Any comments on Good Neighbor Landscapes

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  #16  
Old 09-12-2019, 06:59 AM
Bogie Shooter Bogie Shooter is offline
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So, it would seem that hiring door knockers is a bad idea, at least in this case. Maybe they are knocking on doors because they are not getting referrals.
Watch out for the guy who has "a few extra steaks" after a neighbor's delivery...………………………………… .
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Old 09-12-2019, 08:00 AM
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Watch out for the guy who has "a few extra steaks" after a neighbor's delivery...………………………………… .
HAHA! YEAH, That one has been around everywhere for ever!
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Old 09-12-2019, 08:15 AM
davefin davefin is offline
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Ditto Thumbs Down for Service Smart, Good Neighbor, or whatever they want to be called this year. Not pleased with their work when I first moved in 5 years ago. Let of reasons. All the bad news about them is well documented here on Talk Of The Villages.

One caution on landscaping stone.....be sure to give the plants and shrubs lots of breathing room thru the stone by cutting back the black weed control mat around the plants. The stone gets very hot in the sun. This alone will kill plants. I have added an couple inches of small mulch around each plant. Works well, plants now healthy after one year. I learned this after losing many plants during the past three years.
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Old 09-12-2019, 08:31 AM
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Ditto Thumbs Down for Service Smart, Good Neighbor, or whatever they want to be called this year. Not pleased with their work when I first moved in 5 years ago. Let of reasons. All the bad news about them is well documented here on Talk Of The Villages.

One caution on landscaping stone.....be sure to give the plants and shrubs lots of breathing room thru the stone by cutting back the black weed control mat around the plants. The stone gets very hot in the sun. This alone will kill plants. I have added an couple inches of small mulch around each plant. Works well, plants now healthy after one year. I learned this after losing many plants during the past three years.
Thank you, that sounds like great advice!
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Old 09-12-2019, 08:56 AM
John_W John_W is offline
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I used Terrascape in 2011 when my CYV was new and I just had them come and do a refresh yesterday. Four guys all experienced landscapers made a complete overhaul of my front yard. Rocks, new plants, new irrigation, power wash landscape boulders and retaining wall, trim two palms of which one Sylvester had never been trimmed, looks like a new tree. I couldn't be more pleased, price was $1900. They're on Hwy 301 just south of Rainey Trail. They have their own nursery on premises. Call and ask for Megan and she'll draw a layout and give you a free estimate.

Terrascape | Nursery and Landscaping for The Villages, Florida
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Old 09-12-2019, 09:05 AM
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I used Terrascape in 2011 when my CYV was new and I just had them come and do a refresh yesterday. Four guys all experienced landscapers made a complete overhaul of my front yard. Rocks, new plants, new irrigation, power wash landscape boulders and retaining wall, trim two palms of which one Sylvester had never been trimmed, looks like a new tree. I couldn't be more pleased, price was $1900. They're on Hwy 301 just south of Rainey Trail. They have their own nursery on premises. Call and ask for Megan and she'll draw a layout and give you a free estimate.

Terrascape | Nursery and Landscaping for The Villages, Florida
Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into them
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Old 09-24-2019, 06:14 PM
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Originally Posted by John_W View Post
I used Terrascape in 2011 when my CYV was new and I just had them come and do a refresh yesterday. Four guys all experienced landscapers made a complete overhaul of my front yard. Rocks, new plants, new irrigation, power wash landscape boulders and retaining wall, trim two palms of which one Sylvester had never been trimmed, looks like a new tree. I couldn't be more pleased, price was $1900. They're on Hwy 301 just south of Rainey Trail. They have their own nursery on premises. Call and ask for Megan and she'll draw a layout and give you a free estimate.

