Improving your outdoor living space can lead to outstanding changes in your home and your family’s outdoor lifestyle. While each landscape improvement project is going to change according to your needs, the best way to start is always by asking questions and learning what you can about the process. This will help you achieve exactly what you want. Here are some questions to ask a landscaper before making changes to your outdoor living space in Hollis, NH.
Related: HOW A LANDSCAPER CAN MAXIMIZE YOUR BACKYARD SPACE FOR ENTERTAINING IN HOLLIS AND AMHERST, NH
What Will Help Me Achieve My Needs?
The changes in the layout, the infrastructure you add, and the features you add to your landscape will all have a direct impact on your family’s outdoor lifestyle. Think about the goals of your family such as how everyone likes to spend time outside. This could be focused on fun, entertainment, relaxation, exercise, or any combination of those.
Be sure to also talk with your landscaper how spending time in your landscape currently makes you and your family feel. Is it a relaxing space? Do you feel like your family has enough privacy? Does it feel vibrant enough? Is it convenient? What is missing? All of these questions are things to ask your landscaper.
Should I Make Big Changes Or Small Changes?
When you make improvements to your landscape, it doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. Of course, a full landscape redesign will allow you to start a new chapter on your property. Sometimes a few tweaks can do just the trick. For example, adding a privacy fence along one side of the patio can make the space feel more secluded. Adding a pergola can make for a cooler space to hang out on the hottest days. And putting a small fountain in an otherwise unused corner of the backyard can transform it into a serene oasis.
When you speak with your landscaper, try your best to give them the full picture of what kind of outdoor lifestyle you want for your family and the look you want for your home. The more relevant information you can give, the better the landscaper will be able to assess the issues and determine what kinds of changes need to be made.
How Much Will It Cost?
This is the million dollar question or, rather, the several thousand dollar question. A landscape improvement project can be a fairly small cost or it can be a number that may be a bit shocking. This is the nature of such a large project, though there are ways to mitigate the costs and get on the same page. Most importantly, you and your landscaper should be in absolute agreement of what exactly your landscape needs and what you can afford, before you sign the dotted line.
The price of your landscape improvement project covers the materials and labor. To reduce costs, your landscaping company may suggest doing a large renovation in stages; or, to help you stick to your budget, they may offer recommendations on alternative materials or money-saving design tweaks. For example, you may be dreaming of a ground-level teak deck for a luxury spa-like look. However, the cost of installation as well as ongoing maintenance could make this option more costly both initially and over the long term. A paver patio, by comparison, is more economical to install and needs very little maintenance. And, there are some gorgeous luxury pavers that will give you a spa look without the cost of teak decking - and you can always add a teak bench or lounge to get the look you want.
