When it comes to fencing there are so many different options to choose from nowadays, picket, synthetic, chain link, wooden, just to name a few – how do you choose and where do you start?
Here are my 5 tips to (hopefully) assist in making your decision easier.
1. Choose a style you actually like looking at. It sounds a bit dense, however if you think carefully – your fence is the first thing someone sees when arriving to your property/ office. Fences are often something that is overlooked, because it is seen as a basic security measure, which of course is true however it could also be used to upscale the look of your property/ office.
2. Continually maintain your fence. Without a doubt you want your fence to look the best it can – without paint fading or chipping, or iron rusting, you want to keep your fence clean and you don’t want your wood to rot. However, this isn’t really only for your own benefit – if your fence becomes an eyesore, your surrounding neighbours will also be affected. It could even affect their property value. Which is why it makes sense to only get a fence that you are able and can afford to maintain and keep looking great. If a wooden fence is too much maintenance, you could consider something like the chain link or low maintenance material like vinyl or aluminium. A good tip is also to get a darker coloured fence, as it doesn’t show dirt as much as a lighter coloured fence would, it also won’t need to be cleaned as often.
3. Do your research on the contractor before installation. In doing some research for this article, you would be surprised how many articles I had come across about people who didn’t do proper research on the companies they have selected for the installation of their fences, and in turn ended up with disastrous results. It is important to know their skills and history – previous experiences will give you an idea on what to expect for your final results.
4. Define your property lines beforehand. Again, this might sound obvious, however statistically this is one of the biggest mistakes made when fences are put up – overlapping onto neighbouring properties. If you don’t have the deed for your property, it is always obtainable from the deeds office after filling out a few forms. If you have the deed to your property, you are able to seek assistance from a surveyor who would be able to place stakes along the boundary and give you more of an idea as to where your fence could be positioned. It is also important to keep in mind that there are laws in place when it comes to the height of fences as well as how far a fence needs to be from a road.
5. Unless you’re Noah II, DO NOT DIY. It’s easy to underestimate the time and skill it takes to build and install your “perfect” fence. There’s no doubt you would be saving money on installation and labour costs if you do it yourself, however consider how long it would take for you to do all of this without any help – the biggest factor to take into consideration is the end result, will it really look as good as it would have if you had just gone with a professional. After all, they are the specialists for a reason.
Sources:
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About Daniella Hockey
I joined Leads 2 Business in the beginning of 2019, and love working as a sales executive, based in the JHB branch.
