Have you decided that you’re going to have that outdoor space designed and built that you’ve been dreaming about? If so, this is a really exciting time and you have a lot to look forward to. Soon, you’ll be able to see those ideas become a reality as your space takes shape.
Of course, a vital step in the process of bringing your outdoor dreams to life is going through the landscape design process.
The landscape design is ultimately going to serve as the plans that take your idea from being something that lives inside of your head to something that you can actually spend time in and enjoy.
If you’ve scheduled a landscape design consultation, then you might be looking for ways that you can prepare for that meeting. We love that you want to ensure you’re getting the maximum benefit out of your meeting with a landscape designer.
That’s why we’ve rounded up some steps you can take to prepare for your landscape design consultation. After all, your time is valuable and we understand that you want to use it wisely.
Here are 3 steps to prepare for a landscape design consultation in Northern Virginia.
1. Think About Your Landscape Wants
When thinking about a landscape project, everyone has a list of things that they think they want, but they may not have thought them through. It’s really helpful to spend some time thinking about these things in advance of meeting with a landscape designer. You don’t necessarily need to know every single feature that you’d want to add to the space, but it definitely helps to have an idea of what you’re leaning toward.
It is going to be impossible for your landscape designer to guess what you truly want out of the space if you don’t express it so it’s incredibly beneficial for everyone if you speak up about your opinions and preferences.
One way to get ideas is to look at photos from places like Houzz, Pinterest, or various magazines.
You might also want to check out our Gallery.
As you look at landscaping images and develop a clearer idea of what you’re looking for, ask yourself some of the following questions:
- What do I gravitate toward really liking in these photos?
- What do I really dislike?
- What features would make me spend more time outside?
- What style fulfills my personal interest?
- Do I have any vested interest in specific plant material?
- Are there colors I love or really hate?
- How will the space be used?
- How many people will use the space?
All of these questions are important when it comes to thinking through what would make for a dream outdoor living area for you. It will end up being a waste of your time if your landscape designer comes up with a design that uses colors you really dislike or goes in a different style direction than you feel suits you.
It makes a lot more sense to be as clear as possible from the start so that you are moving closer to your dream design after the initial landscape design consultation.
2. Think About Your Landscape Needs
Of course, in addition to “wants,” everyone has what they would consider “needs” with an outdoor living space, too. These would be your “must-haves.” In other words, the aspects of the project that you aren’t willing to compromise on.
Say, for instance, that your entire outdoor living dream is based around having a pool. The swimming pool would be a must-have. But maybe additional features like an outdoor kitchen are desirable but not your top priority. If this isn’t in the immediate budget, you might even talk to your landscape designer about planning for them in a phased way.
We have completed projects in more than one phase in which we add the additional features at a later date. But it’s incredibly important to plan for these items from the start so that you don’t have to completely tear up your space down the road.
As you plan for a landscape design consultation be prepared to share what parts of the project are must-haves so that they are part of the landscape design no matter what.
3. Consider Your Landscape Budget
Budget is one of those topics that people tend to not want to talk about. Sometimes instead of giving us a landscape design budget, they’ll say: “Tell me what it would cost.” But it’s really helpful to have at least some idea of your budget range as this is going to drive the design possibilities.
Landscape designs must work within the confines of the budget. There are different choices that can be made based on budget, so having this information upfront is pretty critical.
We understand that most people begin the landscape design process without any idea as to how much things cost. That is understandable if you have never been through a process like this before. But by giving your landscape designer at least a range of what you’d like to spend, that allows them to design something that will meet your wants, your needs, and your budget.
The last thing that you want is to find out after you’ve seen your dream Northern Virginia landscape design that it’s way more than you’re willing or able to spend.
Getting Ready for a Landscape Design Consultation
Hopefully, these three steps will help simplify the process of preparing for a landscape design consultation. At Rock Water Farm in Northern Virginia, our design process is fairly in-depth and actually includes more than one meeting.
Here is a brief summary of what you can expect from our design process.
Initial Consultation
The initial landscape design consultation is what we’ve been talking about in this article. This is where we’ll start talking about your wants, needs, and get a ballpark idea of what you are willing to spend.
It can be helpful to share some of the photos that you’ve looked at during your preparation phase. It will also be very helpful to share some of the answers to the questions that we asked in step one. We want to get all of your preferences and get an idea of who you are and what you love.
While it is sometimes overlooked for the initial meeting, having all the decision-makers in the household present during the initial consultation is incredibly important.
As we discuss ideas and devise an initial plan, it is vital that everyone is on the same page. In the past, we’ve found that times when we have met with just one of the decision-makers of the household and come back with a design, it has been rejected by the decision-maker that was not initially present.
Sending us back to the drawing board is a waste of your time and we’ve found it much more prudent to have everyone available together.
Follow-Up Consultation
At this design meeting, we will have a conceptual design to show you and then we’ll dive deeper into whether this hit the mark or what changes might need to be made. You might think of it as fine-tuning the design.
This is why having all decision-makers present at the first meeting is so important. If they hate this design, then it means starting over and setting the project back.
At this follow-up consultation, we’ll also really dive into the budget and give you an approximate cost for your ideas.
Final Landscape Design Consultation
At this point, everything is already fine-tuned and we have an actual cost for you based upon your decisions at the last meeting.
At Rock Water Farm in Northern Virginia, we don’t charge for design work (except for cases where it’s incredibly in-depth) but we do retain the design. If you’re interested in moving forward, this is the time when we will take a deposit and enter into a contractual agreement. After that is complete, we will give you a copy of the design for your records.
We Take Landscape Design Seriously Because We Take Your Project Seriously
As you can tell, our design process is pretty in-depth. We take landscape design seriously because we want your finished project to be everything you dreamed it would be.
While this is how our process works, it’s important to recognize that not all landscape designers in Northern VA are going to be so tuned into these ideas. That’s because not all designers work this closely with their clients. But you want a company that is going to help make the process as smooth as possible for you while also ensuring that no detail is overlooked.
When it comes to something as valuable as your total outdoor living space, the last thing that you want is to leave it to chance. You want to be able to feel fully confident that your ideas are coming to life exactly the way that you want them to. That means working with a landscape designer that you can trust and who will be there for you every step of the way.
Are you ready to get started on the outdoor living space of your dreams at your Haymarket, Gainesville, or Round Hill, VA home? If so, talk to an expert, choose a solution that rocks, and get ready to see your dreams begin to take shape!
