5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Redesigning Your Garden

When it comes to making home improvements, many people will automatically jump to the house itself, looking for ways to make their living situation better. But, what about the garden?

When utilised in the right way, your garden can be one of the best parts of your house – an area where you can kick back, relax and use for a variety of different purposes.

Whether it be as a storage solution to avoid over-cluttering the house, an area where you can exercise as you wish or somewhere you can hone and improve your gardening experience, your outdoor space can offer a lot – regardless of how small it may be.

However, when it comes to redesigning it to suit your requirements, it’s important to consider a few things beforehand. Otherwise, you could end up spending a lot of money for not much reward.

To prevent this from happening, we have compiled a few questions to think about before getting started. 

1. What do you want out of your garden?

The first question you need to ask yourself is what you actually hope to get out of your garden.

Would you, for example, like to transform it into an area where you can exercise without the need to pay gym membership prices? Or, would you rather keep it as an area where you can relax with a nice glass of wine and a book whenever the weather’s nice? Or would you rather have a combination of both?

Whatever it is you’re looking for, it’s important to bear this in mind when it comes to planning your dream outdoor space. The last thing you want, after all, is to end up with an area you’re less likely to use than you were before.

Source: Andy Sturgeon Design

2. How much of a budget do you have?

The next question you need to ask yourself is how much you would realistically like to spend on your outdoor space.

Going back to our outdoor exercise area example, if you can’t afford the equipment or landscaping required to convert your garden into an outside gym then, as harsh as it may be to admit, you might need to have a rethink.

The budget you allocate can make a big difference to the furniture you can afford. So, if you’re not sure how or where to start, why not consult an expert garden designer? 

3. Why now?

While it may go slightly against what I said above, if your garden isn’t a priority right now, maybe put your money towards something that is.

If you have been dreaming of creating an open plan living room for a while now, for example, weigh up whether you’d be better off improving your home first, rather than your garden.

While having a stunning garden may be highly appealing, the chances are that you’ll spend more of your time indoors, so it makes sense to focus on improving these areas first.

Source: The Spruce

4. How much time do you want to spend maintaining it?

Unlike the interior of your house, gardens tend to require a lot of maintenance.

While this may be all well and good if you’re a keen gardener, if you’d rather design your garden in a way that’s more sustainable and easier for you to look after, make sure to implement this ideology into your plans.

Rather than installing a beautiful lawn and collection of flower beds, for instance, think instead about fitting more permanent features like decking or paving, which will be a lot easier to maintain going forward.

5. Which features do you want to install?

The final question you’ll need to ask yourself surrounds the features you actually want to have in your garden.

Whether it be a suite of garden furniture, a large pond, a bespoke garden sculpture, a large arbour, a garden shed, a water fountain or even an outdoor swimming pool, there are a number of options to think about adding to your outside space.

Of course, the number of features you can actually fit in your space will largely depend on the size of your garden. Just be careful not to overdo it, though, as the last thing you want is for your garden to feel overly crowded – less certainly equals more when it comes to planning a garden.

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