Why "We'll Do the Garden Later" Costs You More.
"We’ll just finish the house first, and tackle the garden next year."
It sounds like a sensible financial decision. In reality, it is often a logistical nightmare that increases landscape construction costs by 20% to 30%.
The reason isn't the cost of plants; it’s the cost of Site Access.
The "900mm Nightmare"
During the construction of your home, the site is open. Excavators, bobcats, and trucks can move freely. Moving 20 cubic metres of soil or bringing in large sandstone rocks takes a machine a few hours.
However, once the builder hands over the keys, the fences go up. The side gates are installed. Suddenly, your access is restricted to a standard 900mm pedestrian gate.
If a machine cannot fit down the side of your house, your landscape construction changes from "Mechanical" to "Manual."
The Economics of Retrofitting
Earthworks: Instead of a bobcat moving soil in 2 hours, you are paying four labourers to move it by wheelbarrow over 2 days.
Materials: Large trees and heavy materials may now require a crane to lift them over the house, costing thousands in hire fees and permits.
Damage: Moving heavy materials through a finished house or down a narrow finished path risks damaging your new render or driveway.
The Solution: Integrated Earthworks
The most cost-effective way to build a landscape is to coordinate with the house build.
By having a Landscape Master Plan ready before the house is finished, we can instruct the builder to complete the "heavy lifting"—the bulk earthworks, the retaining walls, and the drainage—while the big machines are still on site.
You can plant the garden later. But you must build the "bones" while you have access.
Don't paint yourself into a corner. Ensure your landscape is planned before the fences go up.