Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Landscaping Project

Spring is in the air and if you’re like most Southern Californians, you’re probably daydreaming of warm summer nights in your backyard or lazy afternoons spent lounging around the pool! Why not make this the year your dreams become reality? 

We have over twenty-four years of experience helping our clients create their ideal backyard oasis. We’ve managed all sorts of projects, from large to small, and along the way we’ve created a list of important questions every potential client should consider before starting a landscaping project. Taking the time to think through these questions with your spouse or family is incredibly helpful. It allows us to quickly and efficiently understand your vision, and then bring it to life.

What is Your Budget? 

Above all else, you need to get really clear on your budget. Do you want to spend $10,000 creating your new backyard? $100,000? We have all sorts of strategies we can employ to shape your vision to match your budget. Knowing what you can afford to spend (and what you want to) ensures that our design proposal won’t miss the mark. 

What Do You Absolutely Have to Have in Your New Backyard? 

When you imagine your new space, what comes to mind? Is it a sparkling pool? A spa? A peaceful water feature? Lush landscaping? During our free consultation, we talk to you about what you want and need. Knowing what item or items are at the top of your list ensures that we prioritize the right things in our proposal. Then we can get to work to make it happen. 

How Much Time Do You Want to Spend on Upkeep and Maintenance?

It’s easy to fall in love with pictures you seen on Instagram or Pinterest. However, you should consider how much time and money you really want to spend on ongoing maintenance. Whether you handle it yourself or hire someone to take care of it for you, there’s going to be a cost involved. Knowing where you fall on the spectrum from low maintenance to high will help us create a backyard that you’ll love for years to come. If you like the look of something, but will be too busy to keep it up, we can suggest alternatives that better fit your lifestyle. 

How Do You See Your Family Changing Over the Next Five to Ten Years?

Are you planning to welcome a new baby? A new puppy? Are your kids leaving the home soon and going off to college? Having a sense of how your needs may grow and change ensures that your backyard will fit your evolving lifestyle. For example, if you want to add a pool, but plan on having a baby or a puppy, we’d suggest adding a safety fence around your pool. Likewise, if your kids are teenagers, you can skip the fence entirely. It might not seem like a big deal, but the changes in your family dynamics affect the design plan and how we allocate funds to ensure you stay within your budget. 

Are You Thinking of Selling Anytime Soon?

At some point, you will likely need to sell your home. That means you should have your ROI firmly in mind. ROI stands for “return on investment.” In this case, the funds you’re sinking into creating the backyard of your dreams. If you plan to stay in your home for a while, you might not care if you recoup your investment or not. However, if you’re going to be moving within the next three to five years, you may want to be more strategic with your design choices to ensure you get the most money possible for your home. 

Are You Aware of Any Problem Areas on Your Property?

No home or property is perfect. Maybe the soil tends to get a bit soggy near the fence. Maybe your yard slopes up or down in an inconvenient area. Whatever it is, it’s important to make us aware of the issue during your consultation. That way we can account for it during the design proposal and make sure your project with run on time and stay under budget. 

Ready to take the next steps to create the Southern California backyard of your dreams? Reach out to us today to schedule your free consultation!