Community Furnishings: How Often Should You Update?

How Often Should You Update Community Furnishings?

Posted October 30, 2018

Ah, community furnishings. To update or not to update? There’s always a balance between saving money and making your community look as appealing and up-to-date as possible.

Top 4 Reasons to Update Community Furnishings

There are several reasons you might want to make a change.

Do You Want to Attract New Members? When potential homeowners tour your development, they take in the surroundings and make quick judgments. Some of these reactions are even unconscious. When they see everything looks old and worn, it doesn’t make the best impression. On the other hand, new, stylish furnishings make the entire community seem modern.

Does the Community Look Out-of-Date? Your current site furnishings may be old, out-of-date, or in poor condition. Weathering and deterioration could really take a toll.

Is It Time for a Brand Refresh? Maybe you want to rebrand your development and give it a fresh look. If you’ve had the same furnishings for many years, you really need to do some updating if you want to create a more contemporary appearance.

Considerations For HOAs

Sometimes HOA’s lose sight of their real purpose. The job of an HOA is not to save money or preserve the status quo, but to enhance the community and optimize its assets and value. Make sure you’re looking at the big picture.

What’s the point of saving a little money if the community doesn’t look its best? If people don’t want to move in? On the other hand, don’t make changes just for the sake of doing something. Your objective is to make updates at the appropriate time.

Gather the Facts. Take a look around, talk to homeowners, and discuss the state of your community furnishings. What features are most important to them? Any eyesores in the neighborhood that just need to go? Perhaps you could use new poolside towel return units, recycled plastic picnic tables in the park, water cooler enclosures for the clubhouse, or even simple waste receptacles and recycling containers to keep your community litter-free.

Ask your residents for their opinions, and listen to what they have to say. Try to arrive at a consensus as to whether or not updates are needed.

Do Your Research. This will help you get the best value when you do update community furnishings. There’s no reason to spend any more than you have to.

Consider All Features. Think about all of the features in your community that impact atmosphere and curb appeal, both indoors and outdoors. Consider which improvements will have the maximum benefit. Don’t forget often-overlooked entrance signs, street signs, and benches. These are a reflection of your brand, your community, and the people who live there.

How often should you update community furnishings? That depends on your particular circumstances and the priorities of your community.

Create a Schedule. Come up with a schedule to make updates when and where they’re needed. You may find that certain areas or types of furnishings need updating now, while others are still adequate in their current state.

At some point, every community must face the fact that it’s time to update their community furnishings. One responsibility of an HOA is to pay attention and decide when improvements are needed.

Site Essentials is the Leader in Community Furnishings

Site Essentials is a full-service provider of custom community signs and site furnishings, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. We offer comprehensive solutions, including consultation, design, manufacturing and installation.

We are unique in the number of in-house capabilities we offer and the different materials with which we work. This combination allows us to offer a turnkey solution for those looking to brand an identity through the coordination of signage and furnishings across a given property.