Backyard Landscaping

One of the greatest, and possibly worst, things about having a backyard is that it is so tempting to make changes. These changes are usually referred to as backyard landscaping. For the most part, landscaping (whether it is backyard or not) can be a great opportunity to increase the property value of your home; while also improving the look of your home.

As you can imagine (or even know from experience) doing any kind of backyard landscaping can quickly become a huge and overwhelming task. Use these guidelines to ensure that you know what you are getting into, and so that your project will actually be a fairly easy one.

• Work with what you got. Unless you have really deep pockets and you don't' care about the cost, chances are you are going to have a budget on your backyard landscaping project. One of the best ways that you can keep the general cost of the project down is to work as much as possible with what is already in place. This doesn't mean that you leave everything the same, but rather that you find new and creative uses for what you already have. For example, do you have an old oak tree that you aren't exactly sure what you can do with? Well, two suggestions that you could use would be to either install a swing, or if you have kids you could install a tree house. Both will increase the attractiveness of your home, and both are working with what you already have.
• Talk to fellow home landscapers. Other home improvement and home landscapers are a wonderful source of inspiration and information, so don't forget to contact them. If you are not aware of where you can meet some, go to your local home improvement store, and check out when the next classes are. Sign up for a few of these classes, and begin learning and networking. You will be amazed at not only what you can learn, but the potential new friends that you can make as well.
• Be careful not to be overwhelmed. When undertaking any new project, you need to be careful about not attempting to do too much. Finding yourself overwhelmed, and unable to know which direction to take next, can lead you to making some fairly costly mistakes. Before you begin a particular project, or even a section of a project, be sure that you know what you are doing. If necessary, take some classes and learn how to do that part of your project.
• Hire professionals when necessary. If you are unable or unwilling to undertake a particular project or portion of a project, don't worry...you can always hire a professional to do the work for you. Often by doing as much of the work yourself before you turn to a professional to get the job done, you are able to save a dramatic amount of money overall. The trick is to learn when you should call in the professional to get the job done. The easiest answer is to do this only when you have accomplished all that you can, and to hire a professional to do only the portion that you can't.