Your landscaping budget is important when making decisions on your landscape project. Your landscape designer can design your landscape around your budget or let the design determine the budget of the project. Remember, Landscape Associates can do just about anything. It is all a matter of the landscaping budget you give us to work with.
How much should I spend on landscaping? You might be wondering …. ‘How much should I spend on landscaping?’ The rule of thumb is to budget at least 10% of the value of your home for a quality landscaping project. I did some digging for you and found this great resource that isn’t from a landscape business, landscaping organization, or any home improvement site. According to a study from Virginia Tech, your home value can actually go down in value if the landscaping is too minimal and large landscaping projects had a higher affect than smaller jobs. Last time you bought a house, how did their landscaping affect your perception of the property. Did you go for the house with the skimpy front yard landscaping or the house with the large, more filled in landscape? Did you want to buy the house that was full of overgrown shrubs? Did you want the house with 10 ft. by 12 ft. concrete patio or the house with the patio that had an outdoor dining area and a firepit? What you spend on your landscaping should reflect that the value of your home and what your wants and needs are.
Landscaping Budget Factors
- Drainage
- Paver Patio vs Natural Stone
- Access
- Depth of Topsoil
- Stone Mulch vs Hardwood Mulch
- Landscape Lighting
- Outdoor Living Ammenities
- Swimming Pool/Hot Tub
- Fencing, Arbors, and Pergolas
- Water Features
- Phasing of the Project
- Size of Plants
- Seed or Sod
- Irrigation or No Irrigation
- Grills, Fire Pits, or Fireplace
- Landscape Maintenance Plan
Hire a Professional. If you clicked on my link and read the study I shared above, you read how you get the most value from a sophisticated landscape. That is why it is important to hire a professional landscape designer. Check out their credentials, ask them what they should expect if you were to hire them, and ask to see examples of their work. Landscaping is no longer just planting some trees and shrubs. The products you might be looking for in your landscaping like; the paver patios, sitting walls, landscape lighting, and outdoor living, are becoming more and more complicated. It is more important than ever to reach out to a professional landscaper. Many of those types of projects can go horribly wrong for you if you try to do them yourself. Most likely, they won’t look as good, will take you longer, take away from your free time, and have a much higher risk of failure due to your lack of experience. Professional landscapers have the knowledge, the tools, and the experience to get the job done. In the long term, it is best to invest in hiring a professional. Are you unsure how much landscaping costs? Call a landscaper and ask but make sure you are upfront and honest about what you want and your budget so you can work together to get a landscape that will exceed your expectation.
Prioritize and Phase It Out. Your landscape designer should meet with you in person to understand your wants and needs for your landscaping project. At times, it might make financial sense to phase the project out. That means you work with your landscape designer to complete the landscape in sections. You want to involve your landscaper in this process though because they are the experts and know what order will work best to complete each section of the landscape. A good landscape designer will respect your landscaping budget but if your wants exceed your budget you may have to make concessions. This is where, it is beneficial to have a list of wants and needs so you can easily prioritize and decide what you might need to live without. You can read more about planning your landscaping here.
Long Term Costs. All planted landscapes need maintenance! There is no such think as ‘no maintenance’ in a landscaping regardless of design or plant choices. Even patios may need upkeep after a while. If a landscaper tells you there is no maintenance need for planting beds, they are lying to you. You want to keep in mind the long-term costs for caring for your landscape. First, ask yourself ‘Should I hire someone to maintain my landscape or do it myself?’ Make sure to consider this when you are setting your landscape budget. You could get the most beautiful landscape created for you but it should be cared for properly. If your landscape is not cared for properly, then you will end up having to pay a landscaper to fix your out of control mess. It is less expensive to care for a beautiful landscape than it is to re-landscape just a few years later. Read this to find out how much landscape maintenance costs?
If you are ready to start a conversation with a landscape designer, contact us today.