Careful financial planning is key to the success of any landscape project. Like any big investment, it provides a clear sense of direction, which can be incredibly helpful when you’re in the early stages of planning your outdoor space. A key aspect of the financial planning for your landscaping venture is establishing a budget, yet it’s often overlooked. In today’s blog, we’ll talk about why having a landscape budget is important and offer some tips on how to create one.
What would you do if theoretically, you had all the money in the world? You’d spend it, right? Well, that’s kind of what it feels like when you’re working without a budget. Having a landscape budget in place provides a set of guidelines you can follow, ensuring you don’t overspend.
When you partner with a professional landscaping company like Tree Amigos, you’ll also receive a detailed breakdown of the materials, supplies, and equipment needed, along with estimated labour costs, helping you understand the expenses of each aspect of your project. Having this detailed list in hand ensures that mistakes like buying the wrong materials, which could lead to overspending, are avoided at all costs.
Going in with a clear landscape design budget allows experts to craft a plan tailored specifically to your financial situation. They’ll adjust material costs, labour, and design to fit your budget, making sure every dollar is well spent. At the end of the day, our goal is for you to enjoy your space without worrying about exceeding your budget. The last thing we want at Tree Amigos is for your outdoor space to cause you stress!
Cluttering your landscape with every design project imaginable isn’t the key to increasing curb appeal or your satisfaction. As Jane Austen once said, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Only in this case, the cooks are landscape design elements, and the broth is your property. As landscape experts, we know better than anyone, that there’s a certain flow that comes from a well-designed space. And just because a design element looks good online or in a magazine, doesn’t mean it’s right for your space. It might require some fine-tuning to adapt to the unique characteristics of your property. This is one of the perks of working with our highly experienced and educated landscape designers. Skilled at knowing what to put where to get exceptional results, the landscape design is the most important part of the entire installation process, setting the scene for seamless installation and an awe-inspiring end result.
Before we start any project at Tree Amigos, we have a chat about your ideas and budget. Our landscape designers will then work alongside you to create a design that meets both. To do so, we may have to cross off or delay a few items on your landscape project wish list. It may take some back and forth, but we won’t stop until you’re completely satisfied, and once you are, we’ll get right to work. Equipped with a sufficient budget and an award-winning professional landscaping company like Tree Amigos, you can rest assured your project will stay on course throughout the entire process, reducing the risk of delays, complications, and overspending.
A general rule of thumb is to spend 10 percent of your home’s value on landscaping expenses.
But as you can imagine, each landscaping project is as unique as the home itself. While there is no set cost for these projects, there is a set of factors that come into play when landscapers calculate quotes. Here are some of the most common factors known to impact the cost of a landscape project:
The first step in developing your landscape budget is to take stock of what you currently have. If you haven’t done so already, complete a landscape site analysis. Essentially a complete overview of your existing property, completing a site analysis can help open your eyes to how much is currently lying dormant on your landscape. Sure, these things might need some pruning, weeding, or relocating, but they can all be brought back to life with some patience and a little help from the pros at Tree Amigos! While assessing the space, also decide on how you plan to utilize it. Is it your primary home? Vacation home? Making this distinction will help guide you and your landscaping expenses.
Before any serious work begins, make two lists: what you want and what your property needs. This will help you set some priorities that will make questions like, “Should I fork out the big bucks on an expansive water feature or finally put these drainage problems to rest” a no-brainer.
One of the first questions professional landscaping companies often ask is how you see yourself utilizing this space. Are you the life of the party, outdoor cookout with friends and family every weekend, or are you more of a laid-back, book-in-hand relaxing in a hammock kind of homeowner? Save photos of outdoor spaces you like and some you don’t to highlight what you’re trying to achieve and what you want to avoid.
Don’t forget, part of your landscaping budget is for expenses that may not be as exciting as say a new outdoor kitchen, but nonetheless, still need to be done. From irrigation and privacy screening to landscape lighting, these practical landscape projects not only work to improve the value of your property but also your overall quality of life. In addition to outlining individual landscaping activities you want to prioritize; make a note of which sections of your property you’d like to concentrate on. Based on your property’s current needs and your landscape budget, you may want to focus on the entire front, back and sides, or if you have a tighter budget and/or a larger piece of property you may want to split it up into smaller sections.
If your landscaping project ideas seem like altogether, they may put too much of a dent in your wallet, reassess your priorities and focus on the most important section first. As the years go by, you can continue to save up and as your finances permit, narrow down your list without exhausting your landscape design budget.
Be open and honest with landscape professionals about how much you can afford. To get a general idea of what things cost, use our Build a Budget tool. Simply add your desired projects and their respective sizes to receive your estimate with Tree Amigos. Keep in mind, that this tool is designed for general project budgeting purposes only and will not necessarily include different styles and selection of material options. Once we start to design the project, we will then be able to provide a more detailed and accurate quote.
Test out our Build a Budget tool here.
Even if you’ve demonstrated a green thumb and prided yourself on being a bit of a DIY connoisseur in the past, it’s best to leave your outdoor landscape to the professionals. Trusting a professional landscape company can save you from costly mistakes and introduce fresh ideas you might not have considered. With a professional, you’ll get a detailed plan guiding you toward your vision, ensuring success the first time around. Investing in quality landscaping also adds as much as 15 percent to the overall value of your home, so it’s worth hiring the best.
Have a landscape budget in mind? Let us handle the rest. Proudly serving clients throughout the Niagara Region for over 20 years, Tree Amigos creates and maintains personalized outdoor spaces designed to inspire you. Whether you’re looking to impress with a new front entrance, construct a patio area, or create an entire outdoor living space, our educated and experienced team is set to bring your dreams to reality. Ready to transform your outdoor space with professional landscaping? Request a quote today to get started.
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