Employing a qualified garden designer is free

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Employing a qualified garden designer is free

While the title to this article might appear to be somewhat oxymoronic, I can assure you it’s not. Over the last decade, I’ve gained a vast amount of experience in all manner of garden and landscape projects and I can say with confidence that the fees I’ve charged clients have always been offset by savings I’ve made.

To fully explain my point, I need to firstly clarify what I mean by qualified designer. I consider a qualified designer someone who has successfully completed a design-focused qualification to degree level or higher. In addition, they will also have an innate interest in their design media - plants, materials, environmental elements and so on - and a verifiable portfolio of completed projects. Although not essential, they may also have achieved full membership of a recognised industry body.

Now that I’ve qualified the qualified, I’d like to use an average garden client to illustrate how employing a qualified garden designer will do more than cost you nothing, it’ll save you money.

Mr and Mrs Smith would like to develop their garden. They love to do a bit of planting but don’t really know where to start with developing the whole site. They have three primary options open to them. They can do it themselves, they can employ a contractor directly or they can employ the services of a designer.

The first choice is the most challenging and while many consider it a cost effective approach, unless the Smiths have the necessary experience, it’s likely to be physically, emotionally and financially costly. Also, the end product rarely satisfies and often becomes a point of annoyance, regret and frustration. Over the years I’ve come to the rescue of many an exasperated self-builder and one that immediately springs to mind is Tony. Confident, with a history in construction, he felt sure he could handle it. Alas, with no real experience of garden design or construction, Tony soon found himself up to his neck in problems, not least of which was his wife Suzanne - who had suggested they get advice from the outset. By the time I was called in, Tony had blown his budget and to be honest, was in no mood to be reminded of his failings! Within an hour I’d put together an sketch plan and a build strategy for Tony to work to. I’m still in close contact with them both and Suzanne still gives Tony grief for not having the smarts to spend a couple of hundred Euro to save a couple of thousand. If our Mr and Mrs Smith decided on the self-build route, then the first step is a consultation with a professional designer. Read more on how to choose the right designer for you.

The second option, directly employing a contractor, is still very popular in Ireland, and in fairness to the reputable landscape community, the quality of construction being delivered today is generally very good. Unfortunately for Mr and Mrs Smith, directly employing a contractor, without specific qualified design input, might turn out to be very costly indeed. To understand why it might be costly, you must understand the motivational priorities of the designer and contractor. A contractor makes money by charging for labour and more often than not, by charging customers a percentage commission on wholesale products. So if the Smiths have say, €10,000 to invest in their garden, the contractor will want to spend it all and will obviously want to have as large a percentage of it as profit for his business (fair enough). The designer on the other hand, has very different motivations. They typically chargea set fee, and for it, they will want to deliver you the best garden possible no matter what budget is available. A contractor is motivated by maximising profit on a project, a designer is motivated by maximising return for investment.

Over the last decade I’ve become involved in a number of projects where clients had, in the hope of saving a few Euro, employed a contractor directly with disastrous results. One of the worst involved the construction of a small suburban garden. The client - I’ll not name him - asked for a contemporary, low maintenance scheme and for some unknown reason agreed to pay the quoted price - €25,000 - upfront and with no plan…not even a beer-mat scribble! The scheme that was delivered featured, amongst other things, a spurious deck stage, a pond constructed from deck board off-cuts, a plastic water feature bolted to the exposed block work and log-roll edging with corrugated metal strip (I still haven’t worked out what the latter was for). To pull their hotch-potch of ill-conceived elements together, they ripped up the existing lawn and replaced it with driveway cobble! By the time I was called in, the contractors where no longer reachable and the client was distraught. Thankfully, I was able to mitigate the problems caused by the wayward contractors and client now loves his garden.

Employ any builder without plans to refer to and you never know what your might get!

While the vast majority of contractors are reputable and reliant upon word of mouth for business, our Mr and Mrs Smith would do well to take note. At the very least, a designer will provide verbal guidance to direct their decisions and if required, they’ll provide comprehensive detail drawings, access to guaranteed quality building services and manage the project installation so they don’t have to. No matter how limited your budget, it’s always better to spend it wisely.

The third option for Mr and Mrs Smith is to employ the services of a qualified designer. Provided they’re qualified and suitably experienced, a designer should be able to tailor a service to their specific needs and budget. They should also be able to illustrate how, by employing their services, they’ll save them money.

So how am I or any designer going to deliver a free service, or one that at the very least recoups any design fee outlay. Firstly, I’m going to put them on the right track, I’ll remove uncertainty and clarify the whole process of design and construction. While this may seem like an intangible saving, ask anyone who has taken on a garden project and they’ll tell you it’s priceless. Next I’ll clarify exactly what they want from the garden. I’m not talking about decks, ponds or any other installed element, I’m referring to what they really desire. Read more about garden desires here. By defining true desires I create a foundation for a successful garden that will continue to evolve and deliver over time. Unlike the contractor, who may begin a discussion with, how much do you have to spend? I start with desire and figure out a way to deliver it regardless of budget. Once a proposal has been prepared, I’ll provide the Smiths with breathing space to absorb it. This cooling period allows them to suggest amendments and it’s something I insist upon. You’d be amazed how much money can be saved when a proposal is still on paper.

Once the design has been finalised, I follow up with a number of standard money saving options. These can include the preparation of a project specification, which can be used to obtain multiple quotes and as a reference to ensure the job is done right; the sourcing, if required, of a reputable contractor, which will save the Jones’ money, heartache and hassle; the sourcing of materials at the best price; onsite project management. In addition, the Smiths will have the peace of mind that I’ll carry out a post construction review, and if a problem arises, I’m only a phone call away.

Let’s recap on why qualified design services can be considered free
1. Designers are client focused and motivated by maximising your investment, however big or small.
2. Designers guide you through the process ensuring you avoid costly pitfalls and errors.
3. Designers can supply reputable contractors with guaranteed services.
4. Designers can help you achieve the best quote for project materials.
5. Designers can provide you with tangible tools such as plans and specifications that can be used to obtain the best price and as reference tools so you get what you asked for.
6. Designers can tailor their services to ensure you get the best value for their money.

If you’re about to embark on a garden project think about employing the services of a qualified designer, by the time the project is completed, you may well have saved a fortune.

Get the garden you really desire not the one you think you can afford.

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