Estimating the costs of landscaping your new home
Your own little piece of heaven
We are all lovers of the great wilderness and there are not many better places to spend your downtime in the sunlight and fresh air than in your garden, your very own piece of heaven.
More than just a spot of refuge, a well-thought-out and neatly landscaped yard can offer far more than just the aesthetically value. It is possible to convert your outdoor space into some tangible that can often bring considerable value to your home as an asset for years to come especially when it comes time to sell.
Often times we hear from new homeowners that they struggled during the calculation process of what landscaping their property would cost and how subtle changes could influence the price. Because of the complexities involved such as earthmoving, decking, paving, wall construction and planting there is no simple estimate that can be used to give the accurate cost of landscaping your new property. You should plan to put between 5 and 10 percent of your house price into landscaping as a very general rule of thumb.
The nitty gritty
1- The scale and scope of the project that you had in mind for your new build plays a major role in what the final costs will be while although this may sound very simple the difference in the size of the project between big and small yards can be massive, It is good praise to be real with your expectations and don’t set them too high!
2- The type of plants you use in your yard will actually determine what type of irrigation and watering system you will need to have installed ( These get very expensive).
3- Your new homes location also plays a big role in the cost of landscaping generally regional areas can be more expensive as they won’t have access to the same resource set which often blows out the cost and time of projects.
4- Don’t underestimate the cost of certain plants and materials that you will be using in your garden, While we do want quality materials used in the project be smart about your choices and look at the pro’s and con’s of different plants and materials.
5- Outdoor work is resource intensive, you will be surprised how much of the overall cost of your landscaping will be dedicated to labour.
Setting the budget
Landscaping is often the last step in finishing your new home and that is why its often the first thing to get hit with budget cuts during the project which is why it’s pivotal to set aside the landscaping budget and do not touch it until it is time to landscape your home.
Always get a fixed price quote before beginning the landscaping of your home as that will ensure you don’t get any nasty surprises come time to pay the invoice!