Anything that involves money can be a touchy subject. Budget and price are two very different things and are often misunderstood.
If you’re having any work done in your home, you will have done a bit of research on how much it’s going to cost and will therefore have a bit of an idea of the price. Whether you’re speaking to a plumber, an electrician, a builder, or a landscaper, about a quote, they will more than likely ask you your budget for the project quite early on. What’s the difference between budget and price? Let’s read on to find out.
Budget vs Price
Budget and price. The two are related when it comes to financial matters but they are quite different in their meaning.
- Budget – this is the amount of funds you have available for your project. The maximum you want to spend. You know what you have in the bank or what you can borrow if you’ve chosen to finance the project in some way.
- Price – this is what’s charged for the project. Your landscaper will provide a quote for the overall price that they need to charge you. This could include labour, materials, waste disposal, delivery costs, insurance etc.
Should I share my budget with my landscaper?
As landscapers, we’d say without hesitation, yes!
Sharing your budget is so helpful for both you and your contractor. But, at the same time, we understand why people are hesitant to give away this information.
“They’ll just make the price equal to whatever my budget is.”
Not true. At least, it’s not how we work anyway. 😊
If you’ve done your homework and found a reputable contractor to quote, they’ll use the information to help you get the best with your budget. Taking your ideas and coming up with products and a plan that meet your vision and budget.
“Do you have a budget in mind?”
This is one of the questions we ask on our appointment booking form. We have various price bracket options available and an ‘other’ field for people who prefer to give more detail. We get a variety of answers. Here are just a few….
“Not sure how much this will cost.”
“No idea of the price.”
“Will discuss at a later date.”
“Just gathering ideas for now.”
Now we’ve touched on the difference between budget and price, you can probably see why these answers might be frustrating. Contractors aren’t asking whether you know the price, they’re asking how much you might like to spend. We give our time, usually for free, to come out and compile a quote. By not sharing your budget and answering similarly to the above it may suggest that….
- you’ve not done any research
- you haven’t considered the work involved
- you might not be able to fund the project
- you’re not committed or have no intention of starting any work and it’s likely going to be a waste of our time and yours
Even if you’re unsure of the exact amount the project will cost, only you have an idea of what you have available to invest in it. For most work, a landscaper will know whether the budget matches the work involved and can tell you right from the start. There’s no point in them visiting your home, with no idea of the scope of the work and the budget available as it could be a complete waste of everyone’s time.
What will affect the price of my landscaping?
It’s a great idea to do some research on the type of work you’re looking to obtain quotes for. This should give you a rough idea of what it might cost and help you decide whether a) you can afford the work and b) whether there are alternatives you could look at.
This doesn’t necessarily mean looking for cheaper products either! For example, you want a new patio and your research shows that Indian sandstone will be under the budget you have in mind. It could mean that you can afford to switch it up to a porcelain patio or maybe include something else you thought you’d miss out on, a gazebo or a new shed maybe.
Don’t just look at the cost of the finish! This is where we find people are shocked. They’ve looked online and seen paving for say £35 per square metre but then they receive a quote for way over this amount. There’s a lot more to it than the cost of the actual paving.
The overall price of the work will be affected by…..
- the products used
- access to the work area
- the amount of spoil to be removed
- what sub base materials is needed
- the method of installation
- finishing products if required – e.g. paving grout, decking oil, decorative gravel etc
Reasons to tell your landscaper your budget
Trades and clients all hate talking about money. Fact! But, discussing the budget from the start will help them make suggestions and ensure that you get the best version possible for your money!
Nobody likes to feel like they’re wasting their time. Sharing your budget from the off will show your landscaper that you’re committed, you’ve thought about it and that you’re realistic about the work and its cost.
You might think “What’s the big deal? They’ll only be here five minutes.”
That five minutes is
- half an hour each way plus the cost of fuel (it might also cost them in congestion charges depending on whereabouts in the UK you are)
- being late home and missing the kids going to bed
- working out the area for each part of the project
- calculating the depth of excavation required
- calculating the tonnage of spoil to be removed
- calculating the tonnage of hardcore to be brought in
- calculating the amount of sand and cement needed
- phone calls and emails to suppliers to get a quote for materials
- obtaining samples if you’ve requested them
The list goes on. So, that five minutes to quote, is realistically a few hours.
Why it helps to share
In the past, we’ve had clients book an appointment and straight away it’s clear that we’re not going to be able to help. We can tell them that straight away and it saves everyone from wasting time.
For example, a client would like a 150m2 garden fully landscaped with porcelain paving, composite decking and fencing, a gazebo and artificial grass for a budget of £7000. Unfortunately, it’s never going to happen and we may as well be completely upfront about that.
This isn’t us being grouchy and, if you already know us, you’ll know that. We’re just trying to help people understand the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes for many different tradespeople. 😊 We’re very lucky in that the majority of people who contact us, are genuine and have come to us on a recommendation. There are, sadly, people out there who aren’t so genuine. They’ll happily book an appointment and waste our time just so they can find out what their neighbour has paid for their garden. Trust me, it happens!
Why trust Kettlewell Groundworks with your landscaping budget?
Richard and Becky began Kettlewell Groundworks in 2018 and have over 25 years of industry experience. Once you get to know us, you’ll see that our main aim is to make sure that you get the best end result possible. We’ve created some stunning gardens and driveways for clients across West Yorkshire. Happy clients, many of them inviting us back for more than one project. Clients who are more than happy to recommend us to their friends and family.
We’re not about pricing to or exceeding your budget, though sometimes this is unavoidable and we’ll make alternative suggestions.
We like to challenge ourselves to come in under budget without compromising on quality.
If you’ve got a garden or driveway project in mind, we’d love to chat some more about your ideas so why not give us a call on 01274 981995?
Or, if you already know what you want, you can book an appointment at www.kettlewellgroundworks.co.uk/contact-us and we’ll be happy to pop out and see you.
