ᐅ Garden Planning – No Budget

Hello,
I know the title is a bit provocative. Let’s just say the goal is to spend as little as possible.

Background (can be skipped):
A part of our household income is suddenly at risk, meaning it has already been slightly reduced and will unfortunately continue to be uncertain, possibly significantly, in the future.
The new construction is already underway (shell/roof/windows are in place).
We will complete the house with the secured portion of our income and be able to pay it off long-term.

However, not only is luxury out of the question, but there is basically no budget left for the garden and outdoor areas. “Basically” because I still need to sit down with my husband at some point and figure out concretely what we can or want to spend. The house construction is still ongoing, and you never really know exactly how much things will cost in the end. We definitely have 10 € left, maybe 100 €, maybe even 1,000 € or 3,000 €. I just don’t know right now.
Several friends have spent tens of thousands on landscaping and garden. My parents have a tiny garden where they simply planted some plants from the hardware store — that’s it. Otherwise, we have no experience.

Exactly because expenses should be kept as low as possible, the absolute priorities need to be clearly defined.

What I see as priorities so far:
* Paths so you can go outside without walking through mud. (Front door/garage/garbage bins)
* Ground cover in the front garden so passersby don’t complain about a thistle wasteland. (Ground cover plant, not the passersby.)
* Things that are much easier to do now because later access to the site may be difficult or because construction equipment can still be used now. (Example: leveling the site, moving large items into the garden)
* Privacy screening – We want a large tree in the garden (in the long term) to protect us from being overlooked from the neighbor’s upper floor. Also possibly a hedge or bushes along the street side.
* Soil improvement. Heavy clay soil with little topsoil. Preparing it so plants can grow well in the long term is more important to me than terraces, walls, fences, fountains, garden furniture, sculptures, etc.
* At least one rain barrel. (We cut out a cistern for cost reasons.)

Conditions:

• Plot size minus house and garage about 680 sqm (7,320 sq ft)

• What is still included in the turnkey contract:

* Granite step in front of the front door
* Outdoor water tap
* Extension of about 7 sqm (75 sq ft) at the back of the garage with access to the garden
* Topsoil to be redistributed and leveled
* The garage driveway will be paved (permeable surface required)
* Some outdoor lights on the house exterior walls

• My father would simply pave an area where the “terrace” is planned.

• The house and garage are white with gray and anthracite elements, so I would like to keep all outdoor areas in shades of gray.

Now some specific questions:

• A local landscape architect offers to be hired for just a few hours and charges travel and hourly rates.
• Has anyone done something like this before?
• Different shades of gray in various brightness levels and surface textures can be nicely combined, right?
• What might soil improvement for 600 sqm (6,460 sq ft) cost? I assume sand and good topsoil/humus need to be sourced and transported, possibly spread with machinery. Does anyone have experience and an approximate ballpark figure?
• The tree should already be larger. 2 m (6.5 ft) is not a problem price-wise, but that’s basically just a stick with three leaves. I need to see if we can afford something a bit broader. I can get tree prices, but what should I expect to pay for transportation, professional preparation of the planting hole, and planting?
• What is a cost-effective alternative for paths? Gravel paths? Maybe with those plastic honeycomb grids underneath to hopefully keep the stones in place long-term (experiences welcome)? Simply placing individual concrete slabs? How does the option of embedding stepping stones into a gravel path compare financially?
• What should be considered when selecting stones for the garage driveway and terrace?

I’m looking forward to suggestions on what to focus on, what can be skipped, and regarding materials, what to pay attention to even at a lower budget to get good value for money and something that will last long term.
What costs nothing (like a color scheme or keeping paths short) but still makes a difference?

Thank you for your effort and best regards