Find out how much the landscaping will cost you on an Irish self-build project, from design to installation.
In this article we cover:
- What you can expect from a garden designer
- How much a garden designer costs
- What garden plans include
- How much to set aside for landscaping
- Difference between hard and soft landscaping
When embarking on a home build, it’s tempting to mentally file your garden plans under ‘to be sorted out later’ and that’s fine. But it’s a better idea to at least plan ahead, even if you don’t have the funds to start straight away.
Once seen as a luxury, garden design is recognised as adding value to your property. It’s also a vital step in creating an indoors and outdoors that fosters your family’s mental and physical
wellbeing.
What can you expect from a garden designer?
A good garden designer will produce a set of plans drawn to scale that you can implement right away, or in stages over a period of several years if that suits you better. Your designer’s job is to figure out what will work best for you, and make sure this aligns with your plans for the house, as well as being feasible in your site and location. Commissioning a set of plans means you can be certain that if you
complete some parts of the garden now and leave others till later, you’re working towards a coherent
plan that ultimately covers every aspect of your space, with each element in the right spot and with the right proportions/ dimensions.
What do garden plans include?
A comprehensive set of garden plans typically includes a layout plan showing all the hard and soft landscaping elements in relation to the house itself. Your package should include separate planting
plans, and the designer should ensure that all plants specified, (hedges for screening, trees for height and/or shelter, and ornamentals to look good), reflect your own aesthetic preferences and are suitable for your site.
Conditions from one site to another can vary hugely, even in the same area – your garden could be sheltered or exposed, prone to salty sea winds, frost pockets or flooding, and contain soil that’s well drained and rocky, or damp and loamy. You can see the temptation to put off even thinking about it until you absolutely have to.
If this sounds bewildering, don’t worry – your designer can provide a mood board with carefully selected images to help you visualise the garden and see how it will work for you.
By thinking about the garden and engaging with your garden designer early on, you can make sure
that paths and patios near the house are in the best location and are the right size. The designer should
consider which doors you’ll use the most to move from house to garden, shed or office, and how these need to link with parking.
Views from inside should be considered and if screening with plants is needed adequate space can
be assigned, even if ground preparation and planting happens later.
All of this helps prevent expensive mistakes that you may regret further on, and if you want your builder to install some of the paving or complete some of the groundworks, you’ll have a plan to work from and discuss with them, allowing you to make the most of the manpower and machinery on site while you have them
Hard landscaping refers to paving and building so includes patios, paths, steps, walls, raised beds and driveway and parking spaces.
Soft Landscaping includes planting and sometimes water, so lawns, trees, hedging, and ornamental planting such as areas of shrubs and perennials to bring the garden to life.
How much does it cost?
Home builders typically invest from €3,000 and upwards in their garden design, for a detached home on a half acre site or larger, with design costs for projects varying according to the size of the site and
complexity of the project.
The cost of implementing your garden design will obviously depend on the paving materials chosen,
the amount needed, and the plants selected, as well as additional features. Expect to allow in the region of €200 per square metre for the supply and installation of paving as a rough guide, so an average sized patio / seating area, which is one of the first things many people look to do, could typically take anywhere from €5,000 to €10,000 of your budget.
