CurbAppeal

Presented by:Vannessa Davis Ware and Mark Pelton

Curb Appeal“You only have one

chance to make a first impression!”

Presented by:Vannessa Davis Ware

and Mark Pelton

What is Curb Appeal?• PLEASE GIVE US YOUR IDEALS!

• Is your prospective the same as management?

There are four types of Curb Appeal

• Daytime – Monday thru Friday During Business Hours

• Evening – Families are at Home• Night - Monday thru Friday After-hours• Weekend – Saturdays and Sundays

Daytime Curb Appeal

• Usually quiet during the business day

• Trash and debris should be picked up at all times

Evening Curb Appeal

• Most residents are home

• Children at play in the evening

Night Curb Appeal

• All lighting should be burning

• Entry sign should be well lit if possible

• Clubhouse should be well lit

Weekend Curb Appeal

• Property is usually quite active

• Prospective new members are visiting the cooperative

Weekend Curb Appeal

• Children busy at play areas

• Trash should be picked up late in the day on Friday for weekend traffic

• ** Most important time for the property to look its best

Exterior Curb Appeal

Your Out Side is: Your Outdoor

Reception Area!

Your Welcome Home!

Interior Curb Appeal

Clean Lobby Neat Hallways

Signage• Signage is one of the tools each property has

to identify its self and attract a prospect to your office.

• All signage, to be effective must always be professionally done.

• The entry sign must be easy to see and read from a distance. Many people are passing your property in a vehicle that may like your curb appearance and will need to be able to read your property name.

• The entry sign must be well maintained. No peeling paint, pieces missing, letters missing and grounds around the sign well groomed.

Entry Signs

Nottingham Village New hours, over laid

Entry Signs

BannersBanners are temporary. They are attention getting!

Yard SignsWatch placement of added signs!

Too much fringe, Can you read the phone number?

Boot Leg Signs

No leaning signs Must be able to read

All signage is important. Make sure all stop signs, street signs, informationsigns, parking signs, etc. are in good readable condition. Paint posts if needed.

Flags draw attention No leaning signs

Corporate Branding

Flowers• Flowers always add a sparkle to your curb appeal

• They should be planted in late spring or as soon as weather in your area permits. If your budget does not allow you to plant in several areas on your property; pick a key focal point to make a great impression.

• This may be in front of your office or around the entry signs. Keep your flower beds weed free and don’t forget to water them.

• Mulch adds a nice touch and also helps hold moisture in the ground

• In the fall of the year remove dead flowers and trim back perennials. Re-mulch if needed.

• If fall planting is done when winter arrives also pull dead fall plantings.

Beautiful! A member’s touch!

Landscaping• Shows prospective members that we go the extra step

to keep the cooperative looking sharp. • Colorful flowers • Fresh mulch• Edged beds and sidewalks• Trim bushes regularly • Keep trees trimmed , for people

and mowers walking under them • Dead flowers or bushes are worse than none at all• No weeds in bushes

• Long grass or weedy grass does not look good and will contribute to an overall negative impression.

• In the fall do not forget leaf removal!

A well groomed lawn

Do you have a “Golden Pathway to the Office?

Neat and Clean? Landscape well Groomed?

A “Golden Pathway” to the office!

High Rise Buildings

Give attention to high rise entry.Maintenance entry should look neat too!

High Rise BuildingsThe Golden Pathway Front Lobby Looks Welcoming

The Golden Pathway Not Much Land? Use Planters!

Lobbies

Lobbies

Lobbies

Your lobby area does not have to be very large, to be attractive.

• Add wall decorations or pictures to give needed spice.

Lobbies• Small area, but very nice.

Mail area must be neat too!

No matter what style mailbox, they should be in good shape!

Elevators, keep them clean and polished. Carpeted Floor Tile Floor

Low rise building entry

Streets and Parking Lots• Streets and parking lots are important too.

• Patch pot holes.

• Keep parking lots and curbs free of litter, gravel and leaves. Re-stripe parking lots as needed.

