Designing your forever home is an exciting project! When it comes to working with Calgary inner city home builders, planning is everything. A new home brings with it an endless stream of possibilities. The home is where we retreat at the end of a busy day, a sanctuary where we spend our free time, and a place where we can feel relaxed, safe, and peaceful. Both your indoor and outdoor spaces should give you these feelings. Think about you’re the outdoor area of your home. How would you like it to be designed? What features would you want? Will you have trees and flowers, or will it be low maintenance? Do you want a patio or wooden deck? These are all important questions to ask. This guide will walk you through your outdoor space so that you can design an area that works for your forever home.
Questions to Ask Your Calgary Inner City Home Builder Before Landscaping
When working with a custom home builder you have a lot of flexibility about the build of the house, much more than you would have if you were to buy a pre-built home. This can bring with it advantages but lots of questions, particularly when it comes to landscaping. Here is a selection of the questions that you should consider as part of the design process.
Which way would you like the backyard to face? Consider the position of the house and the sun. Ideally, you want to maximize the amount of sunlight in the backyard and the amount that will stream into the house during the day. Also, think about the view. Is the plot overlooking a scenic, panoramic view in the distance? It would make perfect sense to position the backyard facing this view to make the most of it.
Things to Consider
- Would you like the backyard to be mostly in the shade or in the sun?
- Will there be enough room at the side of the house to fit landscaping equipment and lawn care equipment once the house is built?
- How private do you want the backyard to be and how will this be achieved?
- Do you want fencing, shrubs, trees, or screens to make areas of the yard more secluded?
- Are there any views of the house or of the surrounding area that you don’t want to block out?
- Are there any places that you want to screen? How will you do this and with what?
- What size of deck would you like? Or patio area? Consider everyday activities that you enjoy in the yard and make sure that each area is clearly defined
- What outdoor features would you like to include in the design? (i.e. pool, fire pit, outdoor kitchen area or BBQ, structures for shade, outdoor heaters for the colder months and additional patio space for entertaining and/or dining.)
- These are all important questions to ask! Showcasing there are lots of little details to think about.
- With a basic idea for your backyard mapped out, it’s time to see whether your list of requirements will fit in with your budget.
Budgeting for landscaping
Spend some time with your family to list out all the must-haves for your new outdoor space. Next, prioritize each feature on your list, while understanding that compromise may need to occur based on your budget. Very much like the interior of your home, you may need to remove some items from your list if they are not essential right now. Make sure that you work with a trusted and experienced landscape designer who can help you with the process and manage the planning, design, and creation stages as they can help you get the most out of your available budget.
Remember, your budget for landscaping doesn’t have to stretch to every single feature that you want on your list. You can add to your backyard over the years. If the spaces are there such as the pool area, you can add to the space as you live in your new home.
Ideas for Landscaping with Easy Maintenance
For many, a low-maintenance yard is a must regardless of the space. There are many ideas that can achieve a low-maintenance backyard without compromising on the look or feel of the space.
- Strike the right balance between hardscaping (concrete, wood, and stone) with soft scaping (plants, dirt, and mulch).
- Position your porch, sidewalk, deck, and fencing the way you want to start, and then you can build around these areas
- Use custom stonework such as a stone fire pit
- Install some turf in carefully selected areas, but scale this back for low maintenance
- Swap out flower beds for shrubs
- Keep things in proportion, placing low growing shrubs in front of low windows
- Include a walkway down the side of your home to serve a practical purpose
- Consider the inclusion of a water feature
Do Custom Build Companies Provide Landscaping?
It will depend on your custom home builder as to whether they will assist with outdoor landscaping. Always consider that if the building work on the house is finished during the winter, you may have to wait until late spring to complete the landscaping. Be sure to work with experienced Calgary inner city home builders, they will be able to plan everything out with the right time scales, so the project is finished up to your standards.
Landscaping is just one of the many elements to consider when designing your custom-built home but with the right guidance you can create a practical, workable yard for your whole family to enjoy.
At Sunset Homes, we are here to help you create your dream custom home. Ready to design and build your forever home in Calgary? Contact Sunset Homes today! We would love to learn more about your custom project and prepare a class 3 summary budget for you.
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Too Long Didn’t Read (TLDR)
There are many factors to consider when building your forever custom home, including landscaping. Make a list of your wants and priorities and set a budget. Make sure to work with a reputable Calgary inner city home builder.
