Who says adding hardscaping to your front yard or backyard landscaping has to come with a jaw-dropping price tag? With the right landscaping ideas, you can achieve a high-end, polished look without overspending.
By making smart choices, you can design an elegant, budget-friendly front yard landscaping plan or upgrade your backyard landscaping ideas with stylish, durable hardscaping. Let’s explore how you can makeover your outdoor space with hardscape features that look like a million bucks— without the hefty price tag!
Even if you don’t have the budget to build your entire dream hardscape right now, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your ultimate vision for your yard.
Designing and installing a hardscape in stages to spread the costs over a longer time period is a great option for many homeowners.
If you go this route, we especially recommend that you avoid DIY’ing and work with a professional landscape design company to create your plan. Otherwise, you may find yourself completing work in season, only to discover that it needs to be redone once you move onto the next stage.
In addition, this multi-phased approach also has a silver lining: as you enjoy your hardscape, you may find that you want to make future changes to your initial plan. For example, you may have identified a perfect spot for a fire pit on your patio, but after spending the summer socializing in your outdoor living space, you realize that it’s much better suited to a different location.
The cost of hardscape materials can vary widely, with low-cost choices like stones and gravel on the low end, to natural stone pavers on the high end — and plenty of variation in between.
At the same time, your materials are one of the most important elements to create the overall feel of your landscape. Fortunately, there are plenty of options that look gorgeous and are still economical.
For many of our hardscaping customers, modular pavers and stamped concrete are especially good choices.
Modular pavers are manufactured as pre-cut, interlocking stones or bricks. This makes them far less labor-intensive to install than natural stone, which must be placed individually. They’re available in countless sizes, colors and patterns, so they can match any aesthetic.
After it’s poured, stamped concrete is imprinted and colored to mimic the look of other, more expensive hardscape materials, such as natural stone, slate or brick. Like modular pavers, the customization options of stamped concrete allows you to get creative with your designs.
With either of these choices, you can save money on your hardscape project’s cost without sacrificing a high-end design. You also can mix and match higher-end materials with lower priced options as another money-saving strategy.
Hardscapes aren’t just an add-on to your yard — you should consider them just as much a part of your overall landscape design as the plants and flowers that grow nearby.
With that in mind, homeowners with a limited budget should invest their money into hardscape projects that offer a strong impression and visual interest. Hardscapes like patios, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, fireplaces and retaining walls all are high-impact additions that make a statement. Even better, they also can add to your home’s property value and curb appeal.
In addition, attractive landscaping around your new hardscape can notch its look up for an even more luxury feel. Flower beds with mulch, trellises, water features, pergolas and string lights are all ways to add to the “wow” factor. You also can make the space even more low-maintenance with options that require minimal to no upkeep, such as native plants, xeriscaping, rock gardens, ground covers and ornamental grasses.
A stunning hardscape doesn’t have to come with a sky-high price tag — it just takes a little strategy and creativity! By choosing budget-friendly materials, planning in phases and focusing on high-impact features, you can craft an outdoor space that’s both beautiful and affordable.
Whether it’s a charming patio for summer BBQs or a cozy fire pit for chilly nights, your dream backyard is totally within reach. So, roll up your sleeves, get inspired, and start transforming your yard one intentional decision at a time — because luxury isn’t about spending more, it’s about designing smarter!
Are you interested in learning more about the process for designing a new hardscape for your home? Please download our free ebook, The Expert Guide to Building the Custom Home Hardscape of Your Dreams. You also can complete this form to schedule a complementary project discussion with our team.