Landscaping projects can have homeowners feeling like they are living in chaos, and add stress to our already stressful lives. Having a landscape project or landscape design done at your house does not need to be overwhelming. Here are some ways to be prepared for your landscaping project, that will help ease your worries.
A landscaping project can feel overwhelming when you have lots of ideas and expectations for your space. When speaking with a landscaping company or landscape designer, it is easy to go back and forth between what you are looking to have done. For example, talking about the front yard and curb appeal may trigger a memory that you want a walkway and some hardscape done such as a water feature in your back yard, and pretty soon you are all over the place, and your landscaping company or landscaping designer has no idea what you are wanting done.
Take your time before meeting with your landscaping company to know exactly what you are looking to have done, what you want the landscaping design to look like, and general expectations of your project and landscaping ideas. If this project is a large one, divide each section (think front yard, side yard, backyard) and go over one part at a time. You can even write down what you are wanting done, and provide pictures, so that you and your contractor are on the same page, and know exactly what your expectations are for this project.
There are many pieces that need to come together for a landscaping project to be successful, and your contractor will probably have questions that you have not even thought of. By researching what you are having done, such as cost of the project, or problems that could arise, you will be able to readily answer these questions, and keep the landscaping project moving in the right direction.
By choosing your contractor wisely (how to hire a contractor) you will have hired an expert in their field. This means that any issues that arise (no matter how much planning goes into a project, things can still go wrong)they will be fixed promptly, without adding any extra stress on you. Any concerns or questions you have will be answered and dealt with properly, and you can rely on the job getting done right.
If you wanted to be in charge of this landscaping project, you probably would have done it yourself. Many homeowners do not want to “hand off” the job to their contractor because they like knowing what is happening, and are worried about the project. This is fair, as you are spending your hard-earned money to get this done. However, contractors that are being micro managed can get distracted, or frustrated when others try to manage their job. When this happens the completion of the job can be slowed down.
You can still be involved in your landscaping project by checking in with your contractor at the end of each day (a good contractor will do this already) but leave the logistics to them, and enjoy the process of your outdoor space makeover.
Although you need to be firm in what you are wanting done, your contractor may have good advice for you and your project that you do not want to ignore. You might have your heart set on a certain material or design, but at the end of that day, if you did your due diligence in hiring your contractor you should trust their option, as they may have a different idea for your project that will work out better for you and your home.
As talked about before, the more prepared you can be about what you are looking to have done, the smoother your project will go. There is nothing wrong with adding extras to your project, but waiting until the project is almost done to bring it up to your contractor could be a bad idea.
If what you are looking to have done requires a machine, but your contractor has already placed brick down and cannot bring their machine back into the yard, your bill can increase by quite a lot due to the contractor having to hand dig.
If you let you contractor know ahead of time that you are thinking of adding to your project, they will be able to plan it better. Remember, sometimes crews have other jobs that they have already booked, and it might not work for them to add on another aspect of your project.
How your project turns out really depends on hiring the right person for the job, and having trust and open communication with your contractor. When all of these come together, your project will end up great, and you will be enjoying your new space in no time.