Can we talk about how a community’s curb appeal can improve property values? Most people don’t think about it until they buy or sell. But many other professionals are constantly valuing properties, neighborhoods, and community associations for various reasons. An entrance to a community or neighborhood can have a huge impact on the individual property values within it. How the front entrance looks, whether it is beautiful or not, is THE first impression to everyone. Most Multi-family properties take up at least several acres. The amount of square footage dedicated to a community entrance is minuscule, as compared to the entire property.

There are many ways your front main entrance sets the impression for your entire community. Let me list all the front entrance options, and scenarios, from no care wastelands to ultra-care with security and staff.

1. No care at all: no sign, no lighting, no security, no maintenance, a wasteland.
2. #1 above, but with regular lawn maintenance.
3. #1 and #2, but add a sign, and codes will require a light on it at night.
4. All the above, but add irrigation, lawn care, grass, and some bushes.
5. All the above, add ground lighting and overhead lighting.
6. All the above, and add flowers, mulch, edging, and upgraded sign.
7. All the above, and lets now add pavers and water feature.
8. All the above, and add a security gate (unattended).
9. All the above, and add 24-hour security guard services.
10. All the above, and add 24-hour concierge services.

Each one of these has an initial cost, and an ongoing cost.  I started with the least expensive, to the most expensive.  However, “expensive” is relative term. What are the values of the homes in this community?  The entry way design and maintenance levels should match or exceed that value.  I will say that items 9 and 10 above are the greatest cost.  And only you ca decide if having those is actually expensive or not.

You get a huge bang for your buck, by keeping that front entrance the best it could possibly be. That includes daytime and night time appearances. During the day, there needs to be proper irrigation so that there can be lots of flowers and color. And those flowers, bushes, grass, mulch, and other decorative items need to be maintained properly and frequently. You should hire a professional to maintain your entrance, but if you have diligent volunteers that works too. Lighting is also critical. Make sure there are plenty of lights on your sign, so that it can be proudly displayed. And make sure the sign is in good repair.  The word proud speaks to how the residence feel about their property. So not only should there be light on your sign, but also landscape lights, which has a beautiful touch at night.

Whatever the entryway surface is, whether that be asphalt, concrete, or pavers, it also needs to be maintained a regular basis. This Includes sweeping and blowing the surface to make you sure there’s no trash or debris lying about. You will probably have a few trees involved, so make sure you have a budget for tree trimming annually or semiannually. Everything not only needs to be watered it needs to be fertilized. Do not let the weeds get out of hand. That means you’ll need a lawn spray company or a professional lawn maintenance company that does that.

And one more thought about the floral and the color. In Central Florida, we change these out twice a year. In your area you may only be able to grow them during the warmer months. So, just your budget accordingly. The bottom line is, if you pay attention to your front entrance of your community, others will notice. But the opposite is also true, if you DON’T pay attention to the front entrance of your community, others will notice.