Benefits of an Outdoor Living Design/Build Firm

Posted February 7, 2019 in Landscape Design

Standing at the mailbox, looking at your home, are you in love with your curb appeal?  Setting the dinner table, catching a glance into your backyard, can you say that you are truly in love with your outdoor living space?  As homeowners, our primary focus is always on the inside and understandably so.  Your home is where you spend most of your time and you want to make sure that each room has been carefully crafted and is comfortable.  But when the warmer months come along, you crave the fresh air and your family longs to be outside…does your backyard check all the boxes for functionality, entertainment and relaxation?

Exploring your options to transform your outdoor living spaces will come around once, maybe twice in a lifetime.  It is super important that you trust in the right professionals to accomplish your outdoor living goals, but which are the right professionals?  While most outdoor contractors have a sole focus, i.e.-carpenters can build a beautiful deck or a hardscaper can provide a lovely paver patio, a Design/Build firm focuses on the outdoor living space as a whole and can easily design and build a plan that fits all of your needs while keeping the integrity of your home’s architecture.

For those who are exploring their options to obtain the perfect backyard, here are a few key points as to why a design/build firm could be the right fit…

Creation

Chances are you may already have a general idea of what you want to do with your outdoor living space, but you just can’t imagine how it will all fit together and make sense.  This is where a design/build professional can start to add benefit to your project.  Specializing in full-color 3D modeling, MasterPLAN understands the importance of an immersive design experience, allowing everyone to view a plan equally without any creative or imagination barriers, as often experienced in typical 2D design work.  Being able to digitally “walk through” a custom outdoor living space, clients can easily distinguish property measurements as well as how all desired features will look and function in unison before making any construction commitments.  3D imagery is a powerful tool, not just for the designer and clients, but for local municipalities and construction teams alike.  Evolving from creative design development, clients will find that design/build firms tend to simplify processes and decrease construction anxieties in the most unassuming ways.

Project Management and Communication

Time and time again, we come across clients that expressed their frustration with past renovation projects, both indoors and out.  From contractors that didn’t produce as promised, who weren’t as tidy as they should have been, completely busted a budget, or just couldn’t be contacted, a lack of communication is one of the easiest ways to sour any working relationship.

A backyard transformation has a lot of moving parts and if a homeowner chooses to manage the project themselves, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and irritated.  As an outdoor living design/build firm, MasterPLAN makes great effort to have our project management be an enjoyable experience and our communications like a breath of fresh air to our clients.  Excelling in full project management is an immense benefit in regard to overseeing each department directly working with a client’s project: designers, civil and structural engineers, office staff, the construction crew…etc.  Having one or two team members to rely on daily or weekly for progress reports or questions eliminates the stress of not fully understanding what is happening at your home, as you will always be kept in the loop.  An open, honest and transparent communication is the best way to build trust and a wonderful working relationship!

Scheduling

Communication is also key when it comes to scheduling the work to be done at a client’s home.  Homeowners that piecemeal and project manage themselves will also need to act as the conduit between each trade on site, and this will certainly eat up a lot of valuable time.  Miscommunication or disagreements between designers and contractors can lead to serious slowdowns, project delays and quite possibly a loss of creative vision.  However, when working with a design/build firm, everyone is on the same team, understanding the project and their role in that project as a whole    This pleasant and concise work environment translates to smoother projects, enjoyable experiences, and faster timelines that should ultimately preserve the budget.

Synergy and Investment

This same sentiment leads us to our last benefit, synergy and investment.  When all key players, from the offices to the jobsites, know each other and work together on a steady basis, a lighter work environment and mutual respect are formed, and all teams can work as one.  During construction, if issues were to arise, solutions from a design/build firm are often recognized and implemented a lot quicker than if one company had to call another company who had to consult the designer, who had to talk to the engineer…etc.  Design/build firms work closely with their engineers to ensure that projects are feasible, planned properly and to code.  This close relationship eliminates many unneeded or superfluous change orders, which keeps the budget expectations in check.

All home improvement renovations come with their own set of challenges, but design/build firms aim to take the burden off the homeowner’s shoulders and under their professional wing.  In the grand scheme of things, negotiating multiple contracts and trying to juggle creative, logistical, organizational and emotional challenges can become a huge inconvenience and headache, so keep in mind that investing in a design/build firm’s services is well worth it.

Being able to create beautiful outdoor living plan that extends a family’s livable space and enjoyment of their property is MasterPLAN Outdoor Living’s passion and purpose.  From the first initial design meeting to the final walkthrough of your completed backyard transformation, we would love to partner with you to experience this journey together.  When you are ready to open a conversation about uncovering the true potential for your property, reach out to MasterPLAN, we would love to welcome you into the family!

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