FAQ's: Green Apple Landscaping: Modern Landscape Designs

FAQ's

What type of projects do you take on?

Green Apple takes on only complete makeover projects of a backyard, front yard, or full property.
We have a design + build model specializing in landscapes in a modern style.
We also have a speciality consulting, designing, obtaining permits, and installing front yard parking pads in the City of Toronto.

What is the process of creating a custom modern landscape for my property?

We begin with a design consultation at your home with our landscape designer.
At the end of the design consultation, you can choose to proceed with a landscape design or you can get back to us later.
If you proceed with the landscape design contract at the design consultation meeting, the design consultation is free. Our designer will stay longer and measure the site, take elevation grades and pictures.
2 – 4 weeks later, depending on how busy we are at the time, we will present the completed landscape design to you at your home along with a cost estimate for the installation of the project.
After the estimate is approved we will schedule the installation for our construction crew.

What is a design consultation?

A design consultation is an initial meeting at your home with our landscape designer.
They will spend the necessary time with you to understand your goals, ideas, and site issues and answer any questions that you might have.
Our designer can discuss preliminary design direction and can offer material suggestions.

What does a landscape design of my property include?

Landscape designs include a two-dimensional (2D) plan, three-dimensional (3D) computer renderings from multiple angles, a planting design, product selections including the type of paving materials and colours, a presentation meeting, measuring the site and taking grades, and one minor revision of the plan based on feedback from you.
Once you approve the landscape plan we can also provide an estimate of how much it will cost to install your landscape design.

Can you help me obtain a permit for a front yard parking pad in the City of Toronto?

Yes, we can!
We have been getting permits for clients for front yard parking since 1995. We have helped hundreds of clients.
We should be able to assess your property on your first phone call and tell you whether your property will be eligible for a permit.
If we can get you a front yard parking permit, we will schedule an onsite appointment to begin the design process.

What are typical budgets for project installations?

For the average Toronto property, backyard installations typically range from $40,000 to $150,000, depending on size, choice of materials and complexity of the design.
An average Toronto front yard landscape ranges from $25,000 to $100,000, again depending on size, choice of materials and complexity of the design.
It is highly recommended that you have a budget in mind prior to the design of your project. We will endeavour to give you a ballpark budget at the design consultation meeting.

What will I need for the design consultation meeting?

In some cases, you may need to provide us with a survey of your property. It does not have to be a new survey, an older survey will suffice, assuming that it reflects the current footprint of the home.
If you do not have a survey of your home please take a look at our FAQ answer on how to find a survey for your home.
It would also be helpful for this meeting if you could have pictures of the style of landscape that you like from magazines or homes that you like in your area. You could also go to our Houzz Projects and Houzz Ideabooks to get ideas for this, which you could save to your Houzz Ideabooks.

How do I find a survey for our home?

If you do not have a survey of your home you may be able to find one on this website www.protectyourboundaries.ca
You may also be able to locate a survey of your property at your local building department assuming that a previous owner of your property had submitted one for any building permits obtained at some point in time. If you are in the City of Toronto you can call 311 to inquire about this.
If you cannot find a survey through any of the above methods then you can contact a land surveyor to purchase a new survey. We can recommend one if you need us to.

How do we know that you are a reputable company? Do you have references and reviews?

Green Apple Landscaping is very concerned about our reputation. It’s important to us that we satisfy our clients and hopefully exceed their expectations.
We have many satisfied clients that you can reference with our online reviews on websites such as Homestars, Houzz and Google. Online reviews can make or break a company these days so the fact that we have over 70 reviews from previous clients that took the time to place their review, should tell you that we do care about the satisfaction of our customers.
For those new clients that would like to speak to a previous client, we can provide some references for you.

What are your credentials as a landscape designer?

Our landscape designer is a Certified Landscape Designer
Our landscape designer is also an award-winning designer having won many Award of Excellence design awards given out by Landscape Ontario.
Green Apple has won 17 design + build awards.

What are your credentials as a landscaping company?

What does a landscape plan for a front yard parking application in the City of Toronto include?

It includes measuring and taking grades of your site; a two-dimensional (2D) plan with all the required information that the City of Toronto requires on it; three-dimensional (3D) computer renderings from multiple angles; a planting design; product selections including type of paving materials and colours; a presentation meeting; and one minor revision of the plan based on feedback from you; any revisions that the City of Toronto may require.
We can also provide an estimate of how much it will cost to install your landscape design once you approve the design.

Does landscaping increase the value of my home?

Landscaping does, in fact, add value to your home.
Landscaping could add up to 15 per cent to a home’s value. National Association of Realtors president Walt McDonald of Riverside, Calif., says “When people ask me how they can get a strong interest in their property, I always tell them to fix up their landscaping.”
The Century 21 study in 2013 found that backyard makeovers are popular with the Baby Boomers generation and front yard makeovers are important to the Millennial generation.
A Money Magazine article found that landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 per cent at selling time.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture found that poor landscape design can decrease property values by up to 10 per cent.
Appraisal Institute President Richard L. Borges II, MAI, SRA said “curb appeal is essential when selling a home”, noting it’s the homeowner’s opportunity to make a great first impression. “A home with lacklustre landscaping or an exterior in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint will likely be unappealing to prospective buyers and ultimately could affect the home’s potential resale value”, he said.