Some folk have a spirit of self-reliance bred into them, often as the result of an isolated pioneering background. When their forebears were taming the land the nearest neighbours were quite some distance away, and facing battles of their own. Other people, frequently from a stock of city dwellers over many generations, accept specialization as part of their mindscape. These contrasting attitudes come into focus when the home owner contemplates a large redevelopment of a property, and asks: “Shall I do it myself, or get a landscape contractor in?”
Factors to consider in this conundrum include the true scope of the job, your budget, your skill level, and your enthusiasm.
As with any project, it is important to examine the true scope of the job objectively. For any major redevelopment you will need plans, specifications and costings, even if you plan to do the job yourself. So begin by working out exactly what it is you want to achieve: are you seeking more family recreational space, room for a lap pool, an outdoor entertainment area or some other goal? Next, consider how you can achieve your objective. This may involve sacrificing some feature of your current landscaping ideas layout, or moving quite substantial elements of the garden, such as a greenhouse, to another location. If earthworks are involved, are they likely to affect services to your lot, and do you need a permit for the work? Should there be alternative ways to achieve your objective, you will need to decide which one to adopt. Before making that decision, you may want to cost each of the alternatives. To do that, you need to draw up specifications - what grade of materials to be used, what quantities are required. Don’t forget to include the cost of equipment hire. You may need to look at a time budget, too, if time is an important constraint in your project (you will not want to be excavating a swim pool in winter).
The execution of all the above should produce a clear picture of what the project entails. You may see at once that you need professional help. If you are still unsure, you will need to consult your budget. If the cost of materials (and any legal, planning, hire or other costs) leaves you enough over to pay a contractor, that remains an option. Note that a lack of funds does not rule out a landscaping or garden design professional: if the other factors we look at below suggest you need help, there are other options. You can downscale the project; you can do the project in stages; you can trim the project costs by looking again at the specifications - some sacrifice of quality may free up enough money to get professional design advice, even if you still do the manual labor yourself.
Next, you need a realistic check of your skill level. Can you do a quality job? It may be wise to get a second opinion from someone who has seen evidence of your handiwork on other projects, after vowing amnesty for their honest opinion. If the job is beyond your ability it is best not to attempt it. You may end up having to pay a professional to fix what you botched, and that is embarrassing as well as potentially expensive.
If you have both the budget and the skills, the last question is whether you have the enthusiasm and good ideas for landscaping. Just because you can afford something and know how to do the job does not mean you have to do it. If it isn’t going to be enjoyable, why burden yourself with it rather than get a professional, whom you can afford, to do a professional job? You will likely be living with your new look property for some time: cutting corners may be expensive in ways involving more than just money.
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