Why money talks and why we need to talk about it
Us Brits are renowned for our awkwardness and embarrassment when it comes to money talk. But, money talks and one of the biggest conundrums we face at Isola Garden Design is having the ‘money talk’.
Many clients or prospective clients either don’t want to reveal their budget to us, which we understand (money talk isn’t our favourite part of the job either), or they simply don’t know what’s a realistic budget and therefore haven’t one in mind. But this can lead to a considerable cost to our effectiveness, their purse strings and client satisfaction.
How we work
Once we’ve taken the clients’ initial enquiry, we arrange a consultation at their home to carry out a site analysis and determine their requirements. At this stage we need to have the preliminary ‘money talk’ in order to allow our client to make an informed decision about their investment before commissioning us to produce a design. Let’s face it, there’s little point in paying for a garden design if there’s not the budget to build.
If the client decides to work with us we arrange for one of our garden designers to meet with them to take a comprehensive brief. We then go away and set the thinking cogs in motion. We spend time researching, designing concepts and creating mood boards to include the types of plants, materials, garden layout, land forming requirements (levelling, raising, combatting waterlogging etc.) and overall look and feel.
Our concepts are always entirely tailored to our client’s individual needs and garden formation, so there’s no design template, they’re all devised from scratch with a lot of creativity and skill.
A typical brief
Our clients’ briefs hugely vary (we love hearing all the fabulous ideas and personal visions people have for their gardens). A typical brief could be a “complete redesign of rear garden with a contemporary feel, outdoor kitchen and firepit with two seating areas (one for daytime relaxation and one for evening dining/hosting friends).”
They can be very brief or very detailed, some may have a clear vision and others want us to create one, but either way, we need at least a guide on budget.
Budget guide
Just like buying a car, there are different specs for each model. A more simplistic spec all the way up to one with all the bells and whistles, it’s usually the budget that dictates which one you choose.
When designing your garden, the same principles apply. We understand that not all clients want to reveal their budget upfront, however, discussing figures in the early stages is essential for us to provide you with a realistic design that meets your brief, expectations and budget. With a clear steer on budget we are well placed to advise you if certain creative decisions may affect your anticipated spend when it comes to installation and realising the vision.
Following your comprehensive brief, your actual project cost will be determined.
In the absence of a realistic budget guide we will produce a design that meets a clients’ brief that could exceed the unrevealed budget for installation. In the event of any significant design amends that result from this, our client will be charged for time spent accordingly.
An Isola client
We’re extremely fortunate to work with lovely clients, who we get to know well and often keep in touch with (we offer an aftercare service for those of our clients’ who want ongoing maintenance to keep their investment looking its best). Our clients’ see their garden as an investment opportunity and often have specific needs they want their garden to fulfil.
Ready to invest?
We pride ourselves on our luxury, professional offering and our portfolio showcases our work. If you’re looking to transform your garden into the perfect outside space, then get in touch to discuss how we can make your investment worthwhile. We’d love to hear from you!