How much will your garden cost?
The useful starting point for a garden budget is what you want the space to do. A garden with extensive paving, retaining walls, lighting and detailed planting is a different proposition from one where most of the existing layout can remain.
Area is only part of the picture
A price per square metre can disguise important differences. A small courtyard may contain a high concentration of construction and services, while a larger garden may combine a carefully detailed terrace with simpler areas farther from the house.
Access, levels, ground conditions, the work needed below the surface, material choices and the amount of existing structure to retain all need consideration.
Define what the allowance includes
Agree which costs belong in the overall budget before comparing proposals. Alongside the visible garden, ask about design work, specialist input, preparation, removal of unwanted material, drainage, services, planting and VAT where applicable. Keep optional items separate and discuss an allowance for uncertainty.
A quotation is easier to understand when the scope and exclusions are clear. Compare like with like rather than assuming the lowest headline figure covers the same work.
Choose a worthwhile first phase
If the full ambition exceeds the available budget, decide what matters most. Some features can wait; others affect the arrangement or infrastructure of the whole garden and need thinking through early.
At Dewlands, we use the design process to explore those choices and agree a practical way forward. Phasing should be planned around a coherent whole, with each completed stage useful in its own right.