Metro GreenScape Testimonial

I was recently relocated out of Charlotte. Our house qualified for a buyout, but we had an issue with our retaining wall. The railroad tie wall was 20 years old, and rotted. The relocation company mandated the wall be fixed before buying our home. I contacted several companies regarding replacement of the retaining wall. Some companies never returned my calls, others provided quotes that were all over the board - ranging from $10k to $30k. Metro-Greenscape wasn’t the cheapest quote, but they were willing to work with me to find a cost effective retaining wall solution. Throughout the quoting process Metro-Greenscape was always very responsive to any questions I had and willing to discuss how the project would work. The retaining wall construction was planned to occur after I moved out of the house, so I needed to have trust in the contractor I chose. Metro-Greenscape’s quick and continuous responses to my questions helped build that trust. The project was completed ahead of the projected schedule with no unforeseen issues, no cost increases, and most importantly – no headaches! Metro-Greenscape was actually able to upgrade the wall from a wooden wall to a much nicer looking block wall. Near the end of construction I had to come back to Charlotte and decided to check on the wall while I was in town. During this visit, I had a neighbor stop his car and tell me the new wall looked great and was very impressed with the work. I have also had friends drive by the house and all have commented on how well the new wall turned out. After my experience, I would highly recommend Metro-Greenscape for any outdoor needs.

Jamie

It's time to Aerate!

Fall aeration is considered best for cool-season turf, because grass plants are developing more roots in preparation for winter. Opening up the root zone with aeration provides an enhanced growth zone for new roots.

Plus, you can combine aeration with an early fall application of slowrelease fertilizer to get grass in shape for winter and charged-up for beautiful, lush green new growth next spring.

Fall aeration occurs September 1 - October 15, 2010! Call now to schedule best or priority placement!

SPECIAL: CALL TODAY AND GET LAST YEAR'S PRICING!

Aeration Plan One - $300
Aeration + Seeding + Fertilizing + Lime + Peat Moss Application. A typical 1/4-1/3-acre yard will cost $300 with our special Fall Aeration Plan.

Aeration Plan Two - $75
Professional Aeration only. A typical 1/4-1/3-acre yard will cost just $75 with Metro GreenScape's Plan Two Option. Available only to our current and past customers!


Call us today at 704.504.0980 to schedule the best times and top priority for your yard.

First Impressions Matter! What does your front door look like?

Check Out Carol Schulenberg's (Ballantyne Home Staging) latest blog about Home Staging and the front door. What does your front door say about you?

How Landscaping Can Increase Property Value

Everyone wants to increase the property value of their home, but some people ignore one of the best ways to do so, which is landscaping. It is important to invest in landscaping since it adds to the overall attractiveness while also giving your home something to set it apart from other houses. Landscaping can include trees, flowers and other plants as well as ponds, swimming pools, fountains and upkeep of patios, decks and porches. It is recommended that a homeowner put 10% of the home’s overall value into landscaping. Since appealing landscaping can increase a home’s value of up to 12%, this guarantees a nice return on your investment. This will also help your home sell more quickly when that time comes.

The first thing is to meet with a landscaper and discuss which plants are best for the region you live in as well as your lifestyle. Flowers look nice, but if you don’t have the time to personally care for them and are unwilling to hire a gardener, then they may not be the best choice, instead you may want to look at low maintenance plants, like ivy. You also must keep in mind your terrain and the placement of these plants. Trees in the backyard may be desired but you don’t want to block a nice view with a large maple tree. Also, look at what plants you already have. An arborist can help determine which trees are dying and which need a little bit of TLC. You also will want to pay attention to what is overgrown or anything obscuring windows or blocking entrance ways.

You will want to enhance the layout of your home. Lining a walkway with flowers is appealing. Growing ivy or roses against a large fence is eye popping and gives character. Use outdoor lighting to not only increase security, but to also give a nice ambiance of the outdoors at night. One of the most popular trends in landscaping today is allowing patios and decks to become extensions of the home. Bring the aesthetic of your interior decorations to the outside. If you have a nice color scheme, continue to use it on your outdoor patio, and also plants flowers which pick up the pops of color you have throughout your home. If you have decorated within a certain artistic era, bring in sculptures from that era to the outside to tie everything together. For example, interior designs which have been influenced by Asian cultures should have Asian inspired sculptures or fountains in the backyard. Remember to offer something different with your landscaping. Barbecue pits, gazebos, exotic trees and flowers give character to your home and yard, and give personality to your property.

Working with a landscaper will help eliminate landscaping pitfalls. A landscaper will not only work with you on what types of plants you should look into, they will also help design the outdoor area so it looks its best. It is important to avoid overcrowding. Many people who try to landscape on their own end up going a bit overboard, making the backyard look like a jungle, not a relaxing area. The front yard is the advertisement of your home to the world, but the backyard should remain a place of privacy and relaxation. Stay clear of planting too many flowers, and instead plant in clean lines around the outside of your yard to block any unwanted views. Also, remember to give yourself time. If you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, you can save money by buying small trees that will eventually grow in a few years. Give yourself about five years to achieve the outside of your dreams.