Terrascape | Nursery and Landscaping for The Villages, Florida
If you needed a $2000 overhaul 5 years later, it wasn't a well designed landscape. Good landscape designs get better for at LEAST 7 years, and should not need a complete overhaul for well past the 10 year mark.
  #23  
Old 09-29-2019, 07:21 AM
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Don't walk away from this wonderful deal - RUN FROM IT AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Service Smart aka Good Neighbor has a horrible reputation.
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Old 09-29-2019, 10:25 AM
RedChariot RedChariot is offline
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Originally Posted by Carla B View Post
Or, you may want to cross out Mansfield, due to the reputed temperament of the owner.
For sure! Stay clear of him.
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  #25  
Old 09-29-2019, 02:09 PM
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Good Neighbor Landscapes showed up (door knocker) today and quoted me $2300 to do it. Sounds a bit high, but I am new to the area.

Comments on price and/or the contractor. Any recommendations to use instead? I want someone to handle ARC approval etc.

The only warning "ding" I heard was when I asked if they take care of applying to ARC, he said they can do that after they are done. DING DING DING...
Well just ask the folks on my street who spent almost as much with the company coming in after the good neighbor didn't get ARC approval to to-do the work with the setbacks. The approval doesn't come after the shoddy work.
  #26  
Old 09-29-2019, 09:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martian View Post
We want to have the pine needle mulching turned into rock with a "wall" border around our existing landscaping. This is a small CYA lot.

Good Neighbor Landscapes showed up (door knocker) today and quoted me $2300 to do it. Sounds a bit high, but I am new to the area.

Comments on price and/or the contractor. Any recommendations to use instead? I want someone to handle ARC approval etc.

The only warning "ding" I heard was when I asked if they take care of applying to ARC, he said they can do that after they are done. DING DING DING...
No,no, no! Get it approved before you spend dime.
  #27  
Old 09-30-2019, 08:41 AM
John_W John_W is offline
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Originally Posted by Ozzello View Post
If you needed a $2000 overhaul 5 years later, it wasn't a well designed landscape. Good landscape designs get better for at LEAST 7 years, and should not need a complete overhaul for well past the 10 year mark.
The major landscaping job was in 2013 done by McGowan for $4800. What started me on the redo was the Sylvester Palm had a lot of grown around the base and looked bad. I took photos and went to K&B Nursey and they directed me Jim Davis at the Sumter Ext of the University of Florida Master Naturlist Instructor. I emailed him the photos and he said it had just normal root growth and it just needed trimming.

I contacted Terrascape for an estimate because the front looked worn out. They trimmed two palms, I mean really took off about 10 feet of dead fronds off the Sylvester. The retaining wall was coming apart where the adhesive had dried out. The white rocks were dirty and the cooper rocks looked dull, the two smaller European Fan Palms were overgrown, and I wanted color by adding several shrubs.

They redid the retaining wall, added 15 colorful shrubs with individual sprayer heads connected to the existing system, which was installed by McGowan 6 years ago. Refurbished all the rocks in front and next to the front door area. Moved a large rock from the top tier to the bottom, power-washed both big landscaping rocks and retaining wall. Added grass shrubs in several spots with spreayers. It looks like a brand new job, and to go with it, I'm having Oscar repaint our house tomorrow. I'm happy with Terrascape and not so happy with McGowan for the reasons you state.

Here's how it looked in 2013 after McGowan finished. I'll take a photo later this week after the home is repainted.

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  #28  
Old 10-02-2019, 06:03 AM
FenneyGuy FenneyGuy is offline
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Good Neighbor (Service Smart) services the yard across the street. It is the worst looking lawn in the area.
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  #29  
Old 10-02-2019, 04:40 PM
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Check with Seniors Vs Crime. Ask how many complaints have been filed about Good Neighbor and other aliases he has operated under. Run!
  #30  
Old 10-14-2019, 02:01 PM
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We had Good Neighbor stop by and quote us as we were moving in Ken the owner said the same line we will replace the flowers, shrubs for up to two years. Well at the time I couldn’t find any reviews except the work looked ok. So we had them do the landscaping and yard maintenance. Well 3 months later all of our plants are dead, numerous calls do no good. They don’t even return our calls or emails,texts. DO NOT USE THEM they should be put out of business. We have made a formal complaint to the attorney General of Florida what a shady company. Please pass this information on any new Villagers that purchase a home and need landscaping or mowing.
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