A Guide To Gardening And Landscaping Costs in Australia
Landscaping is a great way of improving your home’s appearance and increasing its potential sale value. Landscaping takes various forms and can range from installing a lawn, trees, flowers and shrubs to creating a shade, outdoor decking or a gazebo.
The cost depends on the project scope and the complexity of the structures you want installed. The size of the area you want covered, cost of material and the number of laborers & their skill levels also determines the cost of landscaping.
How much does landscaping cost?
Landscaping cost involves various aspects, labor being a primary one. You can choose to pay landscapers on hourly rates, ranging from $ 20 per hour to $300 per hour depending on the complexity of work and the skills required.
The cost of landscaping varies among the different landscapers available. It’s therefore essential to consult your landscaper on the design cost you’re going for before getting started with the landscaping activities, especially if it’s a complicated one.
However, if it’s a simple design or you’re improving on your already existing landscaping structures, you can go ahead and work with laborers alone.
Here are some general high level costs for different landscaping activities/ structures:
• Fencing: $ 500 -$ 700/ meter
• Installing new lawn and a retaining wall: $3,000-$ 5,000
• Outdoor kitchen: $ 5000-$ 1,0000
• Planting new trees and shrubs: $ 1500- $ 5000
• Planting flowers: $ 300-$ 3000
• Deck construction: $4000- $8000
• Patio installation: $ 2000- $ 5000
• Walkway installation: $7- $ 19 per square foot
• Building a Pergola: $ 3000- $ 5000
How much does it cost to fence a garden?
The cost of fencing your garden narrows down to two factors:
i. The size of the fence you want installed
ii. The type of fencing you choose
The cost of fencing is charged per meter and on average, it costs $ 75/ meter for simple fencing such as pine paling fence and $ 1000 for timber fence.
You can also get an in-between cost for your garden fence when you choose to use an iron or brick fence. This may cost you on average, $400-$600 per meter.
How much does it cost to install the grass?
When it comes to installing grass, you have two options:
i. Instant lawn
ii. Start-up from seeds
The instant lawn is beneficial if you can’t wait for about two years for your grass seeds to grow into a good lawn.
The cost of instant lawn is charged per square foot and can be as little as $ 25 per square foot. However, installing an instant lawn may cost you more in the long run, especially due to the maintenance cost until it’s fully installed, compared to starting with grass seeds.
Other factors influencing lawn installation cost include:
• Ground prep work
• Shape of the area
• Access to the site
• Landscape obstacles
What’s also worth consideration would be the synthetic grass which has become more and more popular in the last a few years. It is a cost effective option, compared to natural lawn. Synthetic grass also has lower maintenance as well.
Water element costs
Water elements are another way of making your landscaping attractive. You can add water elements such as:
• Pools
• Waterfalls
• Fountains
• Ponds
The cost of the water elements varies depending on the complexity of the element. For example, installing a simple fountain costs $ 2,150 on average and a pond costs around $ 8200.
Other factors that influence the cost of installing water elements include:
• The size of the water feature
• Hardscape features needed in the water element
• The water element’s size
Outdoor lighting expenses
The outdoor lighting expenses help increase the time you spend in your outdoor living space. The outdoor lighting increases safety and adds an element of ambiance.
On average, installing outdoor lighting expenses can cost you $ 3500-$ 4500.
Landscaping ahead of selling
Landscaping ahead of selling your home is important in making a good first impression to the buyer. Buyers love a well landscaped and maintained compound where they can enjoy their free time with friends and family. Consider the following tips:
• When landscaping ahead of selling, you need to consult home selling agents to know current demands for home buyers.
• Plan and start working on your landscaping early for the structures to take shape before the time of sale.
• Accessorize by adding colorful flowers to make your home bright and visually attractive.
• Use simple designs to avoid landscaping attracting too much cost.
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Conclusion
As evident from this post, landscaping and gardening costs can vary wildly. It’s thus essential to work with an outline of the design you want and the estimated budget to avoid overspending. The size of your yard, the materials, and the design’s complexity are the main factors that influence the cost of landscaping and gardening. You can work around these factors to make the price fit your budget.
