DIY with no Idea – It’s not as easy as it seems

Many homeowners have tried and failed at creating their dream gardens. They believe that simply buying the materials and following YouTube videos will accomplish what a professional tradesman can do. In truth, this is very rarely the case. People may see a style of garden they like online and try to recreate it themselves with little or no experience in landscaping or building. They often underestimate the sheer amount of work needed to execute a job properly. Most people misunderstand that with landscaping; half of the work is done underground and goes unseen.

For example, to lay a simple patio, this is the basic process.

• Work out the quantity of waste removal and organise a digger and a skip/grab lorry
• Work out the quantity of materials like aggregate, slabs, pointing compound, etc, and organise delivery
• Organise other tools like wheelbarrows, spades, shovels, pickaxe, vibrating plate, mixer, extension lead, jackhammer, protective sheets, level, string line, trowels, hammers, etc.
• Organise extra labour if necessary
• Remove the existing slabs and mortar (if there is any)
• Excavate the area and remove waste into a skip/grab lorry
• Fill area with scalpings/type 1
• Compact at the right height to allow for paving and mortar
• Take into account any drainage systems that are needed
• Mix mortar at the correct ratio and consistency
• Prime the paving and lay on full beds (to the correct level, with correct joint size, with correct fall so that water goes where you want it to).
• Point the paving (without making a terrible mess)
• Clean the site down from front to back

If you have never laid a patio before, the process above may have shed some light on the number of elements that go into laying one correctly. If you have never done any of the above processes before, it will be a very steep learning curve. It’s almost certain that something would go wrong or at least take much longer than you may think.

Now consider constructing a full garden project, and you can see how many people get into a pickle. Either the budget will be blown out of the water, or the workmanship will be messy or wonky. I have seen people take on their own projects and do very well, and I take my hat off to these people. But for the most part, I recommend leaving it to the professionals.

Underpaying – Pinching pennies means cutting corners

Everyone likes a bargain, right? Yes, if you’re buying a new Hoover, because the product should be the same, whichever price you pay. You have to understand that when you’re buying a service, the lower the quote, the more danger you’re in! There are sites where you can post a job that needs doing, and contractors can bid their lowest price. This, in my opinion, is an absurd way to find a contractor. If you were looking to get a new radiator fitted or a new window fitted, then maybe it’s a good idea because there a far fewer variables. I know that landscapers with any sense won’t be bidding on these kinds of sites. But there are people out there who call themselves landscapers who participate in this madness. They can bid on a job, hoping only to make enough money to go to the pub every night after work. As the customer, you think you’re getting a bargain, but what you’re actually buying is a disaster. If somebody is bidding on a job you have posted, you have to be sure that they are credible. Check them out online and request photos of previous jobs. Have a good chat with them before giving the go-ahead. My ultimate advice would be to steer clear of these kinds of sites and find a landscaper with lots of experience or who is recommended. You get what you pay for in the end.

The other way to underpay is to get three quotes and pick the cheapest one just because it’s all you can afford. I know that isn’t what everybody does, but if you are picking a quote in this way, here are some things to consider.

• Was the quote delivered in a reasonable time? If you have to prompt the contractor for the quote, it may be a sign that they do not have a respectful manner or that they are disorganised.
• Is the quote well presented? A well-presented quote with a logo and contact details may reflect the way they go about the physical work. So a badly presented quote may result in a badly presented job.
• Have they included all the features that you discussed? There are many elements to a landscaping project, and once a price is agreed, there may be disputes over what’s included and what’s not. This could be a scam to grab more profit.
• Is it clearly laid out and easy to understand? If the quote is lacking in detail or explanation, the contractor may be being evasive. This could be a way they plan to cut corners to lower the cost of a job for themselves.

If you have a tight budget, then my advice is this. Rather than accepting a low quote from a questionable tradesman, try to remove an element or simplify the design. Then search for a highly recommended landscaper who gets it right, first time.

Don’t stretch the budget because, if a price sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

• Design disaster – Proper planning prevents poor performance, people!

When planning a garden project, the first thing that needs to be done is a design, even if it’s on the back of a receipt. Without a design, there can be no plan, and without a plan, there can be no success. When designing your garden, there are some main points to think about.

• Where are the best sunspots in your garden?
• How do I want to utilise the space?
• Is the garden for children, adults, the elderly or a combination?
• What style do I want, modern or classic?
• What will my budget allow?
• How much maintenance will be required?
• Will I need electricity?

The list could go on and on, but everything hinges on the design. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated or even have a planting plan. Things just need to be arranged into the correct position and the correct size. Something you may struggle with, if you don’t have a design, is having any idea how much things will cost. Every square meter of patio unaccounted for will add up very quickly and could blow your budget before you even get started. You wouldn’t build a house without a plan, so why would you build a garden without one?

