Dont Throw In The Trowel!

Dont Throw In The Trowel!,As spring approaches it all too easy to fall into thinking about making changes in the home such as brightening up the place with a lick of paint or a few new items of furniture.

As spring approaches it all too easy to fall into thinking about making changes in the home such as brightening up the place with a lick of paint or a few new items of furniture. You may even decide that it is time to give the garden a bit of an overhaul so you can spend more time out there with the family as the weather gets better. Although doing up the garden can be deceptively expensive. But don't let that put you off! Read on to find out more about how you can fund the garden renovation of your dreams.

List the items that you will need

The first step on the road to funding garden renovation is to plan out what you want the end result to be. That will probably include drawing up a visual guide splitting the different sections and beds in the garden up, and marking down what will occupy these spaces.

When you do this, remember that you need to match any plants to the area that you are putting them in. For instance, certain varieties such as Bleeding Heart and Lily-of-the-Valley prefer shaded areas. Or if you are installing things like a soccer goal for the kids then you will need to make sure you have some hardy lawn grass, so they can play on it, and it still looks good.

Then on a separate piece of paper or Excel spreadsheet if you are that way inclined, make a list of every item you will need to complete your garden project. But be sure to leave a gap by the side so you can record how much each of these things will cost you. 

Work out the cost

Once you have a plan and a list of all the items that you will need to for your garden, it's time to work out what they will cost and whether that is within your budget. What most folks don't realize when they start to do any work in the gardens that it is really no cheaper than doing anything in the house.

The problem is that many folks begin their garden renovations without accounting for the costs, which means that they don't always get their projects finished. Then they are left with a half-done garden, which neither serves its purpose or looks very nice. That is why it's so important to have a tight rein on the budget for any garden work that you choose to do. 

To do this take the list that you have created and write on the cost of each item. You can find this out by visiting the garden centre, or you can look online for a guide of what things will cost.

Of course, if you go the online route you need to make sure that you include delivery costs as well. Which can sometimes significantly increase the overall price of your goods, as garden items are often heavy ones like sand or slate pieces. 

It is also important to factor the cost of any labor that you will need to pay for to get your garden areas up to scratch. Remember there are many things like chopping down large trees, laying patios, and landscaping that are not practical for most people to do themselves. Mainly because of the safety issues or the sheer amount of work involved.

Lastly, don't forget the cost of any maintenance of the items that you have on your list. You may be desperate for an ornamental Koi pond. But do you have any idea of how much it will cost to keep the water clean, and aerated, buy new pumps and filters and keep the fish fed and warm in the winter? If the answer is no, make sure that you work this out beforehand, or you may end up with garden features that are unmanageable in the long term.

Compare what you have saved

The next stage in getting the funding right for your garden is to compare the overall cost of the project with any funds that you already have.

You might have raised the money for your garden by saving a fixed amount a month, or by following a weekly cumulative saving plan. You may even be dipping into your general saving or have sold a larger value item like a car, and realized you have a bit left over that you can invest in your outside space.

But beware, because it is usually at the stage of comparing what you have in your funds to what you need, that most people come across an issue. As it’s common for the two figures not to match up!

But before your throw in the trowel, remember that you can add to your garden fund by raising some more money in the following ways.

Clear out the garage for a yard sale 

The first way of raising a little extra for your garden do-over is to host a yard sale. This is an activity with a double benefit. First of all, you can sell stuff raising money to add to your overall garden renovation budget. Or you can earmark the money for a particular element that is important to you like a fountain and pond, or a new garage door.

Secondly, you get to clear all that old stuff that you are no longer using; out of the back yard and garage. Meaning you will end up with less clutter and more space.

Get some funding

Another option to top up your garden renovation budget it to go for an installment loan.

The good thing about this is that they often don't require you to have good credit like many other loans on the market. You can also pay them back after just a short time, so you don't have any debts hanging over your head long term.

Also, as the installment loan payments shouldn't be too much each month for a small to medium amount, it is a very doable way of getting that garden finished if you are on a deadline. As you might want to get it finished before you have guests to stay, or the warm weather comes in. 

Sell you plants on Ebay

However, there are also other ways of raising some cash for your dream garden, such as selling you plant on eBay. You might not believe it, but there is actually a roaring trade on auction sites for plants and trees. Especially bonsai, seeds, and succulents at the moment because they are so on trend. 

That means if you have a particular talent in growing these items you can sell them at a small profit, generating money to reinvest in your outdoor space.

Open your garden to the public

Now, this is only going to work for some folks, but it's worth bearing in mind, especially if you live in a town or village where there is an annual festival, and you are along the main route.

How does it work? Well, because there are so many extra people in your location at the time of the festival you can make money by renting out space in your garden for them to pitch their tents. 

Another alternative is to hire in some chairs and tables and offer teas, coffees and prepackaged foods to weary travelers and tourists. OK, so it may be only a weekend or a week a year. But you can certainly make some good money doing this.

Choose to do it every year you will have not only enough for the renovation but also to help pay for the upkeep of your garden and keep it looking glorious year on year!