boost said:
hi, we just our garden landscaped and got a few quotes, we got them through yellow pages ads. The cheapest was €7500 but then a guy recommended someone who did an exellent job. I doubt he met all of oirish's criteria but he did a tidy and neat job for €4900. The point im makin is that get recommendations from friends and neighbours and ask about their experiences of these companies and you could save yourself a few quid like us- the price of a nice holiday in fact!!
Boost - maybe you were lucky to get value for 4900 but if your garden is nice I'd really think the 7900 is superb - not more expensive. Its sound like going into a car dealer and asking for a car one offers you a Lada and the other offers you a Ford Focus. Who's the rip off ???
as to quote some of what I said yesterday....
Anybody can give a cheaper quotation and as a landscape designer/ contractor this really gets my goat on two levels
1. the contractor gives no spec. and the client does not know what exactly s/he is getting.client can get ripped off without knowing
2.someone asks for 3 quotes and none of them sing from the same hymn sheet!
no price can ever be the same unless a landscape architect is involved or the spec drawn up is given to each contractor.
I really dont know if anybody would ask for a price to get a new house built without a more detailed spec and accept that as a pricing structure and in no other trade would it happen.
Please - the amount of calls we get to our office to rectify projects or to consult where this has happened. Most of the associations companies may even give free telephone advice [rather than too much neighbourly advice].
Regarding the 3 quotes!!! be very careful - the last article i wrote ended with cheaper can often be more tearful than cheerful. I think that will sum up my frustrations for tonight and
I am sure there are lots of you who have horror stories!
AAM is a great place to ask all of your questions or queries but sometimes you need to be site specific. [sorry AAM] as not all gardens can be the same. Keep the queries coming and as best I / any other amply qualified AAM monitor/ horticulturist can advise all.
Its been a long day for me alone personally where one person handed over 3k to a no show four months ago. The second was given a price of €8k for a €4.2k lawn and the third cant see out her back window.
Slan agus beannacht
ps. in no way am I saying your contractor is a bad person.
ps2 cheers lala and good luck to the hubby - weathers not too good at the mo' for us.