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Have some garden design ideas? When undertaking a project such as designing a new garden, you’ll want to make sure you’re spending your money in the best possible way. The principles to achieving this remain the same no matter how big or small your project…
1. MAKE A PLAN
First and foremost it goes without saying, MAKE A PLAN! You wouldn’t embark upon building a house without designing and planning it out first and the same goes for garden design.
It is considerably cheaper to change things that don’t work on paper than something that’s half built. By producing a drawing and a list of materials/products to obtain (a specification) you can establish the length of time and cost to complete a project. You should consider exactly what you want from your garden; is to be formal or informal? Do you want it to be low maintenance? Do you want it to be child friendly? Do you want it to attract wildlife? And so on… All of these questions must be answered and included in the design to ensure the best possible finished product.
This is where the expertise of a garden designer can add so much value. They have the skill set required to plan and cost a project to meet your needs in terms of design and budget.
2. GET CREATIVE
Garden furniture can quickly eat up your garden re-design budget. You can make your money go further by finding cheaper (or free) readily available alternatives. How? Think outside the box, re-claim and up-cycle. As well as saving money, it’s a great way to make your garden unique and personal. Here are some clever examples to get you started.
Tire Seat
from UrbanGardensWeb
Pallet Furniture
from TimberPackingCases
Breeze Block Seat
Image from Pinterest
Bath Seats
From Pinterest
3. SPEND YOUR BUDGET WISELY
Discuss with your designer which parts of your ‘ideal’ garden will be costly and labour intensive, so you can make an informed decision to keep it in, reduce or remove it from your plans.
The biggest cost is often the labour. Hard landscaping i.e. paving, decking and walls tends to be the most labour intensive so consider keeping it to a minimum.
4. USE A PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER
It pays to get professional advice from a good garden designer. They can help you realise your ambitions for your garden, whilst helping control your costs.
The designer’s fees are often small in comparison to the cost of the project and their expertise will result in money being saved throughout the process. Whether that’s via them ensuring you get a good price from contractors or through careful planning and the application of their skills to avoid expensive aspects of a design, it will be worth it!
Advice on how to set a realistic budget and the cost of a garden designer
5. MORE IDEAS…
For more ideas, the team at First Tunnels have produced a great piece which explains how to keep costs down in a spring garden. You can check it out below:-
https://blog.firsttunnels.co.uk/costs-down-spring-garden/
If you have any further questions about starting your garden project, you can drop us an email on support@designfor-me.com and we’ll see if we can help!
Angus, Design for Me
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