USE LANDSCAPE DESIGN TO IMPROVE THE SECURITY OF YOUR PROPERTIES

USE LANDSCAPE DESIGN TO IMPROVE THE SECURITY OF YOUR PROPERTIES

If you were to ask anyone looking for a new place to rent about their priorities, most likely they will tell you that they want a clean and spacious house or apartment that they can afford.

The Keys to a Secure Landscape

Security-focused landscaping doesn’t end with maintenance, though. Even when your property is located in a safe and desirable location, you can prevent crime through design by implementing several other features as well, including:

Use gravel

Paving walkways and areas around entrances – both windows and doors – with gravel. Burglars want to be silent and stealthy, but gravel makes a lot of noise. Knowing that their footsteps can be heard will send the thief to a less conspicuous target.

Keep bushes and trees trimmed

Nothing thwarts a robbery faster than being spotted, so make it easy for neighbors and passerby to see your property. Overgrown shrubs that cover windows or trees with branches near the roof or upper-level windows give thieves a place to hide and make it easy for them to access open or unlocked windows. Make it all but impossible for someone to hide near your rental property. Most police departments recommend keeping shrubs and plants no taller than three feet in order to maintain visibility and pruning tree branches so the lowest limbs are at least 7 feet or higher from the ground.

Create a perimeter

Building a fence around your property makes it much less appealing to thieves. After all, would you want to scale an 8-foot fence and hope that no one sees you? Fences limit access and send criminals looking for a place that’s easier to get into it. Don’t forget to lock all gates as well! As a bonus, a fenced in property is likely to attract renters, many of whom are looking for privacy or a safe place for their children or pets. A well-maintained fenced in yard is a top selling point among renters, so it’s worth the investment.

Use plants

Certain plants can provide protection for your rental as well. Planting thorny rose bushes, spiky holly, or prickly succulents under your first-floor windows can help keep thieves away. Again, thieves want a quick and easy entrance and exit, and avoiding thorns will slow anyone down. Even simple, less bloodthirsty plants, like hedges, can help keep burglars away while contributing to the aesthetics of the property. Just be sure that the tenants can properly care for the plantings or hire a professional service to keep them healthy and maintained.

Install lighting

Ensuring that your property is well-lit is a good idea anyway, especially in multi-unit buildings, as poorly lit areas can lead to injuries as well as crime. Survey the property for any especially dark areas and invest in lighting to illuminate them to keep criminals from hiding in the shadows. Motion activated lights near entries will stop criminals, and well-lit pathways both increase safety and make it look like the property is occupied.

Even if you don’t explicitly point out how your property’s landscaping increases security, potential tenants are looking at your property for red flags that could make it a target for crime. Keeping up with maintenance, adding landscape features that are both beautiful and functional and providing lighting and locks will go a long way toward keeping the property safe and attracting tenants.

Follow these tips and finding the right home with good landscape will be a worry-free experience. If you need more assistance, let Nimmadhi find a perfect home for you, this means no wasting time and no stress for you.