When the weather warms up, it doesn’t take long for me to make my way outdoors to work on the landscaping surrounding my home. From the grass to the shrubs and everything in between, there is always something that needs attention.
While this is something I enjoy, it is also something that can become expensive over the course of the summer.
This year, with the warm weather holding off longer than usual, it wasn’t until last weekend when I finally ventured outdoors to assess the situation and get a better idea of what needed to be done.
In addition to a to-do list, it was time for me to take a close look at how much it would cost to get my landscaping up to par.
The Cost of Landscaping
If you live in a single family home, you are likely aware of the time and money that goes into keeping your landscaping up to par. On the other hand, if you live in a condo, as I used to, this is not something you typically have to concern yourself with.
From a budgeting perspective, I never know how much money I am going to need. I can guess, but things always come up along the way. On top of this, the costs are not the same from one year to the next.
Here are five landscape related costs that I was unable to escape this year:
1. Fresh mulch. Not only does mulch make the landscaping look better, but it goes a long way in ensuring the overall health of plants, shrubs, and trees. For this reason, I buy mulch every year – even if the old stuff appears to be in good condition after a long winter.
2. Cut down old trees. This is one of those expenses you only have to deal with once. Once a tree is down it is down for good. Unfortunately, I had two old crabapple trees that were diseased. Rather than pay for somebody to cut these down, I did the hard work myself and then called somebody in to haul away the limbs and debris.
3. New shrubs. I have been working on this a little bit at a time in an attempt to have “matching” landscaping on all sides of my home. This year I finally caught up. Hopefully I will not face this expense again in the near future.
4. Grass seed. I had no fewer than five dead spots in my lawn. Some were from my dog, others were from rabbits, and who knows what caused the rest. All I know is that I had to purchase a bag of grass seed along with some soil. This wasn’t the most costly project, but it all adds up.
5. Cost of equipment. It is one thing to have big landscaping ideas. It is another thing entirely to have the time, skill, and equipment to do the job the right way. Although I had most of what I needed, there were a couple of things I had to buy. The most costly item was a new chainsaw. I opted for this model from Home Depot as it wasn’t overly expensive, when compared to other options, but still had very good reviews.
Landscaping Expenses Never Completely End
I feel good about the progress I made this year, however, we are not even into the heat of the summer months just yet. This means one thing: there are going to be more landscaping expenses over the next couple months.
You may not be able to plan your entire landscaping budget in advance, but you should do your best to make an outline of the projects you wish to complete and how much you think it will cost.
Final Thoughts
I enjoy landscaping, and have no problem spending money on this part of my property. That being said, as costs begin to add up I have to be careful with how much I am spending. These projects can be “sneaky expensive.”
So far this year I have taken on the five costs detailed above. Who knows what is going to come down the pipe at me next.