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If your looking to have a beautiful landscape design the articles below are a great primer to help get you started!
Preparing Your Landscape for Sale or Appraisal
Given all the changes in home ownership these last few months, several readers are looking for ways to get back some of that equity they lost in their home. Others are just trying to find ways to market a more appealing property in a saturated market. The purpose of this issue’s contribution is to offer some tips for folks looking to increase the value of their homes when selling or preparing for an appraisal.
The first step to increasing the value of your home is cleaning up the yard. Start by walking around your landscape and pick up any trash or debris that may be lying around. Leaves, tools and debris left out have to be addressed.
The next step will be to plan for what is needed. This may or may not involve consultation with a gardening coach or designer. Pay special attention to areas that you can see from the road. Make a list of anything that needs to be cleaned up, repaired, painted, planted, or trimmed. Be careful not to take on anything so big, you cannot finish it.
If you’re selling or getting your home appraised, you have to be sure you don’t over do it. Be sure to look at comparable homes in the area. Its rare that your home is valued more than other homes in the neighborhood are worth. Assess the list that you’ve made. Ask yourself which tasks are just a matter of cleanup and which involve significant time or money. Some projects may need professional help.
In many cases, landscape designers and contractors can be called upon for a “remodel” to the outdoor environment. Depending on the status of your sprinklers and current yard, this may be worth considering. Regardless, I often recommend brining in professionals to at least assess and offer ideas.
Some of the easiest projects I mention to folks simply involve washing the windows, sweeping the walkways and mowing the lawn. Planting flowers and re-potting perennials will do wonders for making an impact. When it comes to the hardscaping, be sure to fill any cracks in sidewalks. You’ll want to address issues with your gutters, holes in your lawn and any landscape lighting and the sprinkler system.
Real estate and home improvement experts say that the most important landscaping areas to focus on are the main entrance, front door, and back patio. Landscaping that falls near or along these areas will be the most important to address. Remember, in a tough housing market, anything you can do to get ahead of the next home for sale or appraisal makes a difference.
How To: Winter Landscape Design
Winter is the perfect time to begin planning for a major landscape renovation or installation. This month’s piece will cover the process involved in hiring a designer and ultimately a contractor to outfit your perfect outdoor retreat.
The first step is a landscape plan. You’ll want to think about what you want for your yard. Try snapping some photos of landscape features you like, consider magazines as well. The next step will involve finding the right designer. While some installers claim to also be designers, I highly recommend separating the two. Qualified designers can often be found at a local nursery or even in the yellow pages.
As with any professional you would hire, check references and try to negotiate a flat rate for a design. Usually there will be several meetings between you and the designer that will ultimately result in a final set of “blue prints” with which you will get bids for landscape construction.
Your plans will guide you in determining which services you'll need from the contractor. Areas of expertise include installation of plant material, decks, pavers, retaining walls, irrigation systems ponds and lighting.
I recommend that each client choose from at least three Landscape Contractors bidding for their business. Be sure to thoroughly investigate everyone. As with the landscape designer, ask the professionals you are considering whether they are licensed and how long they have been in business. Be sure to ask if they have insurance.
It is really important to consider what levels of expertise and education the team actually doing the installation has. I'd also recommend inquiring about recent references and even visiting some of past jobsites. Local nurseries and landscape supplies often have a list of qualified professionals available.
There are a great number of clients that face "renovations" just a few years after landscape construction due to poor installation. Often it is worth asking installers about guarantees. This certainly pertains to hardscaping, including concrete, paver and retaining wall work. A recent trend, especially on larger commercial jobs, is to require the landscaping company to maintain the project for the first year. This way, any serious installation mistakes can be dealt with in a timely manner.
Maintenance is a serious topic to consider from the get-go. If the installation company will be providing some or all of the maintenance, ask for the maintenance schedule. Basic lawn maintenance should include weekly mowing, monthly fertilization, weed control if desired and aeration or de-thatching services. Ask which chemicals, if any, will be used on your property, and require the contractor to provide the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for each.
Landscaping is a relatively large investment and involves a lot of hard work. If you will be contracting some or all of your landscape installation and maintenance, take the time to evaluate all the possibilities. The time spent will pay off greatly.
How To Choose a Landscape Design
Well designed and installed landscaping will add considerable value to your home (As much as 15 percent), allowing you a return on your investment of 100 to 200 percent. It all begins with choosing the right designer. Once you have a design, you'll need to choose the right Landscape Contractor to do the installation. This is followed by someone to perform quality maintenance. The following should be helpful when evaluating your choices for installation and ultimately maintenance.
It all begins with your landscape plan. Use your plan to understand and communicate the scope of the project before you. Your plan will guide you in determining which services you'll need from the contractor. Areas to consider include installation of plant material, decks, pavers, retaining walls, irrigation systems and lighting. You may wish to work on some of these projects yourself. If this is the case, be sure to run this by your contractor.
I recommend that each client choose from at least three Landscape Contractors bidding for their business. Be sure to thoroughly investigate everyone. Ask the professionals you are considering whether they are licensed and how long they have been in business. Be sure to ask if they have insurance. Also consider what levels of expertise and education the employees have. Finally, I'd recommend inquire about recent references and even visit some of past jobsites. We have a list of preferred installers at the nursery. Just ask and we'll get you a copy.
There are a great number of clients that approach the nursery with "renovations" to poor landscaping. Often it is worth asking about guarantees. This certainly pertains to hardscaping, including concrete, paver and retaining wall work. A recent trend, especially on larger commercial jobs, is to require the landscaping company to maintain the project for the first year. This way, any serious installation mistakes can be dealt with in a timely manner.
Maintenance is a serious topic to consider from the get-go. If the installation company will be providing some or all of the maintenance, ask for the maintenance schedule. Basic lawn maintenance should include weekly mowing, monthly fertilization, weed control if desired and aeration or dethatching services. Ask which chemicals, if any, will be used on your property, and require the contractor to provide the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for each.
Landscaping is a relatively large investment and involves a lot of hard work. If you will be contracting some or all of your landscape installation and maintenance, take the time to evaluate all the possibilities. I often receive requests from young people about how to start out in design and landscape. I encourage folks to enter the field. A good attitude and quality work goes a long way. If you find someone with great references and quality work, give them a chance.
