This should be one of the first questions a client asks a designer but it is a surprisingly late consideration for most.
My answer is yes! One of my most experienced skills is advising instantly what any element, material, detail, style or layout is likely to cost and that allows me to work quickly through options with clients to identify viable designs, cost effectiveness and value for money. This is one of my key skills that makes my service excellent value for money.
It is very easy to produce designs that a client would love and collect a fee for that fabulous design, but when the client gets fixed priced reliable quotations on such designs it can easily be 2 or 3 times their budget. Television shows, magazines and image collections like ‘Pinterest’ show amazing gardens that inspire many clients with a vision for their private or commercial outdoor spaces with a limited sense of cost.
Many images that clients show me as samples of their taste are very useful and often could be a contender design in their garden but they are often shocked at the likely cost which can be £20k to £40k compared to their budget of maybe £10k. Often a version of that style can be designed to suit a budget.
All of my designs start from first principles and I never know what we will end up with until I go through the whole process with the client, keeping an open mind. Of course I will always explore all the potential of a space but at the same time keep an eye on the target budget. Often what a client needs and would suit the property is more expensive than they realise but some lesser proposals are not worth doing or will not work, offering poor value for money.
For example a basic effective drainage detail required in some gardens may take 25% of the initial budget and the client may have no allowance for that expense in their budget and it can be vital. I work through all the technical and aesthetic considerations with clients to identify the best design for their budget which is often realised in phases.
All the prices and costs that I know and work with come from the most competitive rates, suppliers and contractors I can find that can offer my clients a reliable and consistent value for money.
If you would like to discuss what can be achieved for your budget give me a call and we can talk through some ideas.
