Garden landscaper offer ok or rather totally exaggerated?

Sometimes I think this thread is comedy or the OP wants to fool someone.

The question Why also constantly pops up in my head.

Why do I tell the competitor to create a comparative offer? It would be better to let him make an offer based on facts.

Why does the landscape gardener first say that a pool and lighting concept would be included at that price? We're talking about approximately 70,000 euros, more than half of the offer value that is now missing?

Why do I feel the craftsmen like to lead the robber by the nose?

I don’t know, but I’m sorry for you, because I believe your naivety and negotiation skills are gladly exploited.

This is about an amount of over €100k and you don’t get any comparative offer(s!) because the offering preparer might not be amused and "closes the gates"?

I have the feeling you haven’t read the posts properly. Why wouldn’t I get a comparative offer? I already wrote that I’m on it and trying to get some. I am proceeding exactly as you described.

Take the offer, strike out the prices, keep the quantities and use that as a basis to approach other providers. Then you’ll get a real comparison.

The problem is, as I already wrote, to even get a comparative offer.

Then someone who also installs gardens for normal earners should be able to manage that.

If you can name someone who has verifiable references and can realize this, just bring them on. Because that’s exactly what it’s about.

Just the story with the landscaping contractor, first bragging loudly about the pool, lighting, etc. all being included in that amount, and now nothing of it being there, makes me doubt a bit whether he can calculate even slightly

I will question that again precisely. Surely the large slabs are a contributing factor, I believe the stairs in the garden cost about €15,000, I don’t know how he estimated everything at the beginning. Someone on site who took a look said that with what we want we’re about €300,000. But he doesn’t have a good reputation locally and we didn’t want him.

You yourself now say that what’s offered is nothing special.

I wouldn’t say it like that. And we also don’t want someone we end up in court with. We have special things planned like for example stair steps with risers made of Corten steel and steps made of concrete stone.

These are not minor items that are missing.

I told him from the beginning that the pool we want will probably alone cost €100,000. And we’ll build it sometime, just not today or tomorrow.

For this property – and the well-known gala provider with the green river name – I would not advise 100x100x8 concrete stone slabs but rather Bergischer Grauwacke with the big “Q” in the name.

I just looked into it; we’re sticking with our slabs.

The concrete slabs already cost around €99 for the material. According to the website, the gala provider also has sufficient experience with Grauwacke.

The price is okay and if you wanted to save, there are smaller slabs that are significantly cheaper. But the price of the slabs is transparent, it is worth the matter to us, so they are set. Above all, I want to emphasize again that the things we have chosen are also valuable to us! It’s not about finding items to cut, etc., but about evaluating the offer since the competitors apparently find it difficult to submit an alternative offer. Only one said he does not build based on external plans but would plan something himself – which of course costs again… and paying another €3,000 even though we already have a plan developed together with us and that we like, just to get another offer, doesn’t make sense.

You’re still chasing glossy brochures. Then you just have to pay accordingly. Somewhere the money for marketing and fancy specialists has to come from.

That’s wrong! I place value on visitable and comprehensible references and verifiable quality work! And initially, I excluded landscaping contractors who said they only execute, I should have the planning done elsewhere. Then you pay an architect once and afterwards a landscaping contractor who says he can’t (partly) execute what the architect planned. That’s what a friend experienced. Therefore, our premise was to take someone who does everything from planning to execution themselves. To reduce that to glossy brochures is, I find, a bit arrogant.

Why do I tell the competitor to create a comparative offer? It would be better to have him offer based on facts.

If you have a finished plan and an offer with blacked-out prices, what would you tell him? That you drew that yourself late in the evening after work?

Or do you mean I still need someone who just comes around and roughly estimates the whole thing until he raises his hand for further planning? Of course, you can only compare 1 to 1? How else?

Why do I have the feeling that the craftsmen like to lead the robber by the nose?

It’s just strange that everyone else I talk to here doesn’t feel differently. I find the way you express yourself very arrogant.

I don’t know, but I’m sorry for you because I believe your naivety and negotiating skills are often exploited.

If I were that stupid, I wouldn’t have my own company, in which I have to negotiate every day and which ultimately enables me to build such a house.

We did the same when building the house. The house was fully planned and then we took the general contractor's offer elsewhere to have it double-checked. They said, great offer; we can bend over backwards to match the price but can't do more. They even admitted that both providers have a similar reputation and that you could confidently build with either.

So if the assessment is that the offer is good, from what I have heard so far, I am actually happy. Because that gives me a very good feeling about the provider. However, surprisingly many people ask me about the pulse when they see or hear about the offer. They think it's not normal.

But you can't be serious, right? How well did your strategy work when building the house? Do you now have a top provider like you wanted?

You just hear what you want to hear, I didn't read anywhere here that the offer is good and that you can be happy about it! He told you he would give you a pool and lighting for the price and now you don't have anything of that and still want to take him?

I am looking forward to your thread later: Help problems with the landscape gardener, 120k estimated now he wants 200 after completion.

And you definitely won't get comparison offers that way! Which half-decent provider would be interested in that? If it absolutely has to be someone who does everything, then go to another and get an offer; who says this was the most beautiful garden plan anyway?

So I'm a bit speechless too; reminds me of your lighting plan.

You’re not serious, are you? How well did your strategy work for building the house? Do you now have a top provider like you wanted?

Yes, it worked. A house was planned and 1-to-1 comparisons were obtained for it. A provider could be decided on!

He told you he would make you a pool and lighting for the price and now you have nothing from that and still want to take him?

He didn’t say he would make a price, he said what would be achievable within the budget without qualifying the execution details at that time. Afterwards, a conversation was held about what we want. Certainly, the raised beds, the 1x1m slabs, etc. contributed their part to it becoming a bit more expensive and that you can’t fit a pool into the budget; I told the garden landscaper that at the beginning. It would have been a very simple pool.

As I said, before he was commissioned for the planning, other garden landscapers were also on site. NO ONE suggested that something could be achieved here for under €100,000.

And you definitely won’t get comparable offers that way! Which halfway decent provider would be interested in that?

At least it worked for the house construction. How would you do it? Commission a new plan just to get an offer that is then no longer comparable at all?

If it absolutely has to be someone who does everything, then go to someone else and get an offer. Who says this is even the nicest garden plan?

We like the plan. Why should I pay someone else for a plan again who says from the start anyway that it won’t be any cheaper? You have to explain that logic to me.

But that's exactly how it works. Our construction supervisor asked us what we wanted, then sent a request with these specifications to 3 companies, and then you get comparable offers. So take what you have, scan it, delete the prices, and send it to someone else.

No, I say just take him, you're already completely convinced anyway.

And a question: is the house going the way you wanted? Fixed price kept, no trouble? Then that's good, then do the same with the landscape gardener. Or just spend the 300k with him like your neighbors, then you'll be satisfied too.

But if you want something good for a reasonable price, then unfortunately you have to sit down, see what you want, and invest time, why don't you understand that?

And if that's too much for you now because you have so much to do with the house, then unfortunately the garden has to wait until you have time again.

We simply don't live in times when they all bend over backwards to design you a great garden for next year RIGHT NOW.