How to Avoid a BAD Landscaping Job!

Landscaping is a great way to add to the aesthetics and value of your home, and is one of the first things that friends, family and prospective buyers will see. Therefore it’s important that the company you choose to carry out your landscaping project can be relied upon to give you precisely the result you are after.

Keep reading for our guide to ensure you are not about to waste your hard-earned cash!

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9 ways to choose a Landscaper you can trust:

     1. Strong team

     2. Great reputation

     3. Realistic pricing

     4. Timely communication

     5. A guarantee

     6. Experience and longevity

     7. Itemised quotes

     8. Master Landscaper member

     9. Listen to understand

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     1. Strong team

Ask how many employees the company has, how much experience they have and whether they’ve been police checked. When you call, is it an admin that answers the phone or is someone having to stop working to talk to you?

Without proper support and a number of trained tradespeople, you may find that a landscaper lacks the capacity to get your job done in a timely manner and to a proper standard.

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     2. Great reputation

Look online for testimonials from happy clients. These can be found in many places: the company website, Google reviews and Facebook. How long has the company been around? Ask them over the phone or check their website.

If a landscaper has done well by others, they’ll probably do the same for you. Every landscaper should be able to supply verifiable testimonials from past customers. You may get the odd dissatisfied review, but if there’s more than a few grumbling customers, alarm bells should be ringing.

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   3. Realistic pricing‍

When comparing quotes, look past the initial attraction of the lowest quote. Make sure the landscaper isn’t cutting corners on workmanship and best practice installation methods... or they could be using inferior materials to keep the price low. If a quote is low, there’s a reason for it.

Many will worry about a quoted price being too high, but of equal concern is a quote which is too low. Ideally, your landscaper of choice will allocate enough time and resources to get the job done right the first time. Taking the lowest possible quote may be the riskiest, and potentially most expensive option.

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    4. Timely communication ‍

‍Take note of the response time you get from different landscaping companies. Make sure the landscaper is able to communicate all the important details and make sure they’re able to get back to you in a timely manner.

First impressions count, and they should; if a company is slack to communicate before they even have your business, they’re probably going to muck you around when working for you. Yes, people may get busy, which makes it hard to pick up the phone immediately, but your landscaper should still get back to you in a timely manner.

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   5. A guarantee

Ask what kind of guarantee the company will offer, and get documentation. This can be a physical copy, an email or publicly available on the company website.

Guarantees should cover a few basic things: The materials used, the workmanship, and most importantly of all, your satisfaction. This gives you something to hold your landscaper to.

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  6. Experience and longevity ‍

Look for a contractor that has an established business history. Good business practice comes with experience, and the last thing you need is to hire someone who hasn’t been around very long.

Industry longevity equates to a ton of landscaping knowledge and skill, meaning they will know how to run your job smoothly with minimal delays, and a fantastic end result.

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   7. Itemised quotes ‍

‍Landscaping your garden can be a substantial investment, so you want to know exactly where your money is going, on all labour and materials.

Also if you are getting more than one quote, you want to make sure you are “comparing apples with apples” - otherwise you won’t be able to make an informed decision.

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    8. Registered Master Landscaper member

When you deal with a Registered Master Landscaper, you can be assured you are working with skilled landscapers and designers - you will receive professional advice and relevant services you can rely on.

Members of Registered Master Landscapers are bound by a code of conduct, ensuring professional business practices are carried out at all times.

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9. Listen to understand ‍

‍Stephen R. Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, once said “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intent to reply.” This is never more important than when you are considering spending money on home or garden renovations.

Make sure your landscaper is someone who takes the time to get to know your space and asks you questions about how you use your garden. Make sure they are professional and respectful, and they are receptive to your ideas, goals and project schedule
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Choosing a landscaper can be a challenging process, but if you consider these 9 important points you will be well on your way to getting the right landscaper for you and your project. The right landscaper will ensure the process is simple and stress-free!

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