FREQUEnTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some of my most commonly asked questions:

Why do I need a designer?

In order to make the most out of your space it should be looked at in its entirety. Taking a new kitchen as an example, you wouldn’t build it without first planning what you want to use it for, what you want in it and how everything fits together, and your garden should be treated the same.

There are so many things that need to be considered; light, aspect, access, views, topography - to name a few, before the space can even be designed and this is where an experienced designer comes in to their own. The cost of hiring a designer as a percentage of the overall cost of building your garden is very small, yet the ramifications not having your garden professionally designed are huge.

How much will it cost?

It is worth bearing in mind that design costs make up but a small portion of the overall potential cost of rebuilding your garden, which is why I have prepared a rough guide to pricing………

Industry wide it is recommended that you look to spend between 5-15% of the value of your house on your garden. Although each garden can vary massively in costs depending upon the complexity of the design, the materials used and the state of the original garden. Not forgetting that in today’s world, a multi million pound house might only have a courtyard garden!

AS A GUIDE, for a complete design and build of a small garden you should budget around £20,000, for a medium garden between £20,000 and £50,000 and a large garden anything from £50,000 upwards. Think of it as a room with a big impact on your house price, much like a kitchen would be. 

So for a total transformation, your budget allocation might look like this:

landscaper (build incl labour and materials) 70%

plants 15%

garden design 10%

furniture and accessories 5%

How long does the process last?

Usually the design will be ready to present within 4 weeks of the initial consultation.

The process of hiring a landscaper to completing the build could take anything from 3 to 9 months, depending on the complexity of the design and the availability of the landscaper.

Although the process can be sped up in certain circumstances, it is recommended to plan around year ahead to allow plenty of time for your garden to be designed, built and planted. So if you were looking for a new garden for next summer, you would be best advised to contract a garden designer no later than September/October time.

Can you design part of a garden or do it in stages?

You can totally break the design into stages or parts, for example, following an extension you might require only the design of a new patio and steps to integrate it into an already mature garden.

In some cases the garden can be designed as a whole and then broken down into stages for the actual build. This method works very well for those working to a tight budget or timeline.