Cost to landscape a garden from scratch?

OnFire

I was chatting to someone recently, and they’d been told that to landscape a garden from scratch (this garden includes a swimming pool, shed, concreting and a retaining wall) is likely to cost then $100,000 once they are finished.

I was a bit shocked by this, as I need to landscape the garden for our new house. So far we’ve spent about $15,000, and that’s only for concreting the driveway and alfresco. Still have a bit more concreting to do, and we don’t have any topsoil.

For anyone that’s landscaped recently, what costs were involved?

CassandraNORI

I think a pool being included in that cost would take up a lot of the budget. Concreting does cost a lot. We have recently done a heap of work on our backyard, but we did all the work ourselves so saved a significant amount in labour (cost to my back though - paving is hard!). We did an above ground permanent pool, pool fencing, paving, lawn, sunken fire pit area, new patio (didn’t do that ourselves). I think we’ve spent approximately $9000 on all the above bar the patio. Patio cost $13,000 all inclusive.

BloodyMary

We had a quote for some paving and a timber pergola and ruled it out quick smart. Way more expensive than I imagined.

Camokat

BloodyMary

Roughly how much were you quoted for the pergola? We are looking at putting one up, but DH’s DIY skills are more DDIY.

CassandraNORI

Yep timber - pergolas/decking etc - gets expensive really quickly. Even with a handy DH who could do all the labour himeself just the materials are $$

DYNAR

In my town there is a supported employment organisation who will do the labour for your plan in order to teach people with disabilities trades and they very often then get them jobs with relevant employers in town. At my last house I had two concrete paths laid (not really long), three garden beds built (the kids and I planted those out), the front lawn renovated and seed put down out the back for a fraction of the cost the landscaper quoted. My son was three and they were all so lovely as he “helped” level the new soil ready for the seed.

I am going to use them again for this house we’re building but it’s a much smaller yard so I’m having turf laid.

WidowWyncke

Concreting is so expensive,I had no idea until we needed a large area done.

Chookas

Concreting is hideously expensive! We just spent $40k on a new driveway 🤯 it’s big though and all reinforced, just a massive amount of concrete.

Longdarkteatime

We have 2 bits of our backyard re-landscaped and I remember even a small section of paving with bricks coming in at about $1000. A knee height retaining wall cost thousands.