How Does Lawn Size Affect Your Landscape?

Attention: Before you build your perfect landscape, consider the appropriate lawn size first.

We get it. The prospect of creating a landscaped oasis for your home or business makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Imagine having a picnic place for your family, a playground for children or relaxing eye candy for your business’s customers. Not to mention, imagine that coveted property value boost after the design is completed.

But keep in mind that crafting a landscape also comes with corresponding expenses.

The yard’s size, the design’s complexity and the number of structures will all come into play. So, before you transform your lawn into that slice of heaven, think if you can support its upkeep and maintenance.

This article will share how lawn size affects your overall landscape. Worry not; we’re here to help you make up your mind. Keep reading.

Cost of Landscape

When dealing with landscape costs, your perspective needs to be futuristic. In other words, think long-term. For example, you may be comfortable paying for a landscaping service for your 2,000 sq. ft. lawn now. But what about the succeeding costs associated with maintenance and upkeep? Worse, what if your maintenance company bumps up its prices?

There’s a more pressing question to ask yourself: “I wonder what design fits my large property?” It’s a good practice to consider, “how big is my lawn, and what lawn size should I consider landscaping?“

Looking ahead will help you assess your capacity and comfortability to afford the construction and maintenance. Your lawn size directly influences the cost of the landscape. Conversely, there are hidden benefits to reducing your lawn size, like:

• Significantly reduce water consumption. According to EPA, 30-60 percent of fresh water is dedicated to watering and maintaining lawns. Reducing your lawn size helps conserve water and save on water bills. 

• You produce less yard waste. Reducing lawn size saves time and energy on lawn maintenance, too. During an average summer, a 2000 sq. ft. yard can make around 600-800 pounds of vegetation clippings.

• Less herbicide usage. Smaller lawns translate to a reduction in herbicide applied. Herbicides, like glyphosate, have been linked to several health problems.
• Reduce noise and air pollution. According to noisefree.org, gasoline-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers can produce around 80-92 noise decibels. In contrast, hedge trimmers can hit 103 decibels, which can induce hearing damage or loss in extreme cases. Furthermore, lawnmowers produce 11 times more pollution than a new car, the EPA says.

With those in mind, if reducing lawn size sounds appealing to you, here are three things you should first consider:

Measure the Area of the Lawn To Be Landscaped

Before you hit up world-class landscape architects like Exscape Designs to share your stunning vision, consider your lawn size first. Keeping up with weeds and water bills can be a hassle. The last thing you want is to create a full-length landscape that’s half of what you envisioned. An alternative solution to take that headache away is to measure your lawn and reduce lawn size.

The size of the yard you submit for landscaping will affect the overall construction costs and maintenance. To measure your lawn size, you can do the following:

1. Manual measurement. Walk the length of your lawn with the presumption that one pace = three feet. Do the same with the width, and multiply the values. Then, subtract the square footage of your house and driveway. It should give you a rough estimate of the area.
2. Use a planimeter. This requires technical knowledge, but it’s an app used to measure field areas for land surveying.
3. Use Measure My Lawn. Using satellites from Google Maps, find your lawn for free when you input your address through the website.

Canvass the Materials Needed

Besides the lawn size, your desired aesthetic will affect the price of materials and ultimately influence the landscaping costs. Do you want custom fire pits at the center of your haven? Are you into outdoor kitchens and fancy pavilions?

Background research helps you canvass the supplies and materials you intend to use for the build. For example, gorgeous porcelain and marble are a big hit in modern landscape designs, but they come at a price. So, instead, you may want to use classic brick for an equally elegant artisan aesthetic. It all boils down to research.

According to Bob Vila, one of the biggest pitfalls in landscaping is proceeding with a project without a coherent plan. Even with all the assortment of flowers or wonderful structures, the property may emit a disorganized feel.

Expert landscape architects and designers can also provide valuable insights to help your aesthetic. The point is initial canvassing helps give you an educated estimate of what landscaping costs you can expect.

Professional Landscaper’s Price

As with personal aesthetics and branding, landscaping fees also vary from one professional landscaper to another. It’s safe to presume that more popular landscape designers will charge a higher rate than smaller landscape businesses. This price bump comes with a better experience, more trained architects and skilled workers to work on your lawn.

You want designers and architects that understand every intricate detail of your aesthetic. Although it is costlier, hiring landscaping household brands will be worth every penny you spend. The sad reality is that other landscape designers may fail to bring your vision to life. And that’s something you and I don’t want to happen.

The good news is that you won’t have to go through that headache with Exscape Designs. When you choose to work with us, the first thing we’ll ask you are your vision, unique aesthetic and ideas. Our expert designers will walk you through the overall plan to bring your desired landscape to life. 

Interested in seeing what Exscape Designs can do for you? Contact us here.

Does the Size of the Landscape Affect the Property Value?

For homeowners wondering if landscape design has anything to do with real estate value, it does! A study by Virginia Tech revealed that an attractive landscape boosts a property’s value by a staggering 15 percent. In other words, this value translates to $52,500 for a house priced at $350,000.

The American Society of Landscape Architects recommends investing around 10-20 percent for landscaping. Despite the possibly steep investment, landscape improvements can have a potential ROI of 100-200 percent when the house is sold.

Here’s the caveat: poor landscaping can actually decrease your property value by as much as 30 percent. This is according to 78 percent of real estate agents. In comparison, one in five real estate agents says that even a healthy tree boosts property value by 30 percent. 

The size of your landscape can definitely influence the property value. If a tree can spike a property’s value by that much, how much more will a full-blown landscape? It will depend on the aesthetic you choose and the landscape designer you work with.

Dividing Your Lawn

So, you’re sold. Instead of a full-length landscape design, you’re willing to dedicate a specific lawn size for any landscaping endeavors. Now, how exactly do you do that?

The answer is much simpler than you think: Know your property.

Yes, that’s right. To successfully divide your lawn and design an appropriate landscape, you must first know every inch of your property. This includes its boundaries, features, topography, and sun and shade patterns throughout the day.

Your yard likely develops microclimates within its boundaries. Knowing your topography and shading helps you select which plants are best grown for what area. You can use this information to your advantage when planting new trees, shrubs, and lawn grasses.

Once you have a good grasp of your lawn, you can begin to make plans for your lawn size. For example, you may want to create a shady oasis near your house to relax during the hot summer months. Or, if you have young children, dedicating an area of lawn near the house as a play area is wise.

Size Does Matter

Of course, nothing beats a full-yard landscape design that even makes the Hanging Gardens of Babylon pale in comparison. However, there are trade-offs to large landscapes.

First, you significantly increase the price of designing and constructing your outdoor dream design. Secondly, lawn care and maintenance are a hassle. Finally, there’s always a corresponding cost for all your required services.

You avoid all of these when you reduce your lawn size.

So, size indeed matters. It now falls on your landscape designers and architects to make the most of the area you dedicate for landscaping. 

The last question is, can your designer still deliver on the aesthetic appeal you desire with the reduction of lawn size?

Exscape Designs can. All it takes is sending us a message. We’d love to hear from you.