Your landscape designer's plan is a dream, but what if the landscaping costs are a nightmare?
By using your own muscle and doing some yard prep work, you can save money on outdoor home improvement projects involving decks, patios, plants and landscaping.
You can stop daydreaming about the project. We asked a Charlotte-area landscaper how to reduce a landscaping project's pricetag when you can't bear the thought of cutting back on design or materials.
Put on those work gloves, says Andrey Fleyshman, a landscape designer for highly rated Fun Outdoor Living of Indian Trail, North Carolina. Customers can save some money, especially on the front end of the project, if they’re willing to dig into some landscaping tasks themselves.
Here are three ways to scratch some charges off the final bill:
Prep the project
One the most time-consuming parts of any landscape job is getting the grounds ready. Customers can save time and labor for landscaping crews by clearing the area of plants, trees and structures.
How clear should it be?
“If you're able to dig up the area and get to actual clay, that’s great,” Fleyshman says. “That’s where my workers are going to start.”
Dig up, replant, repeat
Pulling up and relocating plants and small trees will not only save on some labor charges, but reusing plants is certainly less expensive than buying new ones.
“Planting is another big one,” Fleyshman says. “If you can relocate it, or at least get it out of the way for us, that'll help.”
Many plants, such as boxwood shrubs, are hardy enough to survive a move across the yard. Look for ways to incorporate existing greenery into your new design, but make sure to do your research to see which plants can handle the transplant.
Here are some basic planting techniques to help your tree survive.
Clean up by cleaning up
Customers can save themselves hundreds of dollars in landscaping costs just by hauling away or repurposing materials, such as brick from an old patio or lumber from an old deck. “That saves both time and not having to haul things away someplace,” Fleyshman says.
Ask your landscape professional what you can do to save money. Many are willing to work with customers who want to do some work themselves. “From there,” Fleyshman says. “it's letting the experts take over.”
Still need some lawn and yard work help? Don't forget to check out the landscaping Big Deals in Charlotte to see what special offers are available this time of year.
