Landscaping your new home

As we all know, a new home is not complete without landscaping, so, when building has concluded, your next project will be to tackle the design and planting of your exterior spaces.

So where do you start? The first thing to decide is who will manage your landscaping project? Can you manage it yourself or will you hire a professional to do the job? For many people, hiring a professional is the best solution, however, with a little garden know-how and the following helpful hints, you might feel confident to tackle the outdoors after all.

Local councils and property developers have specific guidelines about what you can and can’t do. Finding out what these are before you design your outdoor areas will save you from making costly mistakes.

If you have, or are planning on having children or pets, you willneed to ensure the outdoor spaces are safe and accommodating of their needs, for example – do you need to include space to play, ride scooters or house a trampoline? If you are an entertainer, perhaps a dedicated seating area or a fire pit may be at the top of your wish list.

Another important consideration in today’s busy world is time – how much time do you want to spend maintaining your garden? If your time is taken up with family activities and work, then you need to ensure you go for low maintenance options.

When adding up the costs of a new build, the landscaping is oftenforgotten. It’s easy to get lost in trying to choose the perfect floorplan and decor, but the truth is, landscaping can have a huge effect on the look and feel of your home, not to mention, the value of your completed property.

So, make sure you allocate a proportion of your overall budget to your landscaping, and if you’re not sure how much, speak to you Content Living Building Consultant, who can help with your calculations.

With so much garden inspiration on social media and in magazines, you might feel overwhelmed with choice; but by thinking about the above lifestyle considerations, as well as the overarching style of your home, you’re ready to start creating your design.

Begin by sketching a detailed plan of your home and property, which includes accurate measurements. This will clearly illustrate the space you have to work with and allow you to be realistic about what will fit. If you need to factor in alfresco areas, group seating areas or even a firepit, make sure you include it in the design.

Add to this the areas that require planting and any preferred trees, shrubs or flower species. Your local garden nursery can help you determine which of your chosen plants are the most suited to your location, lifestyle needs and budget and how many of each you will require.

When choosing any type of trees, be sure to find out what the mature height is expected to be and plant a safe distance from your home to avoid future damage. Plants and smaller shrubs also need to be chosen carefully, they may start off tiny but can expand considerably and have the potential to damage underground pipes. You will also need to make sure that whatever you pick is suited to environmental conditions. Living in Western Australia obviously means a warmer climate, so choose trees and plants that will thrive in dry and hot weather. The healthier and happier your garden is, the faster it will reach a mature stage and look how you imagined.

Your local plant nursery is a wealth of information and can help you make the right decisions.

Good landscape design can undoubtedly increase the value of your new home. If you need more inspiration, then visit one of our many display homes for great ideas on how to plan the perfect outdoor spaces for your property.