Consider Making Those Landscaping Goals A Reality

By Dani Messick, House and Home Feature Writer

Spring will return, and with it, you may be considering some modifications to outdoor amenities. Whether you’re hoping to add a fireplace, a pool, or simply restore your sidewalk, having a landscaping plan before you get started will prevent a lot of problems.

Landscaping projects can get messy.

Hiring a team of professionals can shorten the length of time it takes to complete a landscaping project.

Former owner of Lang Feeney Associates in South Bend Terry Lang said the single most important part of any landscaping project is knowing where your own property line lies. And as a surveyor, he should know.

“There’s no more expensive landscaping than things you have to move because it’s not on your property,” he said.

A professional can gather the information with the deed and title for the property, or the tax key number and an address. The cost for a professional survey can range anywhere from $800 to $1,000 for newer subdivisions, or upwards of $1,500 for uncommon or rural areas.

Because of the costs associated with surveying, many people may want to try their luck with the county’s Geographic Information Systems.

“It’s just for reference information only; they are not accurate at all,” he said. “In fact, the GIS website is probably one of my best customers,” said Lang.

Lang’s recommendation to any homeowner wanting to start a landscaping project is to have an accurate and professionally done land survey so you know exactly where your property begins and ends.

Josh Welker, lead designer for Stone Ridge Landscaping, says having a profound understanding of the goals of the project is the most important aspect of what he, as a landscape designer, does.

“If I can understand why you’re wanting to do this- whether it’s driven by screening your neighbors, or decorating your backyard, understanding those goals is the top thing that will help your project be a success.”

Landscape designers want to know how the space will be used and what activities will be held there.

“If you know how big the space needs to be you can incorporate that into the design,” Welker said. “One of the adjustments our design team runs into is when they want to use an area but the planned space is too small. Creating a landscape plan for how it will be used is often the next step and creating a plan that shows the layout and how the client will use that space.”

What’s the timeline? What’s your budget? Know the answers to these questions as early as possible to prevent unnecessary hardships. A contractor may or may not be able to accommodate, but they need to know the budget even for smaller projects in order to steer the scope of work in the initial phases.

Shutterstock.com

Shutterstock.com

“Make sure that whoever you partner with has the tools and the knowledge to do your project and stand behind the warranties after it’s completed,” Welker asserted, adding spending a little extra money on sturdier fixtures or warranties can be more than worth the cost in the long run.

“One of the most interesting warranties is with outdoor lighting,” he said. “You’ve invested this time and money into a new landscape and it’s great to see in the night hours as well. Some (companies) will offer even 7 years on outdoor lighting.”

Many contractors also offer resource guides on their websites for homeowners to lookup care sheets for their new landscaping. n