5 things to consider when renovating your garden

Is your garden suffering from wear and tear and in need of some sprucing up?

Every garden needs an update at some point. If the time has come to renovate your yard, there’s a lot to think about.

From plants to patios, you’ll need to figure out the look and layout and create a workable budget.

Read our helpful guide of things to consider when renovating your garden and start your journey towards a magnificent garden makeover.

1) Researching and planning your dream garden

Even if you think you know exactly what you want already, it’s worth doing some research to get more ideas about how to transform your garden.

Start by thinking about a visual theme to help you find plants and furniture – do you want a classic English country garden, or something more contemporary like an urban garden as an outside room?

What about bringing other parts of the world to your backyard with a Mediterranean dry garden or Japanese zen garden?

You could visit public gardens or garden centres for inspiration or look at pictures online and build a mood board of things you like.

Though visuals are important, you’ll have to plan the practicalities, too.

Measure your garden and make note of things like which areas get the most sunlight, so you can decide the best places for the following:

Walls and boundaries
Fences and hedges
Pathways
Patios or decking
Water features
Zones (e.g. a play area or outdoor dining)
Planting areas (e.g. flowerbeds, shrub borders, plant pots)
Outdoor lighting
Outbuildings (e.g. a shed or greenhouse)

The key is to think about what you want to use your garden for.

Do you have pets or children who like to go out and play? Do you want to entertain guests outside? Or do you just want to relax outdoors with a pretty view?

If you don’t know much about plant structuring or which plants and trees require the least work to maintain, it’s best to hire a professional garden landscaper to advise you on how to make the most of the available space.

They can help you to structure plants according to height and colours to get the best possible arrangement, and guide your outdoor lighting choices so the appropriate areas are highlighted.

2) Establishing a garden renovation budget

Garden renovations take a lot of work and can end up being expensive if you don’t budget properly.

Once you have an idea of what you want your garden to look like, assess your finances to determine how much money you can set aside for the project, and decide the maximum amount you’re willing to spend.

Your budget needs to cover every aspect of the renovation, including materials, tools, waste removal, and garden furniture and accessories.

It’s also wise to budget a little extra in case of unexpected expenses popping up partway through.

Take another look at your research or mood board and focus on the options that fit within your budget.

Don’t forget that your greenery choices will affect your bills in the future if they require a lot of maintenance, so think carefully about the flowers, plants, and trees you want in your garden.

If you’re going to hire a landscaper to carry out the renovation for you, they should be able to assess your plans and tell you whether they’re achievable on your budget before you go ahead, avoiding disappointment later on.

3) Getting all the materials and equipment you need

You might want to carry out the renovation work yourself to save on hiring a landscaper, in which case you’ll have to buy all the necessary tools yourself if you don’t already have them.

This could include anything from spades and trowels to hedge trimmers and woodchippers.

It’s not worth purchasing specialist equipment if you have no experience using it, as you could end up hurting yourself or ruining your garden, so only go down the DIY route if you definitely know what you’re doing.

Being unfamiliar with the tools and materials could also mean spending more than you need to without realising, so shop around to find the best possible price before committing to the purchase.

The costliest part of garden renovations is usually the materials and construction for walkways and patios, so look for more affordable alternatives and limit paved areas if necessary.

It’s advisable to hire professionals to securely and safely install things like decking, paving, and lighting as they’ll be guaranteed to complete the work to a legally certified standard.

4) Organising the renovation in stages

Renovating even the smallest garden can be a complicated undertaking, so you should break the process down into simple steps before you get started.

Your renovation timeline could look something like this:

Clear the garden (cutting grass and removing any weeds and clutter)
Level the ground (turning over soil and removing rubble)
Fit new fence panels, or clean and paint walls
Lay patio paving or construct decking
Create boundaries for planting areas with edging (e.g. log rolls or concrete)
Lay new grass and then any new walkways
Plant new trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers in designated areas
Install outdoor lighting
Add potted plants and garden furniture
Enjoy your new garden

Having a floorplan with the layout of the garden will help you divide the work into different areas to tackle one stage at a time.

This can be helpful if you don’t have the funds to do everything at once, as you can complete each aspect step by step to gradually create your dream garden.

It can also help to set a deadline for the completion of your garden renovation so it’s ready when you need it to be.

For example, as gardens are used the most in the summer months, you might want to plan and work on the renovation in winter or early spring.

Don’t forget to let your neighbours know when noisy works will be going ahead in your garden, and avoid working early in the morning or late in the evening to minimise disruption.

5) Hiring a skip for garden waste

It’s easy to focus on the exciting parts of a garden renovation like choosing new plants and furniture, but you shouldn’t forget about the waste that your renovation will generate.

What are you going to do with all the soil, rubble, foliage, and old furniture that your garden clear-out and makeover will produce? The local council can collect a limited amount of green waste from your green bin, but what about the rest?

You don’t want to transport it to the tip in your car or leave the mess on your driveway. It needs to be out of the way of the renovation works where it won’t be a trip hazard.

The simple solution for garden waste disposal and removal is to hire a skip for the duration of the project.

There are a variety of skip sizes available to suit different projects with lower or higher volumes of garden renovation waste. Just talk to your local skip hire provider for advice on which skip is best and which materials you can put in it.

For example, if you’re looking for Chorley skip hire to help with a garden renovation in Chorley, Lostock Skips can help.

Once you’ve filled the skip, they’ll take away your waste and recycle as much as possible. When you are renovating your garden use a sheds for your garden. For this find a garden sheds for sale near you.