Now that you have read all about our yard makeover with Yardzen and have seen the first draft of their design (swoon!), let me tell you where we’re at.

Revisions

After we received our initial conceptual design, we were invited to make revisions within Yardzen’s user-friendly feedback studio. It allows you to click anywhere within the design and make a note or request the removal/replacement of any plant or element. There were a few plants in our initial design that I requested alternatives. After I provided feedback, they replied within a day informing me that they were working on updating the design. At this point,  I was invited to schedule a project review call so that’s an option if you prefer to speak to the team directly.

Contractor Bidding

Yardzen offers contractor matching and will connect you with a local, vetted landscaping company if you wish but the shopping around, bidding, and installation of the project is out of the purview of Yardzen. They can help guide you, but they do not play a role in the installation of their design. We opted in for contractor matching and met with our local Yardzen-pro company. You are not at all required to use their pros. We also met with another company that was recommended to me by a friend. The Yardzen-recommended pro we met with chose not to bid on our project after our initial walkthrough (weird, and they didn’t give me a reason).  So when the other company we met with gave me a quote we considered reasonable, and could install in a timely manner, we pulled the trigger and hired them.

Budget

I had a couple of questions regarding the budget. During the onboarding process, Yardzen asks you to identify your goals and wish list items. They list an estimated budget range for each section. So, as you are editing your wish list, the budget adjusts accordingly. The all-in estimate that Yardzen predicted for our project was $14,300-35,400. It’s a wide range and based on things they can’t predict unique to your situation. The all-in budget includes things like outdoor decor and furniture, so keep that in mind. The furniture and elements (planters, lighting, etc.) they chose for our design were pretty high-end, so if that’s the case, you can shop around for options that suit your budget.

Revised Design Phase

About 10 days after providing feedback on the initial design, we received our revised design. There were a couple of plants (ferns and cast iron plants) that I wasn’t in love with from the first design so I had them find alternatives for us. Here are a few images from the revised design that most differentiate from our initial design.

We felt like the revision got us close enough to where we wanted to be but they offer an option to purchase an additional design revision. After meeting with local landscapers we ultimately decided to change a few aspects of Yardzen’s design. For example, we are removing some plants and trees such as the crepe myrtle in front of the breezeway, the gardenia behind the AC to allow room for future construction there, and several plants in the backyard since most of the plantings in that area will be removed when we put in a future pool. We are swapping the plants in front of the AC units for a jasmine vine, thinning out the planting slightly, potentially working in our existing viburnums and we are using different style of path lighting that our landscaper supplies.

Deliverables

Along with the final design, Yardzen delivers everything you need to execute the design or pass along to your landscaper. We received a list of furniture and elements with direct shopping links, a dimensions and materials plan, a legend, and a planting plan.

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Yardzen’s design was amazing and there were so many things they did that we never considered. I love the boulders worked into the design, 99% of the plants they selected for us, and the furniture and elements. Yardzen really brought out the potential in our property and executed a design that “got me” unlike my past attempts with local landscapers.

If your yard is in need of a makeover, I can’t recommend Yardzen enough. It was such a fun experience and they made it so seamless. Next week our landscaping installation begins so I will share one final blog post in this series when it’s done, the reveal of our yard makeover with Yardzen. 🙂