ᐅ Affordable landscaping for a new build – what is the best approach?
Created on: 9 Apr 2022 11:16
M
MarkoW.
Good morning everyone,
As some of you may have heard, we are building a semi-detached house as a prefabricated home. As is common with most suppliers, the exterior landscaping is not included in the price. So, we have to take care of that ourselves.
I have read up extensively on the topic but unfortunately keep finding very conflicting prices and cost estimates.
Just a few days ago, there was a thread where someone wanted to spend six figures on their garden—I nearly fell off my chair.
So, about our garden: The area behind the house is roughly 230 square meters (2,476 square feet), a bit over 10 meters (33 feet) wide and just over 20 meters (66 feet) long. We plan to build a simple paved terrace, which will probably be slightly higher than the rest of the garden later on. The house (being timber frame construction) has to be elevated 30cm (12 inches) above ground level. Since we want level access to the terrace from the house, it will be built flush with the door, and the lawn will then be slightly lower. We will also need to install drainage between the terrace and the house to prevent water from running into the building. That shouldn’t be a problem because the rainwater downpipes’ drainage also runs in that area. According to online sources, paving the terrace costs around 100 euros per square meter (approximately $100 per 10.8 square feet).
Regarding the fence, we will of course coordinate with our future neighbors. We’re considering separating the terrace from the neighbor with gabion walls (about 4 meters / 13 feet long). The rest of the garden will be enclosed with a welded wire fence (please no debate about the fence type—the development plan requires hedges, chain-link fencing, or welded wire fencing). On various websites, I calculated prices for this. About 50 meters (164 feet) of fencing (1.8 meters / 6 feet high and 2 meters / 6.5 feet wide per panel), including posts, costs around 4,000 euros. Privacy screening strips might be added, but they can be easily installed by ourselves, so I am leaving those out for now (around 700 euros).
We also want a lawn. I think rolled turf looks best, though I’ve also read about very different prices here. When searching for prices, about 10 euros per square meter (approximately $10 per 10.8 square feet) is displayed. Alternatively, we could sow grass seed ourselves, but then there is the risk that birds will eat it.
No flowers, trees, or shrubs are initially planned. To the right of the house, we want a garage (we have quotes starting at 15,000 euros for an 8 x 3 meter (26 x 10 feet) prefabricated garage with electricity, foundation, and installation).
The driveway / front garden can only be done once the construction access road is removed.
So what makes the garden so expensive? I’ve estimated my calculated costs:
Terrace: 40 sqm x 100 euros = 4,000 euros (possibly a bit more if more base material is needed)
Rolled turf: 200 sqm x 10 euros = 2,000 euros
Fence: 4,000 euros
That brings the total to about 10,000 euros (with the terrace costs including labor).
Then there is additional labor for the fence and lawn installation (unfortunately, I don’t feel confident doing this myself, and none of my acquaintances can either). Is labor really the main factor driving the cost so high? What labor costs would you estimate for these jobs?
Also, does it make sense to install the garage only after completing the garden work? Otherwise, it would be difficult to bring in excavators and other machinery.
What other tips would you have for keeping the garden as affordable as possible?
By the way, the plot used to be farmland, so it’s flat and the soil should be good for this kind of work.
As some of you may have heard, we are building a semi-detached house as a prefabricated home. As is common with most suppliers, the exterior landscaping is not included in the price. So, we have to take care of that ourselves.
I have read up extensively on the topic but unfortunately keep finding very conflicting prices and cost estimates.
Just a few days ago, there was a thread where someone wanted to spend six figures on their garden—I nearly fell off my chair.
So, about our garden: The area behind the house is roughly 230 square meters (2,476 square feet), a bit over 10 meters (33 feet) wide and just over 20 meters (66 feet) long. We plan to build a simple paved terrace, which will probably be slightly higher than the rest of the garden later on. The house (being timber frame construction) has to be elevated 30cm (12 inches) above ground level. Since we want level access to the terrace from the house, it will be built flush with the door, and the lawn will then be slightly lower. We will also need to install drainage between the terrace and the house to prevent water from running into the building. That shouldn’t be a problem because the rainwater downpipes’ drainage also runs in that area. According to online sources, paving the terrace costs around 100 euros per square meter (approximately $100 per 10.8 square feet).
Regarding the fence, we will of course coordinate with our future neighbors. We’re considering separating the terrace from the neighbor with gabion walls (about 4 meters / 13 feet long). The rest of the garden will be enclosed with a welded wire fence (please no debate about the fence type—the development plan requires hedges, chain-link fencing, or welded wire fencing). On various websites, I calculated prices for this. About 50 meters (164 feet) of fencing (1.8 meters / 6 feet high and 2 meters / 6.5 feet wide per panel), including posts, costs around 4,000 euros. Privacy screening strips might be added, but they can be easily installed by ourselves, so I am leaving those out for now (around 700 euros).
We also want a lawn. I think rolled turf looks best, though I’ve also read about very different prices here. When searching for prices, about 10 euros per square meter (approximately $10 per 10.8 square feet) is displayed. Alternatively, we could sow grass seed ourselves, but then there is the risk that birds will eat it.
No flowers, trees, or shrubs are initially planned. To the right of the house, we want a garage (we have quotes starting at 15,000 euros for an 8 x 3 meter (26 x 10 feet) prefabricated garage with electricity, foundation, and installation).
