My adventures in homeownership started in the Spring 2020 edition of Pathfinder Magazine when my husband and I detailed how we turned our house hunting nightmare into our dream home. Our family absolutely loves our home and we’re thankful for the (at times, exhausting) journey that got us to where we always wanted to be.
If you missed the Spring 2020 edition of Pathfinder Magazine, you can read about our home buying experience here.
When the snow thawed and the leaves started to bud, our new backyard was on full display for the first time. My husband and I stood side-by-side, ready to admire our … GIANT MUD PIT?
Hardly a backyard, we were looking at the task of cleaning up 30-something years of neglect. It was daunting. Without question, leaving it as-is was going to be an issue with three boys all under the age of 9 years old. It was time to get my hands dirty without making a mess of our budget. Every yard and situation is different, but here are some tricks and tips I discovered while overhauling mine.
Establishing your budget
Your backyard project should start here. Landscaping can get expensive in a hurry, so be prepared with an honest budget. Having wrestled with landscaping expenses in the past, we built an overage number into our budget. That way we’d try our best to stay disciplined but had a safety net available if our planning somehow began to unravel.
When you sell your house and purchase a new one, it’s always a good idea to look around your new place to identify areas that may require you to dip into your finances. If you can, set money aside from the proceeds of your sale to accommodate those potential expenses.
For us, it was the backyard. So, we set aside $1,000 to spruce it up and make it usable space for our kids. $1,000 was our total budget, so we tried to only spend $800, allowing for $200 of just-in-case overages.
It goes without saying that every landscaping project is different. Here are a few ways we stayed within our budget.
1. Choosing plants
When it comes to choosing the perfect plants for your landscaping project, consider the following:
Consider perennials
These plants come back every year, so you won’t have to break the budget over and over again for something beautiful. Hostas, peonies and daylilies are some great low-maintenance beauties that add a nice pop of color to any project.
Ask around
Before you head out to purchase anything, check with family, friends and neighbors first. Many perennials need to be pruned in the fall or spring to keep the plant healthy, and the parts that have been cut back can be replanted. Probably 90% of my backyard plants were transplanted from neighbors. Based on big box store prices, we saved around $200 by replanting things we had gotten for free.
2. Landscaping mulch vs. landscaping rocks
One of the easiest ways to improve your curb appeal is to makeover your landscaping beds with new mulch or rock. Landscaping rock looks great and is far less maintenance than mulch, which will fade and need to be readdressed year after year — but rock can become costly. Your budget will feel the effect of this expense, so plan accordingly.
Either way you go, purchase your material in bulk. Our budget allowed for a limited amount of rock, so we utilized mulch for the vast majority of the project. Mulch or rock by the bag can range from $3-6. Trust me, you WILL be disappointed when you see the tiny amount you get when you empty those bags. We purchased our mulch from the City and had it delivered. We were thrilled.
3. Get creative
Bargain hunt
For one reason or another, we’re all more than willing to pay sticker price when it comes to landscaping projects. Treat your landscaping budget like you would any other purchase. Shop for a good deal. Subscribe to your big box store’s newsletters. Download store apps to keep an eye out for bargains. One bargain I stumbled on was a 2-for-1 deal on concrete bullet edgers. I was able to upgrade the material for this part of the project by waiting for the sale price.
Look online
Lastly, look to Pinterest. It’s fun to live in a world where so many frugal (but beautiful) landscaping ideas are available. Do some research before picking up a shovel. Even something as simple as laying down an outdoor rug or hanging a string of lights can create visual interest and work to jazz up a basic deck. The affordable design ideas are endless.