How do you choose the right garden company in Stockholm?

What basic requirements should a reputable garden company meet?

A garden company in Stockholm should always be able to show F-tax approval and liability insurance before a job starts. This protects both the homeowner and the company if something goes wrong, for example if a tree damages a fence or roof during felling or pruning.

Also ask whether the company is VAT-registered and how long it has been in business, since newly started one-person companies often lack routines for larger assignments such as year-round contracts for housing cooperatives.

• F-tax approval that can be shown or checked with the Swedish Tax Agency
• Liability insurance covering damage to property and persons
• A registered company with an organisation number, not just a private individual
• Experience of working in Stockholm's climate and soil
• References from houses or housing cooperatives in the local area

How do you know the company handles the RUT deduction correctly?

The company should be able to explain which services qualify for the RUT deduction (the Swedish tax deduction for household services) and which do not, for example that waste removal and materials are never included in the deduction while the labour cost of lawn mowing or pruning often is.

Ask the company to show how they split the invoice between labour and materials, so that the deduction of up to 50% of the labour cost and the annual cap per person are handled correctly directly on the invoice without the customer having to recalculate anything.

• The company clearly explains what counts as labour cost and what counts as materials
• The invoice specifies the RUT deduction separately from other costs
• The company can show examples of previous invoices or explain the routine
• The customer does not have to apply for the deduction with the Swedish Tax Agency afterwards

What should the quote include before work starts?

A proper quote describes exactly what work is to be carried out, what materials are used and whether the price is quoted for the whole job or based on an hourly rate. The company always assesses the scope on site before the quote is written, since factors such as the size of the plot, the height of the trees and accessibility affect how much work is required.

Check that the quote also states who is responsible for removing branches, brushwood and waste, since this is often a separate cost that is not included in the RUT deduction.

• A description of exactly what work is included
• Whether the price is for the whole job or an hourly rate, after an on-site assessment
• A clear split between labour cost and materials
• Information on whether waste removal is included or extra
• Terms for cancellation and any additional work

How do the needs of homeowners and housing cooperatives differ?

A homeowner usually needs individual services such as lawn mowing, hedge trimming or tree felling on single occasions, while a housing cooperative (BRF), a property company or a joint property association usually needs a seasonal or year-round contract covering the whole courtyard or block on a recurring basis throughout the year.

For housing cooperatives it is especially important that the company can handle several properties at once, has fixed contact persons and can plan the work according to a shared maintenance plan that applies year after year.

• Homeowners: individual jobs such as lawn mowing, pruning or tree felling
• Housing cooperatives and joint property associations: recurring maintenance contracts for the whole area
• Property companies: coordinated maintenance of several properties under the same contract
• Municipalities: larger blocks or residential areas with long-term contracts

Which warning signs should you avoid in a garden company?

Be careful with companies that refuse to provide a written quote, demand cash payment without a receipt or cannot show insurance. It is also a warning sign if the company promises work without first visiting the site, since the scope of, for example, tree felling or stump grinding always needs to be assessed on site.

• No written quote or unclear price
• Refusal to show F-tax approval or insurance
• Cash payment only, without a receipt or invoice
• Promises work without visiting the site first
• Vagueness about what is included in the RUT deduction

How does Service Plus Stockholm help you choose the right solution?

Service Plus Stockholm AB works throughout Greater Stockholm and offers everything from individual jobs for homeowners to year-round contracts for housing cooperatives, property companies, joint property associations and municipalities. Each service is handled by its own specialist, for example Mulle for lawn mowing, Saxa for pruning, Eken for tree felling, Stubben for stump grinding, Lövet for garden cleanup and Åke ÅVC for waste removal, which makes it easy to cover several needs with the same supplier.

Service Plus always assesses the work on site and provides a free quote with a clear price or hourly rate before anything begins, and helps work out how the RUT deduction should be handled on the invoice.