5 dos and don’t’s of backyard renovation

Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
Our authors
, updated on November 25th, 2021       

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The backyard can be an excellent place to spend some quality time with your family, playing games, relaxing, having fun with your pets or whatever else you like. If you decide to go for a renovation or landscaping, here are a few useful pieces of advice you should consider.

DO:

1. Use plants that necessitate little maintenance

Even though gardening is a pleasant activity for most people, you have to admit that it may take a lot of time. If you have a busy life and an exhausting daily routine, opting for plants which require as little maintenance as possible is the perfect solution for you.

2. Harmonise your backyard with the appearance of the house

You need to take into consideration the style of your home when you choose the style of the garden if you aim for successful landscaping.

3. Consider how would the backyard look in the long term

When you choose the plants you will use for landscaping, you need to do some research and see how they look when mature. A little plant that may be no higher than 10 inches may become a cumbersome bush or get the size of a tree.

4. Pay attention to weeds

Weeds, even though they may be harmless and even cute at first, are invasive and lead to many problems. For this reason, don’t let them grow in your background. Spraying herbicide may save you time and the appearance of your garden.

5. Go with a landscape professional when necessary

If you feel like landscaping and dealing with all those details regarding the climate conditions of the plants, their future size and appearance are just too overwhelming for you, use a landscape professional. This will save you time and energy, and your backyard will look fairy-tale-like.

DON’T:

1. Opt for invasive plants

Some people opt for invasive species because they seem beautiful, but the truth is that they are problematic and will affect the other plants from your backyard. Getting rid of them will cost you a small fortune.

2. Neglect your garden

If you don’t take care of your garden, this will look desolating, and you may lose precious plant species. Then, the lawn will take over. So, if you have a garden in your backyard, allow yourself time for its maintenance.

3. Leave too little space between the trees

Many Aussies make this mistake and plant their trees too close from one another, because, at the moment, they look beautiful. Even though this may be true, it is important to consider their size when they mature. Small trees should be planted at a distance of at least 20 feet from your house while the taller ones at 50 feet.

4. Hesitate to remove overgrowth

If you want to enjoy a beautiful backyard, don’t let overgrown bushes, trees, or flowers to take it over.

5. Add too many different species

Even though you may be enthusiastic about every new plant species you come across, you need to maintain harmony and equilibrium when landscaping.

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