Top 4 questions to ask before hiring a garden maintenance company for your strata property

When it comes to garden maintenance services, there’s a lot more that goes into it than simply cutting grass or trimming trees.

This is especially true for strata properties, where common areas can add significant value to the tranquillity and beauty of the property during spring and summer when your garden is in full bloom.

A project of this magnitude should be given to a garden maintenance company that makes your garden stand out from the rest, increases the property value, and makes your fellow residents feel proud of their property.

But how do you choose the right garden maintenance company for your property? Here are 4 key questions you should ask.

1. Are they capable of performing the maintenance services you need?

If you’ve decided to hire a garden maintenance company, you need to identify the types of services you require—environmental management, garden and grounds management, or tree care, for example.

You should also ask yourself how often you need these services and what your budget is.

Once you have identified your requirements and established a budget, the next step is to reach out to a few garden maintenance companies in your area and detail your expectations.

Use this as an opportunity to inform them of the specific gardening services you require. These may include but are not limited to:

• Lawn mowing
• Shrub trimming
• Power washing
• Broadacre mowing and slashing
• Lawn irrigation installation

The purpose here is to explore whether they offer the gardening services you require. Keep in mind that you may require additional services in the future that you haven’t considered at present. 

Therefore, ask about other services they offer while inquiring about the garden maintenance services you’ve identified. This way, you won’t have to hire another maintenance service provider to perform the services that your primary maintenance service provider doesn’t.

2. Are professional uniforms provided to the gardening staff?

When selecting a garden maintenance service, the appearance of their staff is a crucial factor to consider.

The staff will be working outside in areas where your fellow strata residents frequent, and maintenance staff should be in attire that identifies them as belonging to the garden maintenance company.

Failure of the garden maintenance company to provide suitable attire can lead to strata residents feeling unsafe in their surroundings.

When strata residents see a marked vehicle with uniformed and identifiable maintenance staff, they know exactly why they’re on your property and what job they’re performing.

Having a team that’s professionally dressed gives existing and prospective occupants the peace of mind they need to know that not only are they safe, but they’re also on a property that’s managed and maintained professionally.

3. Will the garden maintenance service supervise the staff?

The gardening staff assigned to your strata property must be adequately trained and must have the expertise to carry out the services requested with a high level of quality.

To ensure that the services you require are executed properly, your maintenance company should provide a manager or supervisor with several years of experience in gardening and landscaping.

Having a single person overlook the entire process can help ensure your requirements are being met and the operations are carried out safely.

This is why having a competent manager on every gardening project is vital.

You can be assured that there’s constant supervision and you’re getting the best garden maintenance solutions for your property.

4. Can the maintenance company accommodate strata residents’ requests?

Today, there are many different strata developments and there may even be strata properties that allow certain liberties to their residents.

For instance, strata residents may have small and private gardens or yards they care for, and using certain pesticides or sprays could be bothersome to them. They may prefer to have more natural products to counteract this.

A professional garden maintenance company should be able to accommodate these requests from your fellow residents. 

It’s important, however, to remember that such activities should be clearly communicated in the contract or discussed and handled appropriately with all parties concerned.

Never shy away from asking questions to choose the right garden maintenance company for your property

With summer fast approaching, you’re going to need to give your strata garden a lot of attention and care—you can ensure your garden receives this attention and care by working with a professional garden maintenance service provider.

That said, don’t forget to ask the questions outlined in this post to ensure that you’re working with the best service provider who understands your requirements.