If your garden has seen better days, you might decide that it’s time for a complete makeover. The garden should be a place that you can relax and enjoy, but if it gets overgrown and neglected, it’s not a pleasant place to spend time. The problem is, a whole new garden is going to cost a lot, which is why you need a budget before you get started.
If you don’t have a budget in place before you start planning the garden, you will end up getting halfway through the project before realising that you can’t afford to finish what you started. That leaves you in a worse position than before and it could land you in financial trouble. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know where to start when writing a budget for their garden makeover. This quick guide will help you make sense of it all so you can write an accurate budget for your garden.
What Areas Need To Be Budgeted For?
When you are writing a budget for your garden, there are a few key areas to consider; design and landscaping, planting, furniture and fixtures.
Landscaping
The cost of landscaping all depends on the current state of the garden and what you want to do with it. If you like the way that the garden is laid out but it’s just looking a bit rough around the edges, your landscaping costs will not be too expensive. However, if you want to completely overhaul the garden, things will get more expensive. Estimating the exact cost can be difficult and you will need to speak to a landscaper about the design and get some quotes. However, as a general rule, you can expect to pay around £150-£200 per day for a landscape gardener. Although this sounds like a large figure, there is a lot of work involved with landscaping and it will increase the value of your property, so consider it an investment.
Planting
The cost of plants all depends on what you buy and how big the garden is, but you may be surprised how expensive they can be. If you are looking to keep your budget low, avoid any exotic plants that tend to cost more. You can get some great deals at supermarkets on plants, especially towards the end of the season. Often, you can buy plants at a reduced price when they are coming to the end of their life. If you plant them and look after them well, you can bring them back to life and save a lot of money. You also save a lot if you go for plants that keep coming back year after year, so you don’t need to replace them every year. Not only does this save money, it also helps you create a low-maintenance garden.
Furniture and Fixtures
Good garden furniture is a must if you want to create a nice space for relaxing and entertaining, and the cost varies a lot. You can get cheap sets, but they won’t last and you will just end up replacing them over and over. It’s much better to buy a good quality set from somewhere like Poplar Nurseries instead because they will stand the test of time. When buying furniture, you can expect to pay anywhere from £500 to £1500 for a full set, depending on the size and how many chairs you need etc.
If you are planning to install decking or patio areas, this will be one of the biggest expenses. The cost varies depending on the material, but you can expect to pay between £800 and £1200 for 15 square metres of softwood decking. The price increases if you opt for composite or hardwood decking. Patios tend to be more expensive and you can expect to pay between £30 and £40 per square metre.
What Should The Overall Cost Be?
The overall cost of a garden makeover will always vary, but it’s good to have a general idea of what it should cost so you can work out whether your budget is reasonable or not. On average, you should be spending 8-15% of the value of your home on a complete garden makeover. So if your home is worth £200,000, your garden should not cost more than £30,000. However, that figure is for a complete overhaul, so that is an absolute top limit. Although updating your garden will add value, if you spend more than that, you will lose out in the long term.
As long as you spend time writing a clear budget before you get started, you can manage the cost of your garden makeover and avoid any financial problems.
