Landscaping - Finding the Right Landscaper - More Tips and Hints
Tip A: Costings & Landscaping Budgets - You need to have a good relationship with your Landscaper & should be open & honest in respect of how much you have to spend.
A rule is not to try & trick the contractor into trying to get the lowest price possible! This is a short sighted way of looking at the project.
A good relationship with your Landscaper will see the project go smoother & them being helpful rather than them having to cut corners etc to stay within the boundaries of the budget you have forced them into...
Tip B: Talk to the Landscapers previous clients - Location shouldn't really matter.
BUT make sure you talk to them, don't just go with the testimonials that maybe on their website etc.
You can get FAR more from a voice than the written work.
You should be able to make out straight away if they were happy with the work of your landscaper.
It is very hard to disguise disappointment in your voice.
Going on from that it is also worthwhile asking to speak to the last 3 jobs...
this then cuts out the risk of you just speaking to the jobs that were very happy (or family members) & in theory getting a 'real' understanding of what the landscaper's work is really like..
..
Tip C: Samples - This is very important! Make sure you get to see & FEEL the samples for your landscaping project.
Materials can look fine in catalogues or online BUT there is no substitute for actually feeling the samples..
..
also colours can be different than how they appear in photo's.
This can be all sorts of samples...
from brickwork to paving slabs to fence panels & varnishes.
Even shrubs & grass can be asked for...
sounds silly but can make a big difference from idea to reality! Tip D: Payments - Now I can't tell you what to do..
...
but ideally pay by invoice & make a payment via your bank or cheque..
..
..
you won't be the 1st or the last to suggest a 'cash' price for a landscaper..
..
BUT if something does goes wrong you are not in a great position to do anything about it as effectively you are tax avoiding (namely VAT).
Similarly be warned of landscapers to ask if they can be paid in cash..
..
it's not a good sign in my opinion.
If all things are done 'above board' then you are in a much better position to get help in the unlikely occasion that the work has not gone according to plan.
A rule is not to try & trick the contractor into trying to get the lowest price possible! This is a short sighted way of looking at the project.
A good relationship with your Landscaper will see the project go smoother & them being helpful rather than them having to cut corners etc to stay within the boundaries of the budget you have forced them into...
Tip B: Talk to the Landscapers previous clients - Location shouldn't really matter.
BUT make sure you talk to them, don't just go with the testimonials that maybe on their website etc.
You can get FAR more from a voice than the written work.
You should be able to make out straight away if they were happy with the work of your landscaper.
It is very hard to disguise disappointment in your voice.
Going on from that it is also worthwhile asking to speak to the last 3 jobs...
this then cuts out the risk of you just speaking to the jobs that were very happy (or family members) & in theory getting a 'real' understanding of what the landscaper's work is really like..
..
Tip C: Samples - This is very important! Make sure you get to see & FEEL the samples for your landscaping project.
Materials can look fine in catalogues or online BUT there is no substitute for actually feeling the samples..
..
also colours can be different than how they appear in photo's.
This can be all sorts of samples...
from brickwork to paving slabs to fence panels & varnishes.
Even shrubs & grass can be asked for...
sounds silly but can make a big difference from idea to reality! Tip D: Payments - Now I can't tell you what to do..
...
but ideally pay by invoice & make a payment via your bank or cheque..
..
..
you won't be the 1st or the last to suggest a 'cash' price for a landscaper..
..
BUT if something does goes wrong you are not in a great position to do anything about it as effectively you are tax avoiding (namely VAT).
Similarly be warned of landscapers to ask if they can be paid in cash..
..
it's not a good sign in my opinion.
If all things are done 'above board' then you are in a much better position to get help in the unlikely occasion that the work has not gone according to plan.
Source...