The Six Secrets Of A Successful Landscape Lighting Project

The Six Secrets Of A Successful Landscape Lighting Project

By Mike Gambino 

Home improvement work is one of the most stressful endeavors that one can undertake.  Home improvement projects require an investment of both time and financial resources.  Nevertheless, each year, millions of people want and need to improve their homes and properties.  Often, selling their home and moving is just not feasible, time or cost effective.  Remodeling, Improving IS the answer.  However; you do not want to become a victim of a “home improvement nightmare.”  You’ve heard time and again from friends and relatives, “Expect a nightmare. It will cost twice as much and take three times as long.”  It does not need to be that way!

You can find an honest, reliable home improvement expert by following the steps below.

After almost 40 years in the home improvement business, 27 years in landscape lighting,  I’ve seen it all!  Here are secrets to a successful home improvement project.  So, there you have it: Six Secrets to Successful Landscape lighting. I’m confident that if you follow these Seven Secrets, you’ll increase your chances of landscape lighting success one hundred fold.

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Secret #1:  Have A Plan

Would you go off on a long expensive vacation without first planning your trip and taking along a road map?  Of course not!  To do so would be a disaster.  Your trip would be full of unwelcome surprises and expensive changes.  Home improvement projects are the same way.  I’ve always said “anything carefully planned, properly executed, will be a success.”  A great design build partner helps you figure out what you want BEFORE you start by putting it down on paper and in the plan.  Professional designing with attention to the details will ensure that your project is on time, on budget, and beautiful!

Secret #2:  Don’t Start Until You Have Everything

Picture this – your landscape contractor demolishes the yard. The whole job is supposed to be finished in a month. Three weeks later you’re still trying to get him back.  His answer to you (when you finally manage to get him on his cell phone) is that he got busy on another project and he will be back in a few weeks.  He further informs you that the trees he wants to use for your project are unavailable and the job is now delayed 4 to 6 weeks. As a result your landscape lighting contractor must be informed that your project is off the schedule. Not a good scenario as it affects everyone down the line mostly the project yourself.  Unfortunately, this is all too often a real scenario.  You want and need a Contractor who will order all the required products, get them in, and make certain they are the right color, not broken and fit together properly before scheduling your job.  Never let anyone tear up your property until everything you need to keep the job on time and running smoothly is delivered and on site.  Ensure your Contractor will show you by day, by activity, by whom, what will be performed.  There are no surprises.  You should know exactly what’s going on each and every day.

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Secret #3:  Expand Your Definition Of Cost

Initial price gives only a narrow view of the true cost of a home improvement project over the lifetime of your home.  A low price may mean a good deal, or it may signify a lack of quality or durability.  Or it may mean that some design, materials, or building costs are not included in the price.  A higher purchase price can mean a better deal in the long run: you can actually reduce the cost of living in your home by choosing quality resource-efficient fixtures (lowering monthly utility bills) and durable materials (requiring less frequent costly replacement and maintenance).

The only thing that making a decision on bid price alone guarantees is that you will never operate by lowest total cost.  In all cases where the lowest or lower bid is declared the winner, you can safely conclude that you are dealing with seriously misguided companies and builders.  There is no such thing as a commodity in the real world of home improvement, remodeling and building.  This fact is so obvious and proven in everyday experience that it is bewildering that the low-bid or lower-bid approach still exists.  There is simply no better way to sabotage quality and your budget than hiring someone on price alone.

Think about it . . . when you’re looking at 2-3 different proposals for landscape lighting, how much do you personally know from decades of hands on experience which is correct and why?

Secret #4:  Let Your Contractor Purchase The Materials

You can save a few bucks if you buy products online. The problem is that most homeowners don’t know what to buy, what goes with and fits with what or how much to buy. Making a mistake in product procurement takes a great deal of responsibility out of the hands of the contractor not to mention the inevitable blame game that can ensue if something goes wrong. Do you really have time to go back and forth from to return the wrong thing and get the right one . . . five times!

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Secret #5:  Hire Experience – True Real Experience

The home improvement and construction industry is full of “Jacks of All Trades.”  You wouldn’t hire a barber to perform brain surgery so why would you hire a plumber to remodel your bathroom or a company that builds patio covers to construct a landscape lighting system?  Hiring someone who specializes in your type of project increases the experience level which leads to a much higher quality project, a more efficient and timely project and a higher level of product and design knowledge.  When you hire a Contractor, make sure they have at least 25 years of proven hands-on experience – experience working on the job, not someone managing from behind a desk or selling.  The best Contractors are those that continue to physically perform fixture installation, wire connecting, transformer balancing etc. regardless of their years in business.  Although physically demanding, it keeps them fresh and up-to-date.  It’s these types of Contractors who really understand and know their business as they physically do it every day – they know what they are talking about and not just pushing a pencil.

Think about it for a moment.  Do you want to discuss and then sign a contract to build or remodel your home with a salesperson or with the Contractor personally?  Do you really think a salesperson knows the intricacies and details of building and installation . . . or are they merely interested in getting your business along with lots of expensive change orders after the project starts?  Remember, almost all salespeople earn their living from commissions – the more revenue they generate the more money they make.  Compare this to the actual Contractor who signs a contract with you.  Once you agree on the price – that’s it!  There should not be a change order unless you add or subtract something after the contract is signed.

The actual responsible licensed Contractor, from day one, from the first meeting, should be your primary contact.  The truly professional Contractor, who physically works on your job every day, knows what their talking about.  Only this type of Contractor can answer your questions and concerns with confidence!  These Contractors are few, but they are worth their weight in gold.

You want the Contractor’s team to be very experienced – not one that consists of day labors, journeymen, and people who are dropped off in the morning whom you can’t even communicate with.  The Contractor who only shows up when it’s time to get paid or mails an invoice is worthless.  The really good Contractors have a team where each member has years of experience as craftsman in their trade.  Don’t trust your home or hard earned dollars to anyone or anything else! 

Secret #6:  Hire A Professional.  All Companies Are Not The Same Or Equal

Home improvements are one of the largest investments you can make in your life and home. Home improvements also provide some of the highest returns on investment.  For example, a properly constructed home improvement or remodel can return over the invested value. A well designed and constructed home improvement can return more than invested.  In contrast, a poorly constructed and designed project can create damage that far exceeds the savings you thought you had enjoyed by hiring “the guy your friend used to paint his house.”  Only an experienced contractor with decades of hands on experience is truly familiar with construction and what can and cannot be done.  The best way to protect your assets and your personal belongings is to hire an experienced, licensed and insured contractor to build your project.  Make sure there is a contract professionally developed that lists and describes EXACTLY what you are getting.  Your Contractor should provide you with consistent, pain-free, high quality results.

facebook logoThis landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all 20160627_004632146_iOSrights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 25 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.Gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please  click here .

Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.

 

 

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