The driveway / front garden can only be done once the construction access road is removed.
So what makes the garden so expensive? I’ve estimated my calculated costs:
Terrace: 40 sqm x 100 euros = 4,000 euros (possibly a bit more if more base material is needed)
Rolled turf: 200 sqm x 10 euros = 2,000 euros
Fence: 4,000 euros
That brings the total to about 10,000 euros (with the terrace costs including labor).
Then there is additional labor for the fence and lawn installation (unfortunately, I don’t feel confident doing this myself, and none of my acquaintances can either). Is labor really the main factor driving the cost so high? What labor costs would you estimate for these jobs?
Also, does it make sense to install the garage only after completing the garden work? Otherwise, it would be difficult to bring in excavators and other machinery.
What other tips would you have for keeping the garden as affordable as possible?
By the way, the plot used to be farmland, so it’s flat and the soil should be good for this kind of work.
Benutzer200 schrieb:
Rock garden as a front yard (typically grey/anthracite gravel with 3 or 4 solitary needle-leaf plants over 150m² (1,615 sq ft)) and a main garden with lawn surrounded by gravel. No flowering plants at all.
In summer, you can feel the temperature in the front yard—it becomes a small desert valley. Birds, bees, and insects avoid the property. But it’s low maintenance. I just don’t get it. Why do so many people want to live like this? Then on the weekends, they drive to the countryside. Honestly, I’m missing a cognitive connection to understand this.
W
WilderSueden11 Apr 2022 12:49haydee schrieb:
I think the problem is simply a lack of role models. What do the parks and public spaces actually look like?Yes, that is absolutely not helpful.haydee schrieb:
Wouldn’t tailored planting plans with clear instructions be useful to guide novice gardeners?I actually think the opposite. If typical detailed German regulations are applied, in my opinion there is a risk that you end up with either an allotment garden or a municipal park style. That’s why I prefer to remove the regulations entirely. As long as three small trees in containers on 400 m² (4300 sq ft) of gravel fulfill the planting requirements (which is probably the case here), you might as well drop it altogether.WilderSueden schrieb:
Yes, that is absolutely not helpful.
I actually think the opposite. When you regulate things in the typically detailed German way, in my opinion there is more risk that the result will look like a community garden or public park. That’s why it’s better to remove the regulations completely. As long as three small trees in containers on 400m² (4,300 ft²) of gravel fulfill the planting requirement (which is probably the case here), you can simply skip it. The planting plan should not be mandatory, just a helpful guide. In our new development area, the list is overwhelming in terms of how much and from which group you must plant. Many nurseries have fixed perennial flower bed packages, so why not include some of these as suggestions, as inspiration, showing how it could look, how to do it, and later you only need to ...
B
Benutzer20011 Apr 2022 13:01WilderSueden schrieb:
As long as 3 small trees in pots on 400m² (4305 sq ft) of gravel meet the planting requirement (which is probably the case for us), it can simply be omitted.Gravel gardens have already been completely banned in four federal states. And in several cities in other federal states as well.
Well, even the nice example with a smaller garden and a larger planting area still had a lawn that needs basic maintenance, and in my mind (as a complete novice currently living in an apartment in the city), the option of "I mow and care for a bit more lawn" initially sounds less demanding than "I mow and care for a bit less lawn but also have to think about what to do with the rest." Personally, I would want to plant different things, but I suspect we would still have part of the lawn. Mainly because a lawn also provides usable space for relaxing and playing, which I see less with other types of planting. (But before I get criticized here, yes, we would want other plants too – I’ll probably have to do some research about exactly what we want 😉 )
Regarding gravel gardens (especially front yards), we were recently a bit... surprised. We walked past a planned new development area, and at some of the neighboring older houses, there were “Stop soil sealing!” signs in front of them. Along the entire street, about 90% of the front yards were covered with gravel (including the house with the sign). I found that somewhat ironic. (In the new development, this would almost certainly be prohibited.)
I see new construction, especially of single-family homes close to the city, with somewhat mixed feelings (yes, I would like to own something myself, ideally a single-family house, but also, yes, there are definitely more environmentally sensible options). I can also understand that longtime neighbors aren’t necessarily happy when something is built right next to them. On the other hand, double standards are often applied in those cases.
Regarding gravel gardens (especially front yards), we were recently a bit... surprised. We walked past a planned new development area, and at some of the neighboring older houses, there were “Stop soil sealing!” signs in front of them. Along the entire street, about 90% of the front yards were covered with gravel (including the house with the sign). I found that somewhat ironic. (In the new development, this would almost certainly be prohibited.)
I see new construction, especially of single-family homes close to the city, with somewhat mixed feelings (yes, I would like to own something myself, ideally a single-family house, but also, yes, there are definitely more environmentally sensible options). I can also understand that longtime neighbors aren’t necessarily happy when something is built right next to them. On the other hand, double standards are often applied in those cases.
As someone uneducated in garden technology (;)), I found the notes that other types of planting can actually be much easier to maintain and cheaper quite helpful. Still, I would be completely lost at first about where to even start with something like this. Are there any reading recommendations or nice examples? For many gardens, my initial thought would probably be "this is a lot of work," simply because I have no way of estimating what requires a lot of effort and what doesn’t.
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