Why don’t people just get a design?

I have witnessed so many jobs go wrong through a lack of design. One of the reasons people don’t get one drawn is cost, and I don’t blame them. Traditional garden designs are really expensive and could be seen as a waste of money. The trouble is that, without a design, no one knows exactly what the job is meant to look like. You can be sure that the contractor will have a different idea of how they see the garden and will always prefer to construct the project in the most cost-efficient way. Then, when you say to them, “I thought the patio was meant to be wider”. Their reply will be, “Well, I thought what I was doing was right, and it’s a bit late to change it now. At this juncture, you can either accept the job as it is or dispute it with the contractor, which puts both parties in an awkward position. The best way to avoid all of this is to spend some time designing the project yourself or find an affordable designer.

 

Choosing the contractor – The right guy for the right job

When selecting a quotation, it is just as important to select the right person as well as the right price. After all, you will be spending time with this person and making decisions during the process. Your relationship needs to be smooth, and you will feel a click when you speak to the right person. The agreement between you and your tradesperson is a two-way street, so always treat them with respect, and it will be returned. A happy site is a productive site, and you can ensure your hard workers are happy by supplying tea or coffee! But, like everything in life, it’s all about balance. Too few cups will create animosity, and too many will slow them down. I recommend two or three rounds per day. Believe it or not, this will go a long way!

Also, choosing the right kind of company for the right job is a crucial component of getting your garden done. Many varieties of landscape gardeners specialise in different aspects as follows,

• Designers
• Garden maintenance
• Tree surgeons
• Plant specialists or horticulturists
• Lawn specialists
• Joinery focused
• Garden room specialists   
• Fencing specialists
• General landscapers (most common)
• Stone masons
• General builder/Landscaper (construction focused)
• Swimming pool specialists

With this in mind, it is easy to get it wrong when selecting the right contractor. So when choosing, make sure the company has experience in the type of job you want to do. When searching for Landscapers online, Google puts a lot of the above in the same category. Landscapers are always keen to learn new skills, but it doesn’t mean that they are experienced in a particular field if they say they’re able to. This is a tip that could save you a lot of wasted time and money, so don’t forget it!

Day rate VS fixed contract –  Landscapers don’t like day rates, and neither will you.

I can tell you from experience that paying a day rate never goes the way you or the contractor wants it to. It’s a bad idea. The theory behind paying a day rate comes from the hope that buying materials yourself and paying a day rate will save you lots of money. It won’t.  I know that sounds harsh, but there are good grounds for my words of warning. Let’s break this down and look at the two areas that are supposed to save you money.

Materials

When you buy materials yourself, you have two ways to do so. One is buying online, and the other is finding a local supplier. Now, the problem with buying from a local supplier is that your contractor will probably get better prices than you because of the amount that they buy and the years of loyalty. Knowing this may sway you (and everyone else) to buy online, and that makes sense. However, one of the issues with buying online is that you don’t actually get to look at or feel the product in real life. You have to put all of your hope into an online picture. Another issue is that you may find a bargain online, but the reason it’s a bargain is that it’s a poor-quality product or an end-of-line product.

Here are my reasons why it’s BAD to buy landscaping materials online.

• The quality may be bad.
• The delivery may be expensive.
• The wrong items may arrive.
• The delivery may cause scheduling issues with the landscaper.
• If you run out and need more, they may be out of stock.
• You may have under- or over-ordered

My advice is to always let your contractor supply the materials. Yes, they will try to make a profit out of it, but they may also lose out on it. For example, if a landscaper has set a price for a 20 square meter patio and they actually need 22 square meters, it’s their shortfall to fix – not yours. They will know about the most suitable product for your particular situation. They may recommend something you didn’t think of. The payment and delivery of materials is all the contractor’s job to get right. They do it every day, and they’re good at it. You’re not just paying for materials, you’re paying for knowledge.

Here are my reasons why it’s BAD to pay a day rate.

• Contractors may work more slowly to make more money out of the job.
• Jobs always take longer than expected.
• You have to clock-watch your workers (they don’t like that)
• You take away the freedoms of self-employed people (they don’t like that either)
• Tea breaks will be limited to maximise productivity (they really don’t like that)

As with buying materials yourself, there are many pitfalls. Contractors don’t like having a boss, and being on a day rate feels like you have a boss. Part of the allure of self-employment is the freedom it yields. Working like this is resented by a lot of landscapers. This is why a lot of projects with customer-bought materials and day rates fail. Most contractors will just say no to this kind of proposal. My advice is to get a fixed price from a reputable company and let them deal with everything.

By Rick Labbẽ – GardenWise founder

Design  –  Insight  –  Guidance