How To Dress Your Commercial Property To Maximize Curb Appeal

Most businesses lease from an existing facilities manager. But sometimes it actually makes more sense just to buy a plot of land and develop it as a company, especially if your business is partially in the real estate sector. 

But what are you supposed to do to dress your commercial space? 

That’s what we discuss in this guide. These are the proven methods that companies have been using for years to drive conversions and get more clients interested in their products and services. 

Restripe The Parking Lot

Restriping the parking lot is low-hanging fruit when it comes to dressing and improving the exterior area. Simply putting down some new paint can make all the difference in the world, especially when combined with a fresh layer of black asphalt. 

What’s more, painting stripes is inexpensive. There are dozens of companies that do it in every major city, and it can make such a big difference, especially in the eyes of clients. 

If you can sealcoat the parking lot at the same time, that’s even better. Adding some protection means that it’ll last longer and immediately look about ten years younger, especially when you combine it with pressure washing. 

Re-Clad Building Facade

Another high-level, low effort option is to re-clad the facade. Again, it’s the sort of thing that customers will notice but that is also inexpensive if done in the right way. 

You will be able to find re-cladding contractors in your area. They can provide you with new cladding around the entrances and other high-visibility areas first before moving onto less seen regions of your build’s exterior. 

Don’t forget to consult with them about cladding things like bicycle lockups and gatehouses if you have them. Again, these can often add more bang for the buck than your main building, allowing you to make upgrades strategically at low cost. 

If you’ve noticed the stucco has faded, you can also try to repaint it. However, it won;t be as effective as re-cladding if the goal is total transformation. 

Overhaul The Landscaping

Once you’ve done all that, you could look into overhauling the landscaping, especially if your management company has been slaking off recently. 

The best way to do this for a commercial property is to remove dead plants and add drought-tolerant species instead. These are the best option in general because they tend to constantly look green and verdant with minimal upkeep required by your landscaping specialists. 

Don’t be afraid to cover large areas with rock and mulch. Again, these materials hardly require any upkeep and they suppress weeds effectively, reducing your maintenance requirements even further. 

Make sure you also add things like seasonal color beds. These help give your customers a sense that your business is tracking the year, generating more visual interest. 

Add Highlights

If you can add highlights of some kind, that’s also a good idea and makes a lot of sense. For example, you could get a custom manhole cover for your parking lot or walkways. These look better than standard options and can even be branded to reflect your business priorities. 

You could also add a fountain or decorative fencing to the frontage, depending on your location and business type. These additions are uncommon and immediately scream quality to people passing by. 

Replace Exterior Lighting With LEDs 

Another generally good policy is to replace all your exterior lighting with LEDs. These are so much more reliable than other technologies and are highly useful in commercial spaces (more so than in domestic ones). 

Brighter exteriors are, generally speaking, safer. People can see where they’re going more easily and they deter criminals. 

You can be quite inventive with where you place your lights. 5000K crisp white is best for during the day, while softer colors work better at night. Putting them on the ground pointing back up at your building is one option that’s great for branding. You can also add them to soffit cans and canopy lights. If you have a parking lot, then putting them on top of lighting poles is another option. 

Paint Every Curb And Bollard

While it might sound obvious, you can also dress up your commercial lot by painting every bollard and curb. Going to the extra effort here makes all the difference. 

Even better, if you can match the paints to your corporate colors, your audience will immediately know where they are. It can even work as a form of employee branding if you get it right, giving your people an even greater sense of identity. 

Define Your Pedestrian Walkways

You’ve probably already defined your pedestrian walkways. But if you haven’t, then it’s probably worth doing. Showing people where to go and guiding them towards exits and doorways is a good way to protect the rest of your landscaping from damage. 

Ideally, you want to create the sense that someone could walk anywhere on your property (and has the freedom to do so) but at the same time, usher them along a predictable path. The best way to do this is with colored pavers or stamped concrete, showing them where to go . You can also use bollards to partially block off certain areas if necessary, even if people are still free to roam through them. Think psychologically, not literally. 

Add Wayfinding

Related to the last point, it’s a good policy to add wayfinding to your exterior signage. Telling people where various forms of parking are is a good policy in general (such as general customers or VIP clients), and prevents individuals from getting lost. Do the same for things like EV parking and recycling. 

Install EV Charging

Finally, it’s a good idea to install EV charging, depending on your location. Wealthier people tend to own electric vehicles and have the potential to turn into some of your best customers, so it’s worth catering to them if possible. 

You should only need between 2 and 4. If you don’t have enough, then customers may be disappointed and not want to come back. Therefore, be generous and build a positive reputation. It should support the rest of your store.