With Summer pretty much here already, the outdoor renovation season is upon us! Whether making improvements to the exterior of your home or adding installations to your yard, project costs can add up quickly between the materials, labor, and time required to complete the job. While it’s important to work towards your dream finished product, it’s equally as important to understand the financial impact that comes alongside landscaping renovations. If you’re looking to cross a project off your list this summer, here are five tips to ensure you stay within your budget.
Utilize a Landscaping Software Application
When it comes to landscaping projects, half of the battle comes during the design phase. Regardless of your ideas about how your space will look, without proper planning and accurate measurements, it can be extremely difficult to turn your vision into a reality. For large-scale renovations, it’s crucial to ensure everything is to scale. The last thing you want is to get to the installation stage and realize things don’t fit properly, or that you don’t have enough room to put in your new purchases..
Many homeowners find it useful to utilize a landscape design application to assist them with the planning process. When using a design app, you can envision your space virtually and craft different outcomes for how you want your landscape to look upon completion. Aside from the benefits in terms of design, this solution can help reduce costs by cutting out the expenses typically involved with hiring an outside contractor. Provided with the proper vision and adequate measurements and materials needed, you can tackle your home project with confidence.
Establish a Set Budget
Given that even the simplest landscaping jobs have the potential to carry significant costs, you’ll want to be proactive about the financial aspect of your project. Creating a comprehensive budget and sticking to it is key to avoiding overspending to complete your project. The use of a personal budgeting app is a great way to accomplish this while holding yourself accountable. Take note of all expected expenses for your landscaping project including the tools, materials, and potential labor costs. In doing so, it’s important to be realistic about your space and the type of renovation you can afford.
Budgeting will allow you to financially prepare yourself for anything that may come your way. Although some homeowners may have the money to finance a renovation on their own, others may need to consider alternative sources like a personal loan to acquire the necessary funds. While a loan may come with more payback terms, it allows you to complete the project on your own without having to sacrifice quality to save money and truly create the landscape of your dreams.
No matter how you choose to finance your landscape renovation, starting with a comprehensive budget prior to deciding on the best payment method for your situation is a smart way to complete the job while ensuring your financial health.
Rent or Borrow The Required Tools
The tools needed for a landscaping project can surprise you with how expensive they can be. Depending on the scale of your renovation, you may need additional heavy machinery on top of traditional tools to get the job done. Renting landscaping tools as opposed to buying can assist you in lowering your overall expenses and avoid leaving you with random landscaping tools that take up space after your project is completed.
Borrowing from outside sources like friends or family is another option that could save you money while still providing the necessary tools for the job. Although you’ll likely still need to rent or purchase some equipment on your own, asking the people in your life who would be willing to lend you their equipment for free can be an easy hack to your landscaping renovation.
Lean On Family & Friends For Help
Hiring an outside contractor is a common option for many people undergoing exterior renovations, but it’s certainly not the only way. By thinking outside the box, you can cut out the middleman and reduce your labor expenses for the project. In the same way that you should consider asking friends and family if they might have any tools to borrow, leaning on them for assistance in the construction of your landscape is worth a shot. Provided that they are willing and able to help, you can offer to pay them for their services and still be saving money as opposed to hiring an external labor source.
Especially for landscaping renovations designed to improve the entertainment value of your outdoor space, including your loved ones in the project not only gives them a shared sense of pride in the space but makes them want to come back and enjoy it more.
If you do task your friends and loved ones to help you, do make sure that you have the proper landscaping safety equipment and practices in place to ensure that nobody gets injured while helping you.
Set Aside Other Home Projects
While a landscape improvement is likely not the only renovation on your to-do list, it’s beneficial to focus on tackling one thing at a time. Whether big or small, any home task is a large undertaking if you’re doing it yourself and doing it right.
In setting aside your time and money one project at a time, you will reduce the stress on both your mental and financial health, allowing you to fully enjoy your upgraded home environment before tasking yourself with the next installation.
It’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed when tackling home renovation projects, but you don’t have to go at it alone. With a little design help and proper planning, you can transform your backyard into one of your home’s most functional and desirable areas - without breaking the bank to do so!
Download iScape now and create landscape designs that improve curb appeal and transform gardens. iScape it!
