Hello everyone,
We have a “luxury problem” in that we can’t decide who to hire for our garden. We have received three quotes. All of them initially assured us that they could start the work promptly. First, there is a more pragmatic landscaping contractor who is by far the cheapest but probably does not place much value on the concept or design. The execution will likely be more practical and less meticulous compared to the other companies. Then there are two local, very experienced firms that work very professionally. They took a lot of time and even prepared plans, but they are significantly more expensive than the first contractor. The style and scope of their quotes also differ considerably from the first one, which makes comparison difficult.
Since we really want a functioning concept for our sloped property and value good design, we tend to prefer one of the established and experienced companies. Unfortunately, these are also the most expensive.
Long story short: Is there a noticeable added value in entrusting the work to such an experienced company? Will they definitely do a more thorough and better job? Or does it ultimately not make much difference?
Best regards
We have a “luxury problem” in that we can’t decide who to hire for our garden. We have received three quotes. All of them initially assured us that they could start the work promptly. First, there is a more pragmatic landscaping contractor who is by far the cheapest but probably does not place much value on the concept or design. The execution will likely be more practical and less meticulous compared to the other companies. Then there are two local, very experienced firms that work very professionally. They took a lot of time and even prepared plans, but they are significantly more expensive than the first contractor. The style and scope of their quotes also differ considerably from the first one, which makes comparison difficult.
Since we really want a functioning concept for our sloped property and value good design, we tend to prefer one of the established and experienced companies. Unfortunately, these are also the most expensive.
Long story short: Is there a noticeable added value in entrusting the work to such an experienced company? Will they definitely do a more thorough and better job? Or does it ultimately not make much difference?
Best regards
Costruttrice schrieb:
When dealing with a sloped plot, the overall concept is crucial to make the best use of the land.
If you don’t have a clear idea of how you want to design the property, professional advice and planning are important, in which case I would go with the more expensive option.
On the other hand, if you already have your own ideas and know exactly what you want, then you “only” need someone to carry out your plan and ideas, so the first option might be enough.
It’s unwise to choose the cheaper option just to save money and then realize after two years that you actually want something different, which leads to remodeling the garden and paying twice. Yes. Of course, we now know what we want thanks to the concept provided by the more expensive option. But he came up with it, and I think he also knows how to get there. With the first option, everything is kind of hit-or-miss at first. The plants aren’t addressed until all the major work is done. The more expensive option already includes the planting plan. The first option doesn’t offer irrigation systems at all, regardless of type. He said he hasn’t had good experiences with them...
I think it’s quite clear where your heart lies. You’re just looking for confirmation that it’s worth spending that much money.
Here’s a criterion I would use: If you have extra money and don’t need to limit yourself—meaning, if otherwise your money would just be sitting idly in financial markets—then go for the expensive option.
If choosing that means you’ll have to shop only at discount stores like Aldi and Netto (without your dog) for the next year, have the basic work done with the cheaper option and save the finer details for later…
Here’s a criterion I would use: If you have extra money and don’t need to limit yourself—meaning, if otherwise your money would just be sitting idly in financial markets—then go for the expensive option.
If choosing that means you’ll have to shop only at discount stores like Aldi and Netto (without your dog) for the next year, have the basic work done with the cheaper option and save the finer details for later…
Tolentino schrieb:
Well, I think it's quite clear where your heart lies.
You just want confirmation that it's worth spending that much money.
I would use the following criterion: if you have leftover money and don’t need to restrict yourself—meaning the money would otherwise just sit idly in financial markets—then go for the expensive option.
If, on the other hand, choosing that means you’ll have to shop at Aldi and Netto (without the dog) for the next year, then have the basics done with the cheaper option and add the nicer details later... Sort of. Right now, I can hardly imagine what the added value would be. Does it look better? Are the plants more durable or easier to maintain? For example, if I had to choose between two plasterers, I might know that the cheaper one tends to work sloppily and I’d end up with an uneven surface on the facade or wall. But I can’t really picture something similar for landscapers at the moment. That’s why I’m asking if you can actually notice the difference later on in landscaping.
You can definitely tell the difference.
One person will create a functioning garden for you (although some areas might not work as well). The other thinks the whole concept through carefully. There won’t be a single plant placed without a reason—you won’t wonder why it’s there. You’ll probably have more space without knowing exactly why, meaning more usable area. There will be fewer hard-to-reach plants, and if there are any, they will require less maintenance. The plant selection will certainly be more thoughtful. Natural privacy screens, summer shade providers, windbreaks in autumn, and so on.
The person with a concept will also work with the terrain, not against it, so in the end, they might not be much more expensive. For example, you might have "more expensive concrete blocks," but you’ll need far fewer of them.
Unfortunately, I have to do everything myself, but if I had the money and those you described were available to me, I would think the cheaper one only saves me time, but I could do what they do.
The expensive one can achieve something I wouldn’t be able to in 20 years. That’s why it would be worth it to me.
One person will create a functioning garden for you (although some areas might not work as well). The other thinks the whole concept through carefully. There won’t be a single plant placed without a reason—you won’t wonder why it’s there. You’ll probably have more space without knowing exactly why, meaning more usable area. There will be fewer hard-to-reach plants, and if there are any, they will require less maintenance. The plant selection will certainly be more thoughtful. Natural privacy screens, summer shade providers, windbreaks in autumn, and so on.
The person with a concept will also work with the terrain, not against it, so in the end, they might not be much more expensive. For example, you might have "more expensive concrete blocks," but you’ll need far fewer of them.
Unfortunately, I have to do everything myself, but if I had the money and those you described were available to me, I would think the cheaper one only saves me time, but I could do what they do.
The expensive one can achieve something I wouldn’t be able to in 20 years. That’s why it would be worth it to me.
C
Costruttrice29 Apr 2022 16:24Maybe with the expensive part, you could only have a portion implemented right away and postpone the rest, or take care of the planting yourself.
That is easily possible in our case, for example.
Our contractor creates a plan, and if we carry it out with them, the cost is deducted. If not, we pay for the planning and can either hire someone else or try it ourselves.
That is easily possible in our case, for example.
Our contractor creates a plan, and if we carry it out with them, the cost is deducted. If not, we pay for the planning and can either hire someone else or try it ourselves.
Similar topics