Commercial and residential properties need frequent landscaping to maintain curb appeal, so many real estate experts delegate these responsibilities to a local company with the tools and expertise. However, there can be dozens of contractors in one city, so the vetting and selection process is a real challenge. These five factors will sway your decision when partnering with a landscaping business.
Efficient Fleet Management
Perhaps the most important quality of a successful landscaping company is efficient fleet management. A well-coordinated fleet utilizes management software to optimize routes and improve driver performance, which reduces travel times and allows the team to complete more weekly projects.
You can ask many questions during the vetting process to get a clear picture of each enterprise’s fleet management. How does it allocate its trucks, equipment and tools? What does the fleet’s daily and weekly schedule look like? Do they provide all landscaping services or strictly offer lawn maintenance?
Equipment Quality and Variety
The next factor to consider is each brand’s equipment quality and variety. You shouldn’t settle for a contractor with outdated machinery, especially motorized items such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers and skid steers. The equipment doesn’t have to be brand new, but it should at least be in good condition.
Secondly, the equipment must meet your current and future needs. Every contractor should have basic lawn care tools like shovels, rakes and trimmers, but what about equipment for unique projects you might need on select real estate? You need to think both short term and long term when partnering with a new landscaping company.
Speed and Safety
If possible, you should observe each landscaping company’s employees in action. After just a few minutes, you’ll get a good idea of how the crew operates. Pay close attention to two particular qualities — speed and safety. A good team can complete projects with a sense of urgency while maintaining safety protocols.
A few important behaviors — or lack thereof — should become apparent. Most importantly, every task involving heavy machinery should have a designated spotter to help the operator navigate the work site. The workers should also make an effort to cut out distractions like their cell phones and put safety signage around hazardous areas.
Service Bundles
Landscaping companies that bundle their services are ideal for busy real estate professionals. Service bundles are often seasonal maintenance packages that enable the enterprise to complete multiple tasks in one trip. A typical example is the fall clean-up package, which includes a leaf clean-up, aeration, fertilization, weeding and tree trimming, along with routine lawn maintenance.
Service bundles are key parts of efficient fleet management and help customers save money too. They typically cost $50 to $255 per treatment if you include the entire package, but this price range is better than paying for each service individually.
Accurate Budgeting
Speaking of saving money, your landscaping team of choice must provide accurate estimates. The right partner will maximize savings for both parties without compromising the quality of work. Sit down with the manager and map out your current needs and potential projects. They should be able to create a custom budget with monthly and yearly goals, demonstrating their financial literacy and trustworthiness in the process.
Landscaping Doesn’t Have to be a Chore
You might dread landscaping projects because of the time, labor and costs of preparing real estate. While these concerns aren’t unreasonable, landscaping doesn’t always have to be a chore. By choosing a competent and reliable contractor, you can make this aspect of property management a breeze. Use these tips to find the perfect partner.
Author Bio
Jack Shaw is a writer and editor for the lifestyle magazine Modded, as well as a car enthusiast and lover of nature. His writings on home design and renovations have been published on sites like CADdetails, A House in the Hills, House 2 Home Organizing and more.
