To Landscape or Not?
It may sound weird to hear an interior designer advocating the benefits of landscaping but in my line of work this is what gets the job over the line.
In the Queensland Sub Tropical climate, it is what brings the outdoors in and vice versa. It makes the interior feel seamless and as one.
If you have ever spent time touring a Housing display village, you probably leave with some level of inspiration. The very purpose is to show you the optimal look that you can achieve if you build with them.
If you are looking at signing up with a builder thanks to their wonderful display home you also need to be aware of everything you are looking at in that house and how it works together to become such as great look.
It is not unusual for there to be different levels of packages depending upon your budget. The home that you are seeing will be the top-level package.
This can be the trap. By the time you have juggled all the finances you may be starting to feel tapped out and must eliminate things due to your financial constraints.
Very often the last items dropped are the ones that make or break the package and it is usually the landscaping. When it comes to the crunch many potential homeowners decide that they can do the landscaping themselves. How hard can it be right? Even if you have some degree of green thumb talent often time and life get in the way and that amazing landscape that inspired you at the display home, never eventuates.
Interiors need outlooks as well as internal detail. The view of a raw timber fence is certainly not appealing. If you do want to get a landscape package to finish off the look of the house, but are not sure how to afford it, perhaps some compromise and negotiating with the builder is necessary.
Some tips to keep interior costs down, would be to choose economically priced tiles inside, perhaps a cheaper carpet in bedrooms. Be selective about stone benches and opt for alternate surfaces in bathrooms and the laundry. Do not get caught up with top of the range tapware, sinks and appliances- step down a level. Most landscape packages will give you the option for smaller or more mature plants. The smaller ones are obviously cheaper. Then make it your business to find out as much as possible about care and maintenance of your garden so that the plants grow well and large in no time. Landscapers are always happy to give tips and advice.
The trick to creating the Wow Factor is working out the right balance of all the elements.
