Clear answers about our design process and philosophy.
Everything you need to know about how we work, why we charge for our time, and how an independent landscape designer protects your property investment.
The business model and our fees
Why should I hire an independent designer instead of a design-build landscaper?
1
Traditional landscape contractors earn most of their profit by selling you construction labor, concrete, paving stones, and nursery plants. That creates a quiet conflict of interest because they make more money when they recommend expensive physical structures. As an independent design studio, we do not sell construction materials or mark up plant prices. Our only goal is creating a functional, beautiful garden that suits your home and budget. Once your drawings are finished, you can take our independent plans to multiple builders for competitive quoting, which usually saves you thousands of dollars on the actual build.
Why do you charge a fee for the initial consultation?
2
Our initial consultation is not a quick twenty-minute sales pitch or a rough contractor quote. It is a comprehensive two-hour working session at your property where we actively solve structural, grading, and spatial problems together. Because we treat this meeting as professional advisory work that gives you immediate practical value, we charge a diagnostic fee of $649. When you decide to proceed into our full master planning process, we credit this entire consultation fee directly back to you against your initial design invoice.
How much does a comprehensive residential landscape design usually cost?
3
For custom homes and major renovations across the Sunshine Coast and Hinterland, our comprehensive design fees typically range between $8,000 and $20,000 depending on the size of the block and the complexity of the site engineering. While this is an upfront investment, having a carefully planned structural layout and three-dimensional model prevents expensive construction mistakes, avoids excessive concrete work, and ensures you get accurate, competitive bids from your building contractors.
Do you build the garden or can you recommend landscape builders?
4
We stay strictly on the design side of the fence to protect our independence, so we do not undertake the physical construction work ourselves. However, we have built strong relationships with several skilled, independent landscape contractors across the Sunshine Coast who respect detailed architectural plans and know how to handle native flora. When your design is complete, we assist you in submitting your blueprints to these trusted builders for competitive pricing.
Plants, materials, and spatial discipline
Why do you work exclusively with local native plants?
1
Plants native to South East Queensland have spent thousands of years adapting to our sandy soils, heavy summer downpours, coastal winds, and dry spring weather. When you plant local species, you create a resilient, living landscape that requires drastically less water than formal imported gardens. They survive without chemical fertilizers, provide vital habitat for local birds and pollinators, and naturally connect your modern home to the authentic Australian landscape.
What if I really want a Bali resort or Palm Springs desert style garden?
2
We deliberately avoid copying imported landscape trends like tropical Bali resorts or desert Palm Springs layouts. While those themes look popular on internet mood boards, they are completely disconnected from our local Sunshine Coast environment. Delicate tropical plants usually get burned by our coastal winds, and desert cactus gardens struggle during our wet summer months. We focus on designing thoughtful, site-specific gardens that actually belong in South East Queensland and get healthier with age rather than looking like an artificial theme park.
Why do you place so much emphasis on three-dimensional virtual reality?
3
Standard two-dimensional blueprints are great for builders, but they are notoriously difficult for homeowners to read and interpret. It is very hard to look at a flat piece of paper and understand whether an outdoor room will feel claustrophobic or how tall a tree will look next to your deck. We build a photorealistic three-dimensional computer model of your property so we can walk through the garden together on screen. You get to check neighbour privacy sightlines, watch how afternoon shadows fall across the grass, and approve every single detail with your own eyes before you spend any money on earthworks.
Why does human judgement matter in an age of automated computer design?
4
Computer software can generate quick garden layouts and glossy pictures in seconds these days, meaning basic drafting is no longer a rare skill. What computers cannot replicate is real human taste, structural discipline, and years of getting boots muddy in local coastal soils. When you hire our studio, you are investing in Justin Nigh’s personal judgment and architectural point of view. We act as your filter to ensure every retaining wall, pathway, and native tree serves a genuine practical and emotional purpose on your block.
Getting your project started
At what stage of a new build or renovation should we get you involved?
1
The earlier we start conversations, the better the final result will be. Ideally, we like to begin collaborating while your architect or building designer is still drawing the initial plans for the house. Designing the house and garden together ensures we can coordinate site earthworks, solve drainage paths early, and design seamless transitions between your interior living rooms and your outdoor areas before any concrete is poured.
What if my architect or building designer has already sketched a basic landscape plan?
2
Building designers and architects are brilliant at structural building design, but outdoor spatial flow and botanical science are completely different disciplines. When building designers attempt to draft the landscaping themselves, the results can be mixed, often leading to too much hot paving and a lack of comfortable natural shade. We love collaborating with your existing building design team, taking their architectural vision and grounding it in specialized site engineering and local native ecology.
Have a question we missed here?
If you have a specific question about your block or want to talk through your ideas, we are always happy to start the conversation with a brief introductory phone call.