Your association’s landscape is an important element to its overall curb appeal. Not only is it the first thing that potential home buyers notice, but it also helps current residents feel like they’re experiencing all the benefits an HOA has to offer.
In our experience, when working with an HOA community, it’s critical to spend ample time getting to know the property and the HOA board’s vision and goals in the first 90 days of a new partnership. At Bemus Landscape, this primary focus creates a strong, long term relationship and a deep understanding of how we can best care for and maintain our HOAs, keeping properties healthy and beautiful throughout the year.
What to Expect When Working with Us
To deliver quality service, we must first establish a startup plan for each of our properties. This plan covers an initial assessment, priority checklist, maintenance schedule, implementation strategy, as well as a list of recommendations for the HOA. During this period, we establish a communication plan with your HOA board and ensure you have the information needed to communicate with all stakeholders involved. Gathering this essential information up front provides a clear roadmap on how we deliver a best-in-class service; not only meeting expectations but exceeding them.
Establish a Baseline Through An Initial Assessment
Oftentimes, properties may not be in the greatest shape when we take them over. Turf, plants, trees, and irrigation may have been neglected and need additional attention. To address these problem areas, our initial assessment establishes a baseline of quality by determining what shape the overall property is in. Our assessment calculates a quality control score, which ranges from 0 to 100, generated from criteria like age, condition, and performance. We run soil tests, identify dead zones, and assess any high profile areas that appear bare and need ground cover and mulch. We use our findings to create a detailed baseline report that tells you where the grounds currently stand, in what condition it’s in, and where the areas of opportunity exist to boost curb appeal.
Water wastage is also a focal point in our initial assessment. We check the irrigation system to ensure it’s functioning properly by opening valves and identifying if any immediate repairs are needed. If there are any urgent leaks, we expedite repairs and fix them immediately. Otherwise, we provide recommendations on additional water management solutions outlined in our action plan.
Develop a Comprehensive Action Plan
Once the initial assessment is completed and urgent matters are addressed, we deliver a comprehensive action plan to the HOA board, including a rotation map, which identifies the areas we plan to service and in what order. Also, in the plan, we identify diseases, hazards, and deficiencies in the property, along with upgrade opportunities. Based on the quality score of property, we calculate how much additional labor we need to allocate to any problematic and high profile areas. This comprehensive plan provides a framework for what your HOA should expect from Bemus and the necessary steps to maintaining and enhancing the overall property.
Raise the Quality Control Score
Once a plan is developed and our rotation map is clearly communicated, to both our client and our team, it’s time to take action. We first implement our plan by dispatching crews with the goal of raising the property’s quality score as soon as possible to a baseline standard 85 out of 100. This typically takes 1-3 months, depending on the severity of neglect and underlying issues. Once the quality score of the property reaches 85, our partnership begins to really take shape, and we can shift all attention to beautification.
Build An Ongoing Partnership
Once a baseline of 85 is established, we turn our focus to maintenance, upkeep, and enhancements. You can count on our professionals to maintain your property to your satisfaction on the schedule you desire. Bemus follows up regularly with automated written monthly reports on the work we’ve completed, plus notifications for any work orders you’ve authorized. We are always looking for ways to enhance the property and propose new services that will add even more value. Our account managers also attend regular board meetings to stay in touch with the community and perform routine inspections, as well as identify and address any issues before they become costly problems.
Spending adequate time up front, and truly getting to know our HOA Board members and learning what’s important to them, provides a firm foundation and launch point for a healthy partnership between Bemus and the HOAs we work with. The key to a successful partnership is understanding expectations, specifying goals, and delivering results. It’s our mission to create a sustainable landscape that looks great, saves water, and increases the value of your HOA.