The benefits of Artificial Turf and Shrubs versus live natural plants and grass - curb appeal the first impression of your condo building.

#condoliving #buildings #curb appeal #pride of ownership #condos

It's fall and really the best time for condo board members to take a walk outside of their building, look around and see what areas need attention so those items can be included in the budget for next years improvements. There are so many ways to save money these days artificial shrubs are beautiful and create a nice effect in building entryways but they are a bit of an expense upfront so it may take some planning to update your building and get the best look.

We are working on some Facebook posts that include the 10 best buildings with the best curb appeal in our area so follow us or add us as a friend on Facebook if you are interested. The next 10 days we will post the best buildings with the most desirable curb appeal and some tips to help board members with their decisions on improving their buildings. The buildings with the best curb appeal have both artificial landscaping and traditional landscaping and let's just be honest - nothing says curb appeal like huge vases in front of a building full of bright colorful flowers in the summer but they aren't always practical nor do they work in all building so we wanted to provide some ideas and insight and some tips to help improve your building. It's often a hot topic for many condo owners because it is one of those issues where you can't please everyone and the decision to pick artificial landscaping is filled with it's own challenges. Many board members reject landscaping and leave the building with empty planters or no planters and don't bother to deal with the buildings curb appeal. It's really short sighted and only works to lower the value of your property and make you a very unpopular board member so here are some simple suggestions and ideas. There really is no argument at all, curb appeal sells homes and it sells units in condo buildings. When most buyers show up to purchase a property curb appeal or pride of ownership is the first thing most buyers notice. If you walk up to a building and there are empty planters filled with cigarette butts not a flower in sight and the windows are dirty what is your first impression of the building? The first impression is that nobody cares. You are entering a building filled with people who do not care what their building looks like. It's often your first sign the board is dysfunctional and can't get anything done so keep that in mind as you continue on into the building.

If you look at artificial trees and shrubs for your building there are so many varieties and sizes that will stand tall in front of your building and look good all year round. The artificial turf is the same it requires low maintenance and looks nice all year round. The amount of water it takes to maintain real grass has become a real problem in many areas like California, Texas, Nevada, Florida and this year Calgary, Alberta joined the list of cities that may run out of water if people don't learn to cut back and find alternatives. It's estimated that it takes approximately 22,000 gallons of water to maintain a lawn in many areas of the U.S. , that's too much water being used for grass. For several years Arizona has provided rebates to individuals who replace real grass lawns with artificial turf. Many other areas in the U.S. have similar programs such as in Los Angeles where they mandate that 40% of the new landscaping must feature drought-tolerant plants in order to qualify for a rebate. With many of the states working towards alternatives to real grass through rebates artificial plants are the future. While change is slow and difficult this is one of those issues that we should be easy to change in 20 years we will just have accepted it like wearing seatbelts so buckle up!

Replacing artificial grass and shrubs not only saves gallons of water a year it saves landscaping fees, the savings to a building depending on the size of the lawn could be upwards of thousands of dollars a year if the board members take the time to create the best curb appeal. We should also mention real grass not only wastes water it also needs pesticides and other pollutants that negatively affect the environment, it's very existence creates pollution. I remember years ago visiting a friend in McKenzie Town a suburb in Calgary, it was just after school, the kids were leaving school to go home and the city had their landscapers outside walking around the area of the school and the boulevards spraying for weeds wearing white suits and masks while the kids walked past them to walk home. They weren't providing masks for everyone so the kids walked past breathing in the poison all in the name of weeds. At least this has slowed down most people now understand that pesticides are harmful. However, it's not just the pesticides that create pollution, lawn mowers are often gas powered, with the number of lawns and lawn mowers out there replacing grass with alternatives will significantly impact the environment in the best way possible. While Arizona is pushing it's residents to replace real grass with artificial turf, the turf is not really the best alternative for the environment and maybe only a quick fix. Most artificial grass is made from plastic and non-biodegradable materials. It doesn't breathe so it maintains water and can become a breeding ground for mosquitos, while it's lower maintenance it does need some water to keep it clean and cool but it doesn't provide the same cooling effect as real green areas. While artificial turf may be the first option for many cities it really isn't sustainable because grass lawns in many cities have acted as an area for pollination many types of bees and other insects that need places to pollinate. Artificial turf does not allow for pollinators and contributes to biodiversity decline.

So what should board members be using instead of artificial turf that will sustain itself and work with the environment? Board members should include a combination of artificial trees and shrubs with some natural flowers to cut down on water usage and maintenance or just add artificial trees or drought resistant foliage in planters and front entrances. Condo Boards should opt for drought resistant plants like clover to replace grass on lawns and boulevards so they still give back to planet and have a desirable well cared for building.

Thoughtful consideration when making decision is the ideal for all board members - take the time to discuss and do some research to make sure you are doing what's best for the condo corporation and the environment.

Have the best day!