We often need professional assistance with projects in and around the house and finding the right contractor for the job can be a rather daunting experience.
There are many talented contractors out there willing to assist you. Finding the right contractor for the right job can be a real investment with great returns on your investment. Finding the wrong contractor can be rather disastrous.
There is an Afrikaans saying: “Goedkoop koop is duur koop”, which refers to the cheapest purchase being the most expensive one. This is often true, especially when selecting the cheapest quotation.
The combination involves inferior products and inexperienced contract workers and may lead to more of a headache than anything else. Always compare apples to apples as the saying goes and remember that you often get what you pay for.
This is especially true within the gardening and landscaping industry where someone with an LDV (bakkie) and a bit of plant knowledge now becomes an expert garden service contractor or garden designer.
I often get consulted to remedy situations created by unqualified contractors. Gardening needs not to be a guessing situation where tasks are performed on a trial and error basis.
Improper maintenance practices can lead to weed infested lawns, incorrect plant growth, unhealthy plants and many other gardening nuisance situations. These may take several months to rectify.
A problem that I have with many (not all) garden services is that they undercut each other in their pricing and need to hit a property with their team and then run to the next property in order to make a living.
Flowerbeds often get bigger and lawns smaller and what used to be a straight garden edging, now becomes a curved line.
Permanently constructed features and the planting of plants require proper design considerations for long-term benefits. Someone who has a love for plants is not necessarily a good garden designer but might be good in caring for them.
It is advisable to find the right person for the right job – often resulting in utilising more than one professional rather than a Jack of all trades and master of none (or one).
It is difficult to find a reputable contractor and a word-of-mouth approach with a lead from friends and relatives might be the safest option.
Anyone can print photos off the internet and claim to be the proud owners of such jobs. Ask for references to safeguard yourself and make sure you have more than just a cellphone number of the contractor before any payments are made.
An office in a public space or home address of the contractor is rather welcome in giving one peace of mind in case something goes wrong. Social media can also give great credibility to a contractor.
Professional, trustworthy, experienced and knowledgeable contractors are waiting to assist you. Remember that not all contractors are the same.
Article written by David Viljoen.
