If you want a special outdoor area that adds property value and will extend your living space, it pays to hire a landscaping architect instead of attempting to do it yourself. Redesigning an outdoor space can increase property values up to 10% and typically holds value even more than indoor improvements. Landscape architects train for years to design meaningful and useful spaces that enhance the environment and their expertise will make a sizable impact on how well your project turns out.
4 Reasons to Hire a Landscaping Architect
Licensed Professionals
A landscaping architect is uniquely skilled in multiple disciplines. They’re equal parts engineers, artists, horticulture experts, and designers who extend your living space without adding square footage. The Landscape Architect education program requires at least a 4-year degree, plus 1-2 years apprenticeship, followed by passing a rigorous 5-part, 20-hour examination before applying for a state license. By the time they finish the extensive education process, landscape architects are trained in the design and construction of patios, arbors, pools, fountains, retaining walls, lighting, irrigation, and more.
Budget Expertise
Professionals who work with materials, contractors, and plans every day have an advantage over a DIY homeowner. They have the expertise to estimate a project budget and the relationships to secure the best construction team. With an understanding of the owner’s priorities, they can design the project in stages to phase it out over a few years with logical and cohesive plans. A seasoned landscaping architect can help you avoid common pitfalls of attempting big projects and optimize it for the best outcome.
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Another advantage of working with a professional architecture is that it will cost you less because they have some of the materials needed for the job. Compared to landscaping by yourself, you will have to spend a lot of money on tools and other fittings. Another disadvantage of that is, you may not be able to get everything you need leading you to improvise leaving your landscape looking like it has been worked on by an amateur.
Deliver a Complete and Cohesive Vision
After assessing the property as a whole, a skilled landscaping architect will deliver a proposal that considers your wish list along with soil conditions, elevation changes, interior to exterior transitions and more. You’ll receive a plan that is environmentally sustainable and attractive by including features like permeable paving to redirect flooding, tree placement that lowers energy bills, and manageable maintenance. The investment adds to your property value and makes it more attractive to prospective buyers.
A good architecture will own the right technology that allows them to provide a rendering of what your landscape will look like in the end. A good architect should be able to do this because it gives you a clear picture of what to expect. Also, it allows you to make any changes or contribute to the idea.
Specialized Tools and Training
Design professionals have tools and training that simply aren’t available to homeowners doing DIY projects. Hiring a landscape architect means you can be confident your project will have detailed blueprints and precise construction plans that meet building codes. Architects use sophisticated landscape design software to accurately calculate the materials needed to build a design, including price estimates, so you have a dependable estimate of the area, perimeter, and square footage.
You will, however, want to ensure that you reach out to a genuine company because there are fakes out there. Apart from visiting the website of the company you want to contract, you need to go deeper to find some of the clients that have used their services before. Also, you will want to avoid a landscaping company that is willing to do your work at the lowest rates possible. That is because it’s one of the tricks used by malicious people to get you to pay faster.
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Homeowners who would never consider building a home without an architect and detailed plans often assume they can wing it when it comes to landscaping because they’re in the backyard. Nothing could be further from the truth. Landscape architects take into consideration the engineering realities of a project and use their extensive education and training to deliver an artistic vision that DIYers just can’t match. Don’t try to do a project of this magnitude on your own. Engage the services of a qualified expert to redesign your outdoor living area and benefit from the increased property value. You’ll end up with a useful and meaningful space that enhances and complements the rest of your home.
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Sources: Landscape Architect
