One of my latest creations below...I had a bit of fun with this one as it was an older home (1960's) in the Greater Toronto Area. The clients have done some work on the interior of the house and are now looking to tackle the outside.
For the landscape project, they were looking for a deck to entertain on and to add a welcoming front entrance which would add to the beauty of their home.
When wondering about your landscaping and what to do... the best thing you can have done is a full yard landscape plan created for your entire property by a professional designer. These clients will now be able to take my plan to several deck companies or landscape contractors and get various price estimates on what it will cost to implement the plan.
A full property plan gives you the greater picture of your yard in detail... having started at this stage, you can now divide the plan up into sections or phases. Then you can take your time to pick and choose materials you wish to have in the landscape. Once you've completed your shopping list you can set a budget on each phase and plan to build things accordingly.
A quick glance at this particular plan and I would estimate a budget of $50,000 to $70,000 to construct the entire project. The cost range will depend on what materials are chosen (i.e natural stone versus interlock or cedar deck versus pressure treated)
If you divide the project into 3 or 4 phases and set it over 5 years or so, in time you will have an amazing looking landscape on a limited budget guided by one single plan.
