Enthusiasm can sometimes lead to frustration in a large landscaping project. Homeowners get excited about a landscaping project, and it may be time to rush out to gather materials—but rushing could lead to the need for exchanging, replacing, or purchasing more than originally intended. Here are four reasons to have a well-designed plan before getting your landscaping materials in Bergen County, NJ.
It’s interesting: Most of us have patience when it comes to big purchases like a car or a big home renovation project (even if it’s just a new coat of paint), but when it comes to landscaping, patience sometimes flies out the window. It’s understandable when all that is top of mind is how the landscape project will look—from the shade trees and fragrant lilac bushes to the possibility of grilling in an outdoor kitchen with all the amenities. But without the properly planning up front, the project could be slowed down even more. In landscaping as in any other big project, planning is the key to success. Here’s why:
Planning Creates Realistic Expectations
You know the drill: Before running to the landscape supply store, you want to simply measure twice so that you’ll only have to cut once. Part of that “measuring” involves figuring out, with certainty, how the outdoor space will be used. If bringing in a shade option is a priority for the homeowner, a pergola may be a better recommendation at this point than a tree that will take a long time to mature. The best solution may be overridden by the budget or the time it takes for a particular feature to be built or mature—or a bit of both things. Consult with your landscape supply company to get a comprehensive estimate of what each of your solutions will cost in terms of wait, effort, and cost.
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Planning Leads to Satisfactory Results
A plan is a visualization tool that helps you determine the sizes and relationships of the outdoor areas you’re working with. As you sketch out a bird’s eye view plan, consider present and future needs: The play area, for example, could be turned into a spa or a vegetable garden once the kids have outgrown their swing set. The patio may need to be big enough to accommodate big parties but not feel overwhelming when the homeowners are by themselves.
Planning Leads to More Accurate Cost Calculations
Showing up at the landscape supply store without plans means a lot of guesswork and a tendency to overlook necessary behind-the-scenes elements such as water or gas lines. Lack of plans could also lead to impulse purchases, which can sabotage your bottom line. Having a plan means you will see the big picture and have an accurate breakdown of the cost of each element in your design.
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Planning Can Make Future Expansions, Modifications Possible
If the current budget doesn’t allow for a full-scale landscape project, you can do the work over the course of several seasons, with each phase adding in features as the budget allows. A plan shows where to place infrastructure for future expansions so that a hardscape does not have to be needlessly dug up to accommodate a utility line at a later date.
