Where to Invest Your Budget in a Landscape Renovation

Where to Invest Your Budget in a Landscape Renovation


When deciding where to invest your budget in a landscape redesign, it is important to consider a master plan, high-impact elements, long-lasting materials, outdoor furniture and more. A master plan will act as a blueprint for your yard, with a complete mapping of plants, hardscape, shade structures, water features and anything else you're planning to include. Even if you don't plan to renovate your entire landscape at once, consider commissioning a master plan for what you'd like to achieve with your outdoor space. With a complete master plan, a client can break a project into logical and affordable phases of construction. Most homeowners hire a landscape architect or designer to draw up a master plan, which can range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Investing in a full master plan from the start can lead to cost savings down the line. Skilled artisans and installers are key to ensuring proper installation of a landscape plan. Heather Sweeney of Mom's Design Build designed this cottage-style landscape outside a home in Minneapolis, featuring a new custom arbor and pathways made of a mix of pavers and brick. The decisions to repurpose materials and refinish the existing white picket fence, rather than installing a new one, helped save Sweeney's clients' budget without compromising style.