Landscaping: Green Grass - Selling your Charlotte Home

Over the past few years, Charlotte area real estate has taken a bit of a tumble. A lot of people have been faced with the horror of defaulting on their mortgage, or forced to sell their home at a terribly decreased price. In some areas, whole neighborhoods, were never built or have become ghost towns.

What does this have to do with landscaping? Good question. No matter what the condition of many of these properties, what state their owners or bank are in, and where they are – every real estate agent or seller is trying to make sure the landscaping is inviting. One landscaping company was even going as far to spray paint brown grass GREEN to make the yards look appealing. These motivated sellers knew what all of us in real estate know – that if the yard ain’t nice, nobody is buying at your price.

Keep your landscaping in tip top condition, and you won’t ever have to face the problems these folks have dealt with…You’ll have a home that steadily increases in value, is the apple of the neighborhood’s eye, and will net you a tidy profit when you sell it. People are drawn to living things – plants, trees, and all kinds of foliage. That’s why we love parks and wildlife reserves!
The Grass is always greener on the seller’s side!

Improve Your Value: Landscape Your Commercial Property

Years ago, two commercial developers were working tracts of land adjacent to one another along a busy highway. The area was bustling, the economy was good, and people were expanding businesses. Knowing they were going head-to-head, each development team to a different track to make sure they made their money.

Developer A built a business park that was simple, maximized his space, with basic no-frills buildings and parking lots. Everything was up to spec and regulation, but the park was very sedate – one might say boring. Sidewalks and a few simple shrubs littered the area, but beyond that – it was basically all about the big box buildings. Rentals for the large spaces were below-cost for the area, making them attractive to the fiscally smart eye of many local companies and businesses.

Developer B did the opposite. He kept the amount of buildings to a minimum. He hired some unique architects to give buildings signature looks. He also blew the bank on landscaping. Not only did he put in beautiful flower beds, he built several lakes, and even a fitness trail running threw his grounds. A FITNESS TRAIL! Fountains and water features doted the landscape. His rents were higher then his neighbors, and he felt justified in passing on a steeper square-footage cost.

Ten years later – guess who is sitting pretty?

Developer B.

While many cost-cutting robber barons jumped onto A’s plan – they weren’t stable tenants. Companies and business drifted in –and-out of the sites. He kept slashing rent, cutting his overhead, till he sold for much less then he ever made.

Developer B on the other hand, had an industrial park that was beloved by the community. Employees loved working there, and employers found a certain cache and status form their tony new digs. In fact, the park became a haven for people who didn’t even work there! People would walk through it, sit by the ponds (man-made), use the fitness trail, and eventually he was able to develop some unused smaller land into commercial mixed-use real estate. Now, he’s buying out his old competitor and making over that site.

Humans are attracted to beauty. We are attracted to water. We like pretty things. Spending money on landscaping, no matter how grandiose or simple is never a bad move. Regardless of whether you are renting homes, commercial real estate, or business property – make it attractive to customers, tenants, and FUTURE tenants. Give your property a name and an edge. Sure, a bed of azaleas might not seem like a investment that will make a great return, but it is!

If you are interested in working with a creative and professional commercial real estate landscaper, give us a call at 704.504.0980.

Using A Pressure Washer On A Deck

When you have a beautiful outdoor living space such as a deck--you want to spend as much time as humanly possible on it! No matter what style or architecture, any type of deck or outdoor space you have--this usually becomes the center of your friends and family’s lives - the "most used room in the house" is in fact, outdoors!

Yet, your deck have to deal with serious wear and tear from you and your kin, and it faces the elements head first. Whether you deck is wood or composite, periodic cleaning is always a requirement if you want your deck to retain its original prestige and beauty. Think of cleaning as preventative maintenance. This maintenance, done correctly, will add years to your deck and save you valuable time and money in the long run.

The pressure you need to wash your deck surface isn’t a great deal – we aren’t talking about sandblasting. But, it is enough pressure to do damage to soft wood, and enough pressure to leave lapmarks on most composite decking IF you are not careful. While the pressure washer is designed to remove embedded dirt and other contaminants, extreme excessive force on the wood will get rid of more than just the bad! Whether you or a trained person is operating the washer, it is important to treat the scenario with respect and not pretend you are having a water-gun battle. (Which reminds us – don’t use the pressure washer on people. EVER.)

Don’t just wait to power-wash your deck when you are planning to sell your home, it is a good idea to do it yearly. If you have an active family or friend group, you will want to keep your deck clean. You wouldn’t have your children crawling around on a filthy kitchen floor, so why would you have them playing on a dirty deck?

Don't have a deck yet?? We can help. Call Metro GreenScape at 704.504.0980.
Heather - Metro GreenScape
Charlotte Lawn & Landscape