Lack of yard space is both the up- and downside of apartment living. No weekend yard work – major bonus; no secluded places to socialize with friends, kick back by the pool, or look at the stars around a fire pit – major downside.
That’s why it’s so important for apartment communities to provide residents with the Ultimate Backyard Experience.
The Ultimate Apartment Backyard Experience Increases Occupancy & Retention Rates
Updating your apartment community’s landscape, adding both traditional and luxury backyard features, can make a tremendous difference in the way your residents view their home as well as the impression your community makes on prospective renters.
Features that make a backyard landscape great – private seating areas, places for dining, pools, water features, etc., – will make your complex feel more like “home”. Some of the benefits of these features include:
• A greater sense of community among your residents.
• Increased attraction to prospective residents.
• Lower apartment turnover since your residents will find it hard to leave.
• The ability to charge premium rents for your apartment niche.
Tips For Designing a Landscape That Feels Like Their Own Backyard
The following tips can help you and your landscape team creates an outdoor oasis that feels like a private backyard for your residents and guests.
Year-round interest
Any professional landscape designer will tell you that “seasonal interest” is a top priority for any property. This means selecting a variety of trees, shrubs and flowering plants that add visual interest and color as the seasons change. One way to do this is to emphasize native plants, which will also help you to conserve water.
Consult your local nursery or hire a professional landscape designer and create a landscape design that showcases plants depending on their peak bloom times or foliage changes.
Balance public and private spaces.
Your pool and group BBQ areas are fun when residents are feeling social, but what about when they want to have a more private or intimate gathering? Implement private seating areas, using shrubs, tall grasses and ornamental trees as “privacy barriers” and then pave or mulch meandering paths from your main walkways to more secluded areas to give them an air of mystique.
Implement a versatile lighting plan.
So often, the lighting plan in apartment communities is all about safety, which can result in some pretty harsh effects. Safety is certainly a priority, but you should also design for ambiance. Low profile, softly lit lights can safely line paths without a disruptive glare. Colored lights around fire pits and seating areas will make them more compelling after the sun goes down. Twinkle lights on pergolas and awnings are a way to enhance ambiance and make the grounds feel more like a private backyard.
Add desirable landscape features.
Finally, invest in desirable landscape features like fountains, water walls and gas fire pits – accompanied by comfortable seating areas. These are all examples of popular backyard landscaping features, which is why they will be so appreciated by adults and families who opt to be apartment dwellers. The more you do to create the ultimate backyard experience for your residents, the more your complex will feel like Home.
Contact SOS Management & Property Services
Local: (858) 273-8800
