting exterior sold for 7% higher than less inviting homes.
- In a cold real estate market, the impact was even more significant at 14%.
- Additionally, neighboring properties that were well-maintained helped increase all home values in the area.
Given these findings, the professor who led the study highlighted the impact HOAs can have on curb appeal. He concluded, “This study also brings to light the value of homeowners’ associations and their covenants, which tend to maintain a uniformly positive curb appeal for the neighborhood.”
Curb appeal means higher property values, and HOAs can ensure better-looking properties by hiring the right professionals to service their community.
How do HOAs directly impact curb appeal standards and services?
Depending on the community’s governing documents and rules, an HOA may be responsible for landscaping and maintaining common areas or, in some cases, individual homeowner yards, too.
Whatever the case, an HOA’s priority must be finding the most efficient way to achieve the community’s desired standards to protect their property values.
They will usually form committees focusing on their landscaping, maintenance, and other essential initiatives. These committees will create a budget, send out RFPs, and submit their recommendations to the board.
Some HOAs may hire professionals internally to service their community, but it can be more effective and financially efficient to hire a professional property maintenance and landscaping company to handle the day-to-day upkeep and repairs.
Let’s review some of the benefits your HOA should experience when you bring in the experts to maintain and upgrade your community’s curb appeal.
Increase Property Values
We previously mentioned how inviting exteriors and curb appeal can increase home values by 7% or more. For HOA communities, specifically, a recent paper revealed that their home prices are listed at least 4% higher on average than homes not part of an HOA.
Part of the reason for increased prices ties into what the lead researcher of the joint University of Alabama and the University of Texas at Arlington concluded above about HOAs.
Homeowners are willing to spend more to live in a community with enforced standards and complementary maintenance and landscaping services to achieve a familiar aesthetic.
As HOAs already do this, there is more demand for their homes, which increases property values.
Of course, you need skilled and reliable professionals to perform all the day-to-day duties to meet those standards.
A professional property maintenance and landscaping company can use their knowledge and experience to help you maximize your budget to enhance your community’s curb appeal.
If you work with a full-service company that does both property maintenance and landscaping, you may be able to bundle your services for additional savings and peace of mind that you have consistent quality across your community.
Enhance Livability in Your Community
One of the biggest perks of living in an HOA community is the amenities. Many communities will have common areas, like a member clubhouse, a gym, or a pool, to boost wellness and fun and extend the value of being a community member.
However, these amenities only bring value if the members use them. Maintained common areas and amenities encourage resident participation, which will help them reconnect with their neighborhood and drive participation.
By hiring a professional company, you can work together to determine the best schedule to ensure cleanliness and landscaping in all common areas and boost member happiness and satisfaction.
And if something goes wrong, some full-service companies, including Berman, offer 24/7 repair services to handle emergency maintenance requests around the clock, so issues are resolved faster.
Ensure Community Safety and Security
A professional property maintenance and landscaping company can also help deter criminal activity, prevent hazards, and boost safety.
For one, the technicians will get to know your properties and can report any suspicious activity they see to your security team. When you work with a professional company, you will have trusted, vetted experts to monitor your properties.
Landscaping also reduces opportunities for criminals to hide in tall grass and access homes by trees and shrubs. If there are fewer places to hide and case a property, criminals may look elsewhere where landscaping is more of an afterthought.
A professional crew can even identify and prevent hazards before they affect your community. For example, landscapers ensure trees are pruned and healthy, preventing storm damage. If there is a malfunctioning piece of equipment in a common area, technicians can fix it before it becomes a severe and dangerous problem.
Extend Your Budget
We already hinted at this earlier when we talked about bundled services, but there are many ways a full-service provider can help you save on maintenance and landscaping costs.
One of the costliest parts of any maintenance and landscaping budget is supplies. Inflation is still a concern for every community, and HOAs must figure out ways to stretch their budgets while maintaining the quality of their services.
Professional service providers can usually purchase seed, shrubbery, and other supplies at a bulk rate, saving HOAs money and enabling them to accomplish more.
They also typically supply their equipment, so HOAs don’t have to worry about purchasing and maintaining equipment as these can significantly strain a budget.
Strengthen Communication with Residents
In our experience, the best-governed HOA communities involve robust communication and engagement with members. Residents need to know what you’re doing to improve their community and why you’re doing it.
If their only interaction with a landscaping committee is a warning letter about grass length, it won’t produce a healthy conversation.
One of the ways a professional services company can support positive engagement is by attending board and community meetings when appropriate and reporting on topics related to landscaping and maintenance.
Representatives can answer questions and provide updates on various initiatives and projects to keep residents informed and engaged.
They can also offer landscaping and maintenance tips and clarify responsibilities to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands all community standards and procedures.
Improve your curb appeal with Berman
We have only scratched the surface of how a professional property maintenance and landscaping company can boost your curb appeal and serve your community’s interests and needs.
When you have an experienced and reliable service partner like Berman to help you manage your community responsibilities, the sky's the limit on what we can accomplish together.
Let’s explore ways we can help you improve your community’s curb appeal, enhance safety, and increase resident happiness and satisfaction.
