This document discusses the importance of curb appeal for apartment communities. It argues that a property's exterior first impression is critical to attracting new tenants. The summary provides three tips for achieving good curb appeal: 1) Maintain cleanliness and make repairs to present a well-kept image; 2) Use coordinated color schemes and landscaping to create a sense of order and comfort; 3) Maintain amenities to keep them an asset rather than a liability. The document advocates that following basic design principles can help any property make a positive first impression.

1. The Art of Curb Appeal
BY BETSY ELAINE TYURIN
Business Development Coordinator
World Builders Inc.
Creativity and personality are two important
marketing features of any apartment community that can make
or break the sale or retention of your tenant clientele. I know
that my mother always told me that you shouldn’t judge a book
by its cover, but the truth is, when it comes to where we want to
call home, we all do.
As human beings, when we sign a contract to designate
an apartment community to be our home, we want that home to
reflect something about us - our personality, our sense of
aesthetics, our perception of comfort and safety. As the world
conforms to changes in technology and the way that information
is delivered to us, our attention span is increasingly diminished.
A first impression may be the only chance you have to Santorini Apartments in Ft. Myers, Florida. CityScape Apartments in Dallas, Texas.
make a prospective tenant interested in what you have to offer, so Keep it Clean. properties that were unexpected. A good color choice is
if your complex does not look good on the outside, it no longer The visual appearance of straight lines sends the one that evokes emotion, but is not jarring to the culture
matters if you have brand new energy efficient appliances because message to the eye that a structure is stable and well kept. you’ve already created.
if there’s dog poo in the grass out in front of your property, your Making repairs to rooflines and foundation to ensure that Maintaining landscaping is also critical. Choose
prospective tenant will never take the time look that far. your buildings and structures are predominantly showing plants that thrive through all seasons, or be prepared to
So how do you get the attention of your future have a landscaper swap them out seasonally. Overgrown
a 90 degree angle where they intersect with the ground can
audience? The art is in the details. or apparently dead hedges, trees and flowers can make
Based on your property’s location and current resident tap into the subconscious perception of stability and ca-
pability of withstanding the impact of future damage that your property look run down, so maintaining these nice-
demographic, different aesthetic tastes will be apparent, but there
are some basic design principles that you can use as a guide no may be caused by weather, earthquakes, erosion and other ties is a must!
matter what audience you are trying to reach. The properties variables beyond your control. Amen to Amenities!
shown here each cater to a very different target market. Make Sense. In an economic slump, maintaining amenities
can be a property manager’s worst nightmare. The cozy
People derive comfort from routines and patterns hammocks that gave your complex the feel of an urban
in their lives that they may not even be aware of. If your retreat can look inviting to homeless drifters. The TVs
color scheme does not flow to an easily recognizeable attached to your expensive fitness center machines can
pattern such as: all doors are this color; all trim is that col- become attractive play toys for your residents’ children
or; all windows are this size, etc.; then it can come across who’ve lost their cable TV luxury. Your residents might
as chaotic, even if the individual paint colors are flawlessly experience other residents sneaking laundry into the top
applied and look great on each individual surface. loading machines they just paid for - yes, it has happend to
When repainting, staining, and landscaping your me.
property, every color and detail should be chosen with a This kind of abuse can cause these once nice
reason that compliments the big picture of the property as ammenities to become unsafe, frustrating, and even scary.
a whole. Keeping these areas well lit, maintained, secured and regu-
Because determining a reason certain aesthetic larly monitored can help keep them an asset rather than a
details go together is not always easy, many properties liability.☐
stick with basic safe color palates that are neutral. I’ve Disclaimer: Not all properties shown here were renovated
even witnessed some instances that tenants have com- by World Builders Inc. They are only aesthetic examples.
Point at Deerfield Apartments in Plano, Texas. plained when seeing new colors painted on their