New England Condominium April 2021

Outdoor Spaces
An Always-Popular Amenity
Becomes a Must-Have
BY A. J. SIDRANSKY
April 2021
NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM
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THE CONDO, HOA & CO-OP RESOURCE
CONDOMINIUM
NEW ENGLAND
Plants, Money, &
Sustainability
The ‘3 Greens’ of
Landscaping
BY DARCEY GERSTEIN
Smart Multifamily
Landscaping
The Key is in the Planning
BY DARCEY GERSTEIN
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Outdoor space, whether communal or private to individual units, has always been at the top
of the most-desired amenities list for condominium and co-op purchasers. A small terrace or
balcony can add hours of quiet enjoyment to apartment living — not to mention thousands of
dollars to the value of a given unit. Recent sales data suggests that apartments with private ex-
terior space, and buildings with common areas enabling residents to enjoy safe outdoor access
during the COVID-19 pandemic, are selling more quickly and at higher prices than compa-
rable units without those features. In many markets, single-family homes are selling at record
speed — and for record prices. Even homes with in-ground pools — oft en considered ‘white
elephants’ in the Before Times, thanks to the maintenance and upkeep they require — are sell-
ing at a huge premium.
New England Condominium
spoke to one suburban Stamford, Connecticut couple who pre-
fer to remain anonymous about their selling experience. Th ey report that only two years ago,
their four-bedroom mid-1970s home with an in-ground pool and jacuzzi was ‘unsellable’ at a
In multifamily properties where diff erent
households share in the use, visual enjoy-
ment, and property value of landscaped out-
door elements, a lot of factors go into decid-
ing what and where to plant, how to maintain
it, and how much to spend. Th ese consider-
ations can be summed up as the ‘3 Greens:’
the vitality and vibrancy of plantings and
lawns; the ecological factors that determine
the best methods, placements, and products
that use the least resources and have the least
impact on the environment, and the dollars
that associations and co-op corporations
need to allocate in their budgets to design,
install, and maintain these areas.
To optimize each, the 3 Greens must be
considered simultaneously. For example, an
association with a limited landscaping bud-
get might think that skimping on mulch
will save them money—but according to
the pros, the right type of mulch in the right
amounts is important for soil health, water
conservation, and weed mitigation — all of
which saves money in the long run. Similar-
ly, a community with ample grounds might
think that laying a bunch of sod for sprawling
lawns might be the right way to ‘green’ things
quickly, instead of going through the relative
hassle of seeding grass from scratch—but a
sod workaround might actually be the least
cost eff ective to maintain and least ecologi-
cally effi cient or benefi cial.
When the sun seems to shine a bit bright-
er, warmer, and longer, and the fi rst buds
of spring start to appear on trees and bush-
es, many multifamily property managers,
boards, and residents start to think about the
landscaping at their building or HOA. Aft er
months of being cooped up indoors and un-
able to make full use of their outdoor spaces,
the arrival of spring reminds them that these
areas are there—and that they need some
serious TLC — or maybe even overhaul —
aft er a long, cold winter.
But where should multifamily decision-
makers even begin when making land-
scaping choices? How does the process for
reseeding a vegetable garden diff er from
redesigning a courtyard? It turns out that a
proper plan — and adequate time to fi nalize,
procure, and implement it — is crucial to get
the most out of a property’s outdoor space on
any budget. We spoke to several landscap-
ing professionals and organizations to fi nd
out what boards, managers, and gardening
committees should keep in mind when de-
veloping a landscaping plan for their com-
munities. Diff erent pros had their own rec-
ommendations, but all agreed that the time
to start thinking about them is now.
How Will the Space Be Used?
As opposed to individual homeowners
who have only their own households to con-
sider when making landscaping decisions,
multifamily buildings and associations have
to consider multiple, diverse households;
what might be an appealing use of space
to one segment of the community might
be completely unsuitable to another. Com-
munity leaders may have a lot of diff erent
backgrounds, ages, interests, and abilities to
consider when weighing how their shared
outdoor spaces will be used, what they will
look like, and how they’ll be designed.
price acceptable to them. Fast-forward to this past November, when it
sold — for more than their asking price and with multiple bids — in
one weekend.
Becoming Competitive
Condominium and cooperative communities have a lot to consid-
er when it comes to translating exterior amenities into a competitive
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