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.
I never said that if you want to do something for lizards, you should create a gravel garden. I just wanted to point out that such a garden is by no means a bad option and might even still be better than an impermeable concrete wasteland, which it is sometimes portrayed as here...
If there is already a lot of gravel or crushed stone there, then a prairie garden, alpine garden, or one with native wild plants would be a good option.
If you choose plants that have high requirements for soil and nutrient content, you will need to replace the soil, or you won’t be able to manage the work.
Gravel and crushed stone serve as good mulch for the right plants. Not every plant tolerates organic mulch. Groundcover plants on top will reduce weeds and unwanted plants significantly.
In theory, it is quite simple.
The right plant, in the right location, with no exposed soil = less maintenance.
Maybe start a separate thread about this.
If you choose plants that have high requirements for soil and nutrient content, you will need to replace the soil, or you won’t be able to manage the work.
Gravel and crushed stone serve as good mulch for the right plants. Not every plant tolerates organic mulch. Groundcover plants on top will reduce weeds and unwanted plants significantly.
In theory, it is quite simple.
The right plant, in the right location, with no exposed soil = less maintenance.
Maybe start a separate thread about this.
For those who don’t want to read through it themselves or simply don’t have the time to implement it: there are even people who do this professionally. Spending a few euros on a landscape gardener can drastically reduce follow-up costs in terms of work time in the garden. There are even some who really enjoy creating natural-style gardens.
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Fummelbrett!11 Apr 2022 17:30netuser schrieb:
For me personally, that would also be a good alternative 🙂
But don’t the neighbors complain about it? Or do they still greet you?The neighbors don’t say anything about it – there is a local access road between us and them. On their side, it’s just paving stones. And more paving stones. Then the houses, and behind them, a small garden.
(For this reason, we also decided to plant a hedge plus various shrubs and bushes on that side facing the access road, in addition to the fence, so the birds can enjoy our street again – before the dense development of three semi-detached houses on the other side, there used to be a great hedge and many trees there... there used to be!)
ypg schrieb:
@mayglow Gravel does not seal the ground.Yes, I was actually aware of that, so you’re right that the sign itself isn’t contradictory. But in the context of the discussion promoted by the poster, it does feel a bit contradictory... when people complain that this is a habitat for flora and fauna that would be lost due to the new development, or that it’s bad for the microclimate, the many front gardens covered with gravel (and in some cases with no plants at all) just don’t fit. To me, the sign seems somewhat symbolic, even though I could maybe have expressed that more clearly 😉They are of course not entirely wrong, but it does come across as somewhat questionable. And I don’t really believe that only gravel gardens would be allowed, because there were at least those two neighbors mentioned who didn’t follow that. The development plan for the new neighborhood hasn’t been finalized yet, so I can’t compare any regulations. However, when I look at similar areas here, front gardens with gravel coverings are generally prohibited.
Honestly, I don’t really care about the front gardens of the existing houses there 😉 except that I’ve realized for myself that this is not how I would want it (oops).
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