5 Important Questions to Ask your Outdoor Lighting Designer
For all those who are planning to transform their outdoor spaces, landscape lighting is the best solution. It adds immense beauty to the aesthetics of your property and provides a good level of security at the same time. There is no doubt that a great lighting scheme can create a warm and welcoming ambience without burning your pocket.
However, to achieve such a level of perfection, it is important that you hire a professional landscape lighting contractor to suggest you the kind of lighting solutions best suited for your landscape and makes the installation process simple and hassle-free for you. But before you head out to choose a lighting designer or contractor, you need to see if that designer qualifies through your set of needs or not.
Here are some important questions that you should be asking your outdoor lighting designer–
Q 1: How long have you been in the business?
This question is the first step in searching for a reputable and trustworthy lighting company. A company who has been in the same line of business from a quite a long time indicates that it typically does good work. By catering to the unique needs of customers each day, the experience and knowledge are bound to get enhanced. Moreover, their well-established presence in the market shows that they are committed to their work.
Q 2: Can you show me your work portfolio and share a list of past referrals?
Asking for the contractor’s work portfolio is indeed a great way to check their expertise with landscape lighting. But at the same time, it is important to ensure that the work images they present actually belong to them. There are cases where few companies mislead people by showcasing work which is not theirs. To avoid encountering such a situation later, it is better to check their customer’s reviews or ratings online. You can ask for a list of past clients from the designing company and contact each one of them to know about their experience. A contractor refusing to provide you with references shouldn’t be relied upon.
Q 3: What kind of lighting will suit the style of my home and the surrounding landscape?
No lighting project can look same as the other. Every property is constructed differently and has different architectural features to be highlighted. So, asking the experts for what kind of lighting solutions they have got for you is important to see if their expertise and creativity would do justice to your property. Remember- only a professional landscape lighting designer would be able to suggest you the right kind of lighting schemes matching the style and color tones of your home.
Q 4: Can you suggest me energy-efficient options?
Planning out a lighting system that works wonderfully in enhancing the beauty of your landscape and home is what everyone looks for. But at the time it is important to look for solutions that help in conserving energy and decreasing your monthly bills. You can do so by asking your designer to suggest you LED landscape options that will help you in saving money.
Q 5: What will be the total cost and time duration of the project?
If you are hiring a landscape designer for the first time, make sure you consult multiple contractors to gather information about the prevailing charges in the market particularly for your project. It would probably vary according to the size of the property and the kind of lighting you want for it. Also, ask about how long the installation of lights will take. Having proper information regarding these aspects will save you from getting surprised with bigger-than-expected bills and delays later.