Following the pandemic, competition for landscapers and outdoor contractors was fierce. Homeowners are finally back in control.
Like just about everyone who’s pined for a dream outdoor space in recent years, Jessica Tran had heard horror stories about sky-high costs, outrageous timelines to finish the work and fierce competition to land a spot on a contractor’s schedule — or even get a call back.
To Tran’s delight, when she started asking for bids in late December, the responses arrived swiftly. Within a month, three different contractors had come through for site visits — two of them visited more than once — and prepared estimates. All of them were willing to go back to the drawing board and resubmit to fit Tran’s $50,000 budget. “There was definitely more follow-up than I expected,” she says. Overall, she describes the process as “a fairy tale.” Yes, seriously.
The work outside Tran’s home entailed stripping every living thing out of the old backyard, adding pavers underneath a preexisting pergola, laying down artificial turf, and installing a perimeter ofwith a self-watering irrigation system. The project wrapped up in mid-March, about seven weeks after work began. It ultimately cost closer to $56,000 due to a fencing issue and a tree that unexpectedly had to come down. Not a big deal, says Tran, since she budgeted with some wiggle room.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Americans Are Getting Discounts on Homeowners InsuranceMillennials were most likely to shop around at 57 percent, while Gen X was the least at 49 percent, reflecting a generational gap.
Read more »
Are California homeowners getting any insurance breaks for beefing up their property to protect against wildfires?Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in 2022 promised homeowners that insurers would credit them for making their home less vulnerable to wildfires, but homeowners say aren’t getting credits a…
Read more »
Challenging Long-Standing Climate Assumptions: Earth Is Getting Hotter, but Soil Is Getting WetterScience, Space and Technology News 2024
Read more »
Kate Middleton's uncle reacts to being called a 'bad' relative after cryptically talking about her whereaboutsKate Middleton's uncle says she is getting the 'best care' following surgery
Read more »
L.A. County settles PACE loan lawsuits; affected homeowners to receive millionsUnder a $12-million settlement, L.A. County agreed to resolve allegations its PACE lending program saddled borrowers with loans they couldn't afford.
Read more »
Home listings are rising, but buyers aren’t buying due to high interest ratesHomeowners are eager to sell, despite make less in profits than they did in 2022.
Read more »