It’s all in your choice

March 23, 2016 | | Blog

So many decisions with your landscape designer. We can all look at facts and figures, pros and cons, we get taught how to analyse at a young age… but this is a creative project, recruit the other side of your brain. In your choices, what do you look for beyond the obvious?
Be creative and intuitive when choosing the company you’re going to engage with to design and create your new space to enhance your lifestyle.

Let your imagination go wild as you envisage your new outdoor lifestyle. The design will then need to be tailored to your construction budget, so work out what you are willing to pay for this ideal. Think more than the value of bricks and sand. What you create now, is at the essence of your future experiences. What sort of memories would you like to create in this space? How do you want this space to balance out your busy life, stress levels, family time? See the real value behind the plastic note when you crunch the figures for your construction budget.

Think long term. Quality, not quantity. Listen out for that ‘gut feeling’, the subtle one that can be easily over dominated by the analysing, commentating mind. Intuition is there for a good reason.

Technical bits- who to engage and what to look for beyond the obvious

The landscape designer; Align yourself with a landscape designer you can work with together to make your ideas a reality. Look at their website, read through the content… why? Because as the saying goes, how you do one thing, is how you do everything! Your project will roll out from your initial choice on who you engage. What you choose now, will greatly shape the final product which is being created to support and enhance your lifestyle. View their portfolio. How is their communication? What motivates them… do they share your inspiration? Is there a little spark of excitement in the eye when discussing design possibilities? It’s in Aristotle’s words ‘Pleasure in the work, puts perfection in the job’.

The landscape builder; Be picky! All hard landscape works (eg. decking, paving, retaining walls) over $5,000 need to be completed by a registered landscape builder. Not only is it a legal requirement (unfortunately there are some landscapers operating out there unlicensed & illegally), this will ensure protection of your investment. It’s all in the details, does their current portfolio represent the quality workmanship that is required to build your dream new lifestyle? Trust comes first, a relationship will be formed throughout your project with your builder, so make sure you feel good in their company. And communication is key, a project runs smoothly with good leadership. Is going for the cheapest quote a wise decision? Remember, building foundations start underground, so dig deep, the costs within quality construction and project management runs deeper than the black and white sum at the bottom of the quote. Our ‘gut feeling’ is there for a reason, listen to it.

Spend the time on your project, so it is only done once, with care, creativity and precision. Find the right tribe to make it happen, and the co-creating and development can be the start of the enriching experiences your space will bring for years to come.

L I V E . T H E . L I F E . Y O U . C R E A T E