A rental property becomes more appealing with landscaping. However, the property owner does not have to spend too much on landscaping to give their property a curb appeal. A welcoming place with a calming effect has more appeal because it can relieve stress after a long day.
When you are a rental property owner, minimizing expenditures and maximizing income is vital. So, when you hire a yard or landscaping company, ensure that the contractor understands that you need low-maintenance landscaping that will not burden you or your tenant too much. Moreover, ensure that the landscaping company has the experience and industry affiliations evident in their costs and deliverables, an extensive portfolio, and general liability insurance.
The landscaper must have business insurance because it faces several industry-specific risks, from handling chemicals to working with machinery and heavy equipment. To cover all the risks, a landscaper needs multiple types of coverage. Some insurance companies offer customized packages for lawn care business. The cost of lawn care business coverage is minimal but the coverage can include general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial property, and tools and equipment. Lawn care business coverage gives the owner peace of mind knowing that it will protect your equipment and property from risks.
Landscape solutions for improving a rental property’s appeal
- Use accent plants that grow locally
Using native plants is ideal because they are used to growing in the local environment. They will require less maintenance because they can survive in the local climate and soil, minimizing plant death and cutting down on plant replacement. Local plants also reflect the natural ambiance around your rental property.
- Spread ground cover instead of plantings
If your rental property is in a dry region, spreading ground covers such as wood chips, bark, gravel, or mulch on specific areas, helps minimize maintenance. Ground covers keep moisture in the ground, effectively reducing water consumption. They also prevent or at least minimize the growth of undesirable plants or weeds, keeping the yard neat and maintaining the landscape’s appearance.
- Install paving stones
You can add more elegance to the landscape by carefully choosing and installing paving stones, which is difficult to achieve with concrete. Then, you can use them to delineate driveways, pathways, patios, and borders. In addition, they come in various shapes, colors, and sizes, so it is easier to match them to your overall landscape theme. Plus, replacing a damaged or cracked piece is faster.
- Choose the appropriate plants
You can add more color to your landscaping by planting perennials suited to your area’s hardiness zone. They come alive every year and withstand drought and summer heat. The landscaper can choose the location where people can appreciate them the most when in bloom.
Ornamental bushes and evergreen trees provide shade. Moreover, they are drought-tolerant and require very little pruning. The plants will also be an excellent addition to the appeal of your rental if you have dwarf shrubs planted under windows and near entrances.
- Grass
The landscape design usually becomes more appealing with grass on the ground. Discuss with your landscaper about low-maintenance grass, such as no-mow grass seed mixes (they still need monthly mowing) and low-water grass seeds.
As the rental property owner, you must ensure that your landscaping abides by local ordinances, as there could be prohibited plants, grasses, and green space rules. You will increase your property’s value with proper landscaping, so get help from an insurance-covered expert landscaping company.
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