ᐅ Buying a Mini Excavator and Doing the Work Yourself vs. Hiring a Landscaping Contractor
Created on: 28 Nov 2022 07:16
D
DaveG74
Hello everyone!
We are currently building in Upper Franconia (the basement ceiling will be installed tomorrow) and the house is scheduled to be completed by summer 2023.
We started the project during challenging times (from initial planning to the start of construction, everything got about 25% more expensive), so the budget and contingency for landscaping has significantly shrunk. I still have a mid five-figure amount planned, but on one hand, additional costs will definitely arise, and on the other hand, that amount will hardly cover the nearly 2,500m² (27,000 sq ft) plot. Priorities need to be set, and these are the garage driveway (just under 90m² (970 sq ft)) and the path to the front door, where the funds will already be tight. However, this work should still be done by a professional.
For everything else (paths around the house, terrace, leveling the plot, redistributing the topsoil—which has been piled up in an 8m (26 ft) high mound, etc.), some DIY work will probably be necessary. I’m considering buying a mini excavator for this. It costs just under 10,000€ (about USD) which is much less than hiring a landscaping contractor, and it could be resold after one to one and a half years. It would be useful for all the earthworks and could also lift heavy L-shaped blocks or concrete curbstones, dig, and so on.
What do you think? Is this a reasonable approach?
Thanks for any feedback on this topic.
We are currently building in Upper Franconia (the basement ceiling will be installed tomorrow) and the house is scheduled to be completed by summer 2023.
We started the project during challenging times (from initial planning to the start of construction, everything got about 25% more expensive), so the budget and contingency for landscaping has significantly shrunk. I still have a mid five-figure amount planned, but on one hand, additional costs will definitely arise, and on the other hand, that amount will hardly cover the nearly 2,500m² (27,000 sq ft) plot. Priorities need to be set, and these are the garage driveway (just under 90m² (970 sq ft)) and the path to the front door, where the funds will already be tight. However, this work should still be done by a professional.
For everything else (paths around the house, terrace, leveling the plot, redistributing the topsoil—which has been piled up in an 8m (26 ft) high mound, etc.), some DIY work will probably be necessary. I’m considering buying a mini excavator for this. It costs just under 10,000€ (about USD) which is much less than hiring a landscaping contractor, and it could be resold after one to one and a half years. It would be useful for all the earthworks and could also lift heavy L-shaped blocks or concrete curbstones, dig, and so on.
What do you think? Is this a reasonable approach?
Thanks for any feedback on this topic.
This size is already suitable if
- the 8m (26 feet) mound has already been distributed
- the topsoil and most of the gravel have already been installed
- all shaping work has already been completed
- the L-shaped concrete blocks are only 60cm (24 inches) high, or are already in place
This size is used for digging small foundations, laying small trenches or pipelines, fine grading, and so on.
Look, your mound is four times as high as the small excavator...
- the 8m (26 feet) mound has already been distributed
- the topsoil and most of the gravel have already been installed
- all shaping work has already been completed
- the L-shaped concrete blocks are only 60cm (24 inches) high, or are already in place
This size is used for digging small foundations, laying small trenches or pipelines, fine grading, and so on.
Look, your mound is four times as high as the small excavator...
W
WilderSueden28 Nov 2022 09:20But if the prerequisites are met, he can also rent an excavator for a few days 😉
In der Ruine28 Nov 2022 10:03Alex124 schrieb:
That's even smaller than what I had imagined with toy models in mind. We call it a "motorized mini excavator". Well, the Beetbrüder can build entire garden landscapes with it in just a week.