• Paint fire hydrants (according to city codes & colors) when paint fades or starts to peel.

Patch pot holes Nice and clean

Buildings• Keep roofs and gutters cleaned of debris,

especially in heavily wooded areas• Where possible remove window A/C units when

not being used. • Keep patio areas clean and tidy. • No stickers on entry doors or windows. • Window coverings• Shutters & Mailboxes• Front Doors

BuildingsAre window coverings needed?

Do you have patios like this?

• Patio inspections every six months will help avoid cluttered patios.

• Window and door inspections every six months also aid in keeping your cooperative looking good!

• Graffiti should be removed from any surface on property immediately. This includes buildings, hallways, playground equipment and sidewalks.

No Graffiti is Good

Well Maintained Buildings

Fences

• Keep perimeter fencing and patio fences in good repair.

• Replace missing boards and no peeling paint.

Poor FencingPeeling paint Needs repair

Beautiful Patio Fence

The Dumpster Area

• The dumpster area should never be ignored. Clean these areas daily.

• Do not let large discarded items pile up in this area. Shopping carts should be returned to the business they came from.

Keep dumpster areas clean at all timesDoes large trash accumulate ?

• If your trash containers do not accommodate your property’s needs, talk with your regional property manager.

• Review the size of your containers and the frequency of their dumping.

• A bi-annual heavy trash pick up week, where large roll off dumpsters can be on property for a short period of time helps with large items.

• This is also a good time to clean out maintenance shops and garages.

Vehicles Owned by CooperativeKeep Clean Keep Neat

Staff Appearance• The most visible people on your property is

the maintenance department.• Maintenance Staff must be in clean uniforms

or site shirts everyday.• The office staff must also look professional.• Business casual attire is fine, but no jeans.• If your cooperative allows “dress down"

Fridays, jeans must be neat and clean.

No! No! No!

Maintenance Uniforms

Uniform Shirt Uniform, Maybe…Maybe Not!

Office Attire

The Sales Office

The Sales Office• The office should be clutter free and inviting.• Make sure that the office and any public area

that may be viewed by a prospect is clean and odor free.

• The office should be smoke free. • No cooking in the office. • Your information table should neat and only

have up to date information on it. Do not over load your display/information table.

Manager’ OfficeDoes your manager’s desk look like this? This manager is busy, but neater.

Neat Message Board Cluttered Message Board

The Clubhouse

Clubhouse

Clubhouse

The Model

• The model should be opened and closed each day.

• Like the office it should be odor free and inviting.

• The model gives the opportunity to showcase your product.

Mini Models

Playgrounds• Playground equipment must be in good

condition.

• Repair or replace broken items.• Seating areas are good to add for parents to

sit and watch children at play.

• Add playground mulch when needed.• Check edging and replace as needed.

Holiday DecoratingInside and Out

• Holiday decorating is encouraged if tastefully done.

• Sometimes “less is best”. If you do not have enough funds in your budget for a lot of elaborate decorations, select a focal point that is highly visible to the public and decorate that area.

• Holidays do not last for months, so your decorations should come down within a few days after the holiday ends.

Curb Appeal & Advertisement

• Brochures• Letterhead• Business Cards• White/Yellow Pages• Apartment Guides

• News Papers• Site Flyers• Internet• Craigslist

What’s Next?

What Can You Do To Improve Your Curb Appeal?

• Review your budget

• Inspections.

• Start a Grounds Committee.

• Review stationary

• Inspect playgrounds

• “Weed & Feed” your lawns

• Plant Flowers!

• Get Members involved. • Review and update property policies.

Short and Long Term GoalsShort Term Goals

• New Letter Head• New Brochures• Adding Maintenance

Uniforms• Add Flowers Beds• Mulch• Paint Signs

Long Term Goals• Adding a pet walk• New signage• Upgrade Playgrounds• Physical Improvements:

– Paving Streets– New Siding– New Fencing– Enclosing Dumpsters

What have you done on your properties to improve curb appeal?Suggestions, ideas, comments.

This presentation will be available on our web site at www.ekirkpatrick.com.