Tips to improve the home improvement for the summer of 2024
Now take some time to get your home back in shape before the summer season officially arrives.
- Before the start of a renovation, it is important to know which permits from your city are needed and what the zoning provisions are
- Many landscape architects provide a cost estimate for their renovation of their garden and offer options at various prices
It is something special to reject yourself and comfortably relax in your own back yard. And since we spend more time outside, some people can make itchy to finally turn their place into the oasis of their dreams.
But while extensive terraces with patterned lounge chairs, elaborate kitchens with built-in pizza ovens and roaring fireplaces sound good, the process of achieving this achievement sounds more complicated than it seems.
“These living spaces in the back yard are a big investment. It is important that people carry out their due diligence and try to achieve as much knowledge as possible about the process and the available options so that they feel safe,” said Thomas Flint, owner of Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Custom Pools. “In this way, when everything is said and done, there is no remorse of the buyer.”
If you have the urge to carry out a large backyard upgrade -something that goes beyond planting new flowers and adding fresh mulch -you need to know.
Create a comprehensive plan
Rich Cording Sr., owner of CLC Landscape Design based in Ringwood, said that the most important part of the upgrade of your back boom is to develop a thorough and comprehensive plan.
For this purpose, he said it was important to consult a licensed landscape architect, since they are trained to know all of them in and outs that the average person may not be able to do. This not only refers to the actual appearance of the room, but also to the function of the room.
“I can't tell you how often someone builds something and then he thinks that there is no room to go,” he said. “One of the things we have trained as landscape architects is to define rooms, and then we connect these rooms with the right traffic patterns.”
Similarly, Cording said that most people are not aware of the regulations – permits, zoning regulations and rainwater management – which they have to follow to complete these projects. These things and cases in which an engineer is needed can be identified and treated by a landscape architect.
According to Cording, it offers free consultations and incoming paid consultations and creates a master plan for the project that fixes these regulations and converts the design of the project.
This was reproduced by Flint, who said he followed a similar process. For the design part, he said that he focuses on getting an understanding of what the lifestyle of its customers is and for what they want to use their outdoor area. They also take into account future plans for the property, such as B. the construction of a garage or the addition that you have to take into account.
“It is a really intimate and close experience. It is something in which you need a lot of trust and really good open communication,” said Flint. “This is so much more than the terrace or the material. The process of preserving is extremely important.”
Develop budget
Both coding and Flint said that they rarely get customers who have a complete understanding of what they want and how much it will cost them. A majority of people come to them without taking into account a budget.
While it is difficult to get a precise estimate for what a project will cost, you can consult several experts to better understand what to expect.
“We will meet with someone, make a brief assessment of your property, get an understanding of what you are looking for and offer a budget proposal. It is not a sales tool or a contract or an obligation to buy,” said Flint. “It is nothing more than a document in which it is described which potential costs for your project are based on previous projects that we have carried out that had similarities.”
Coding said that in his case he likes to provide customers with two sketches: one that is valuable and contains one with all “frills”.
He said that he usually gives customers options that fall under a variety of prices. For example, if a customer searches for a fireplace, he shows him several examples between 500 and 10,000 US dollars.
“We will show you several options,” said Coding. “We have the people start with these grandiose visions, but we can show you various options that meet your budget.”
The coding also emphasized that advising a landscape architect does not automatically mean that the costs for the completion of this project are becoming more expensive. He said they take the time to understand a customer's expectations to ensure that they stick to their budget.
Understand Timeline
Depending on what you want to do, the timeline for updating your living space can vary very different. So it is good not to have any big expectations when it comes to.
The coding states that small projects, especially those that do not require permits, can usually be completed within one month. For medium -sized projects that are those who require permission, however, more than two to three months usually last because the approval is required.
And for large jobs, including those that require permits and engineering, he said that it can take between six and nine months before they can officially break the ground.
“What we do for many of these projects is to offer people a lifestyle. It changes the way they live. They do things that they have never considered before,” said Flint. “And until you go through this process and come out on the other side, you do not recognize what you gain through these living space outdoors.”
Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter of Northjersey.com and the record that covers everything it is worth living in North Jersey. Find them on Instagram @maddiemcgay, To X @Maddiemcgayyand register for you North Jersey Living Newsletter. Do you have a tip, a trend or a great house that you should know? E -mail you Mmcgay@gannett.com.