Gardening Landscaping: Time To Start Planning For Next Year

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to fall off the trees. Chances are that with temperatures starting to fall you will have already put the BBQ back in the shed, packed up the garden furniture and gone into hibernation in the relative comfort and warmth of the front room.

Many of you though will already have turned to planning you garden for next year. You may be considering replacing your tired looking patio, swapping your green lawn for something that requires a little less maintenance or even contemplating a complete re-landscaping of your garden.

So if you are already lining up your next landscaping project, what things should you be looking out for when it comes to choosing your landscaping contractor?

“As in many areas of life, saving money on your landscaping in the short term can cost your big in the long run. Base your decision not just on cost, but on solid research and checking out credentials you can trust, and you won’t go far wrong.” – Matt Allwright, Presenter of BBC Rogue Traders.

Avoiding Cowboys

The British Association of Landscape Industries offers consumers the following advice to help you avoid the cowboys and get the garden you have always dreamed of.

• When choosing your landscaping contractor you should ask for and thoroughly inspect a written contract for the work. This contract should outline the exact cost of the work you want them to undertake and also include:

- The contractors name and contact details.
- The address where you would like the work to be carried out.
- A general description of the work that the contractor will be carrying out.
- An estimated date for the completion of the work.
- Details of any applicable guarantees
- Signatures from both you and the contractor.

• Agree with your contractor to pay in instalments as milestones in the project are met, or upon completion of all the work. Never hand over the full cost of the job before any work has begun.
• Keep good written records whilst the work is being carried out.
• Retain your contract, details of all correspondence, orders and receipts in case you need to challenge your contractor at a later date.

In addition to those points, and following on from Matt Allwright’s advice, we would recommend doing your homework. Always ask your chosen contractor to see examples of their previous work, references from previous customers and details of any accreditations they claim to have. Make use of sites such as Norfolk Trusted Trader, of which Knights Paving and Landscaping are members, to identify recommended tradespeople to carry out your work.

If you would like to speak to us about any of landscaping services, do not hesitate to contact us. You can give us a call on 01603 360548 or drop us an email to enquiries@knightslandscaping.co.uk.