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.
@mayglow
This reminds me of the "Save the Bees" petition in Bavaria. Those who fight every green space with various chemicals signed it because of the "evil" farmers using glyphosate.
Lawn/meadow has its purpose in play areas. Use one that can handle dry conditions. It simply won’t be a soft golf course lawn.
It’s complicated, and the information can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single book that covers everything.
First, check what your local building plan / planning permission requires regarding plants.
Think about what you want in your garden: a terrace, slide, trampoline, small raised bed, apple tree, greenhouse, pool, etc.
Set one or two main priorities for your garden. Mine are low watering—except for edible plants—low maintenance, and beneficial for insects and birds.
I can recommend something like prairie gardens.
The internet offers a lot of information. I find a balanced approach important. It doesn’t help if you become a militant natural gardener and don’t feel comfortable yourself. If you want to play golf in your garden, then you need that golf lawn. Just surround it with valuable natural areas.
My current project is my fruit area. I actually like traditional orchard meadows. You can’t really have that in a normal garden, so I’m doing a scaled-down version. Bush trees, berry hedges, espalier fruit trees, and in between a wildflower meadow. The wildflower meadow will be mowed only twice a year and won’t be watered once established. The berry hedge will act as a privacy screen for the public staircase. The trees produce a much lower yield than the large half-standard trees of a traditional orchard meadow. This way, I also don’t have the problem of ending up with several hundred kilograms of apples at once.
This reminds me of the "Save the Bees" petition in Bavaria. Those who fight every green space with various chemicals signed it because of the "evil" farmers using glyphosate.
Lawn/meadow has its purpose in play areas. Use one that can handle dry conditions. It simply won’t be a soft golf course lawn.
It’s complicated, and the information can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single book that covers everything.
First, check what your local building plan / planning permission requires regarding plants.
Think about what you want in your garden: a terrace, slide, trampoline, small raised bed, apple tree, greenhouse, pool, etc.
Set one or two main priorities for your garden. Mine are low watering—except for edible plants—low maintenance, and beneficial for insects and birds.
I can recommend something like prairie gardens.
The internet offers a lot of information. I find a balanced approach important. It doesn’t help if you become a militant natural gardener and don’t feel comfortable yourself. If you want to play golf in your garden, then you need that golf lawn. Just surround it with valuable natural areas.
My current project is my fruit area. I actually like traditional orchard meadows. You can’t really have that in a normal garden, so I’m doing a scaled-down version. Bush trees, berry hedges, espalier fruit trees, and in between a wildflower meadow. The wildflower meadow will be mowed only twice a year and won’t be watered once established. The berry hedge will act as a privacy screen for the public staircase. The trees produce a much lower yield than the large half-standard trees of a traditional orchard meadow. This way, I also don’t have the problem of ending up with several hundred kilograms of apples at once.
mayglow schrieb:
Are there any recommended readings or nice examples? Well, there are books! Books about new installations, small gardens, low-maintenance gardens, award-winning gardens, play gardens, and so on.
There are books about paving yourself, about perennials, about trees, about … you get the idea? 😉
Back then, I borrowed all the books from the library, bought some, and even had a subscription to Mein-Schöner-Garten, which was affordable.
Nowadays, everything is available online. Where to buy your plants as well. Plus, there is a lot of guidance online.
My front garden is also, like @haydee’s, almost low-maintenance because I planted 2–3 shrubs, perennials, and ground cover. Every year, the crocuses, daffodils, and similar flowering bulbs I bought get planted—they come back year after year.
I mean: it’s like cooking—you don’t just know how at first, but you have to learn. Appetite comes with the knowledge that there’s more than just salt and pepper.
The time spent sitting in an armchair reading the newspaper doesn’t exist with a house, just like it doesn’t with childcare.
mayglow schrieb:
Along the entire street, about 90% of the front yards were just gravel (including the house with the sign). I found that a bit ironic somehow.Are they actually gravel front yards or driveways? By the way: You can always start by seeding grass everywhere. Over the years, you have more time for the garden and can plan a bit. You might realize that the patio is windy and bare, so you search online and then plant some shrubs and perennials. Then you see something at a neighbor’s and take more turf. Next, you wonder where to put the turf and build a raised bed. Children come along and say they are growing beans at daycare. So you start sowing carrots and radishes with the child… and so on 🙂
haydee schrieb:
@mayglow
I can recommend something like prairie gardens.Since we are in a similar situation as Mayglow, I just searched for "prairie garden" and came across a book titled "The Garden for Smart Lazy People." I think that might be exactly the kind of garden we want 🙂
F
Fummelbrett!11 Apr 2022 14:33As an interim solution, we sowed clover on an area of about 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft). Originally, this was just to improve the soil for the upcoming lawn – but by now we are very impressed with the clover. It is very dense, very green, stays low, and feels great.
Fummelbrett! schrieb:
As a temporary solution, we sowed clover on an area of about 200 sqm (2150 sq ft). Actually, it was just to improve the soil for the following lawn – but by now, we are very impressed with the clover. Very dense, very green, stays low, and feels great.For me personally, that would also be a good alternative 🙂 But don’t the neighbors complain about it? Or do they still say hello to you?
Similar topics