Don't Make These Seven Mistakes When Repositioning Your Commercial Property

A bit of repositioning can go a long way on your commercial property, adding to your property’s value, offering you a chance to increase lease rates and attracting more tenants and visitors.

The Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland real estate markets are competitive — to stay at the top, updating is key.

So what are you waiting for, right? Hold on just a minute.

You don't want to make big mistakes.

Here are seven things you should avoid when repositioning a property:

Not Having A Clear Objective

First things first. What do you want to achieve?

Are you trying to attract more people to your property? Then maybe aesthetics is your top priority, investing in colorful flowers or enhancements like water features or appealing hardscape.

Or is your top priority to make current tenants happy? Then maybe fixing poor drainage is a better goal than aesthetics.

You might be itching to add an impressive array of colorful flowers. But if visitors have to slog through a huge puddle to get an up-close view of the blooms, maybe you should fix the drainage problem first.

Not Understanding The Costs Involved

Once you decide what you want to achieve, it’s time to talk about cost. You don’t want to be in the middle of a project and realize you’ve run out of funds.

Plant and flower cost is a great example. Maybe you noticed the stunning tropical plants you love cost $5 at your local garden center. So you estimate a budget based on that.

But those beauties don’t plant themselves.

Somebody plants them, carefully and with several specific steps. Somebody waters them, fertilizes them, weeds them and makes sure pesky pests aren't treating them like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Without weekly attention, those stunning beds can quickly turn into eyesores that actually detract from your property’s appearance. So don’t forget maintenance when considering the cost of seasonal color.

Making Changes That Won’t Bring A ROI

Nobody wants to waste money. When you reposition a property, be sure each update meets a specific need — like replacing dated, painfully-pruned shrubs with looser, more modern landscaping to attract younger customers. Or saving water by planting native plants, which need less irrigation and care.

Think before you spend.

Forgetting What Your Tenants And Visitors Really Want

Any upgrades you make should be in line with what your tenants and visitors actually want. Maybe adding a patio and outdoor furniture is more important to them than having more windows.

Improvements that impact their safety are likely more important to them than enjoying a water feature. Make the effort to understand their expectations if you want to attract more people to your site — and keep them.

Worrying About Cosmetic Issues When There Are Bigger Infrastructure Problems

Cosmetic changes are fun. It’s great to see how much better a property looks with some well-executed aesthetic changes, from bursts of seasonal color to appealing outdoor common areas.

But don't neglect the not-so-fun changes that might be more crucial.

Are there structural or functional problems on the property that need attention first? The fun stuff can always come later.

Neglecting Safety As A Top Priority

In the quest for beauty and eye appeal, it’s easy to neglect safety. Big mistake.

Check your shrubs, trees and plants. Are any growing out of control, or just planted in the wrong place, obscuring drivers’ vision or endangering pedestrians?

Are overgrown plants blocking the lighting that keeps tenants and visitors safe?

Does poor drainage put your property at risk for mold, erosion or other costly repairs?

Safety first.

Not Understanding What The Final Project Will Look Like

Sometimes property managers balk at repositioning a property because they don't understand what a dramatic difference key changes will make.

These days, it’s easier than ever to show you.

Level Green’s landscape designer, Shelley Russell, creates her innovative designs on the computer, using the most up-to-date software.

With one click, she can show you what adding a pergola will look like on your site, or switch from an overhead view to a 3D view of her design.

She can activate a camera feature that offers an actual walk-through of a commercial landscape design, wowing customers and giving them a realistic sense of what their improved property will look and feel like.

No more guessing.

Trust Level Green With Repositioning Your Property

The first step to repositioning a property is finding the right commercial landscape company to hire.

At Level Green Landscaping, our mission is to make your job easier — at least when it comes to your property’s outdoor space — and bring your landscape to the highest level possible.

We’ll create a plan specific to your landscape and budget, while also offering our expertise on how you can efficiently reach your goals.

And once everything is finished, we can keep it maintained to ensure it looks stunning year round.

We help reposition commercial properties such as offices, municipalities, institutions, HOAs and mixed-use site in Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland.

Contact us online and at 202-544-0968, or schedule a free consultation to have us come out to your property.