How your property’s landscape looks to a potential customer or guest can have a serious effect on business. The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) reports that shoppers will spend 9 to 12% more for goods and services in areas with high-quality tree canopies. Another study found a 7% increase in rental rates for offices with high-quality landscapes. Subtle, small details can subconsciously affect how someone might perceive your property — and whether they want to stay on it.
Landscapes can be hard to visualize. That’s where landscape design comes into play. Design helps define expectations and eliminate unwelcome surprises. It pinpoints the uses of a landscape long before the landscape is fully in use. It also establishes a budget before any building begins.
Here are four tips to design and build a landscape that’s pleasing to the eye — and functional!
Keep your landscape "on-brand" — Your business (and by extension, your building) has a brand and your landscaping should be in line with it. Doing so will build trust with your clients and customers. Keep your gardens, turf and hardscaping relevant to your image and complementary to the surrounding buildings. For instance, if you manage a condominium complex for young professionals, design a landscape in line with current trends. If, on the other hand, you’re in charge of a retirement home, consider something more reserved and laid-back.
Attract clients and customers — How your property looks from the road can influence whether people visit or stay. If your landscaping is bold, or offers inviting places to sit and relax, you’ll end up attracting people to your business. However, the opposite is true as well. If your trees are offering little to no shade or you haven’t kept up with maintenance, customers won’t want to bother stepping foot on your property.
Direct the flow of traffic — Instead of just using signage, consider showing your guests how to navigate your property with your landscape. A well-designed landscape can show your guests where they need to go. Highlight your entrances with plants and trees. You can also direct visitors with paths and walkways lined with gardens and shrubs. Adding landscape features to your property not only make it more beautiful — they can also serve valuable functions.
Save water & energy — Saving money is a byproduct of excellent landscape design. When you work with a designer, they’ll be able to eliminate wasteful parts of a landscape. Perhaps your mature plants no longer need water, or you’ve been irrigating with leaky emitters or a faulty controller. Or maybe your lighting needs to transition to LED bulbs, which use less energy and last much longer. Smart irrigation, strategically placed trees and proper landscape lighting are all ways to save water, energy and money on your property. And they pay for themselves over time.
Designing a new landscape or revamping the existing landscape of a commercial property involves bringing your vision to life. This can be overwhelming. We understand. But designing a landscape well — with clear expectations in mind — will keep your landscape beautiful for years to come. And customers and guests will want to keep coming back.
If you’d like to dig into these tips a little more, get in touch with us and let’s chat about how we can improve your property. When you work with us, our thoughtful design, consistent maintenance, and meticulous attention to detail will all combine to create an amazing experience for your customers, residents and guests.
