Finally! The money angels have smiled upon you, and you now have the budget to build your dream backyard. Soon, you'll be spending more quality time at home, relaxing, or entertaining friends and family. You've pinned all your design ideas and made a wish list of your favorite outdoor features.
Ready-set-go! You hire a landscape contractor, evaluate your space, start planning, and do a cost breakdown. After an assessment, your contractor gives you a rundown of all the issues your land is experiencing and how much the installation of your desired outdoor features will cost. Suddenly, your clear sunny skies are covered by ominous dark clouds, and what you envisioned starts fading away.
Time to pull you out of that landscape rut. We’ll give you solutions to circumvent your landscape budget challenges so you can build your perfect backyard.
Right now, fire pits are the hottest trend for outdoor living. They make an architectural statement and become the focal point of your backyard. However, they are significantly more expensive because of construction time and engineering requirements to comply with code. Cities or municipalities may even prohibit them in some cases.
If a fire pit isn't feasible and you're tight on budget, consider a fire bowl instead. Fire bowls offer a great alternative when building a backyard on a budget to save on space and spendings, as they are pre-built and easily movable.
The design intricacy of your patio can significantly affect its cost. Curvy, circular, or serpentine patterns add interest to walkways or retaining walls but are considerably more expensive. This is because they require more time and effort to cut and build, translating into higher labor costs.
To limit spendings during your budget landscaping, stick with rectangular or square designs. These shapes are easier and quicker to install, saving on both material and labor costs.
If you don’t have enough of a budget to build your entire dream landscape project this year, you could work out a master plan now for future building. This means building your backyard in phases over the upcoming years. This approach might be more expensive in the long run because of the increased labor costs, additional permits, re-planning, replacing possibly damaged materials, and inflation. However, it allows you to spread out expenses over time and make your backyard ideas on a budget come to life.
If you can't stand looking at your backyard right now for the life of you or if you're short on funds — but you know more money will be coming in the future — phasing is a good solution.
Focus on the most important or complex work first. Discuss with your contractor about prepping the site for future add-ons, like plumbing, gas, and electrical utilities before the paving work is done. This can save time and money in the long run.
Is the slope of your land cutting away potential outdoor living space? Leveling the land can create a larger usable area but involves earthmoving equipment and heavy machinery, which means more expenses.
Instead, consider building down into the slope. Imagine steps leading down to an intimate fire pit or pool. This approach not only feasible as a backyard landscaping idea on a budget, but also adds privacy and charm to your backyard.
Raised patios add elevation, dimension, and yard separation, but they require significant labor and materials, making them costly. If your patio door is elevated from the ground, use that to your advantage by creating outdoor living zones with steps that bring the height down gradually.
This reduces construction costs and increases privacy, making your backyard more inviting without breaking the bank.
Hooray! You can find clever ways to respect your budget — or go slightly over budget — and still get the desired outdoor features. You might find some bumps in the road, but you don't have to let go of your "wants" just yet.
Play with the shapes, sizes, or heights of certain elements to install things that still fit your taste. Make smart choices money-wise and defeat your challenges like a champ.
Remember, your land doesn't own you; you own the land. And you control what you put in it. So cut down costs if you have to — without sacrificing too much — and allow yourself to create a beautiful outdoor space.
Contact Techo-Bloc's certified landscaping contractors for your next backyard renovation project.