Gasp!
Well, we got the estimate from the landscaping company in the mail yesterday. I was so excited! Then I opened the envelope. HOLY CRAP! I thought I would faint... I think John noticed how big my eyes got. I said, "Guess how much the estimate is for?"
"$50,000."
"No! Lower..."
"$45,000?"
"Lower."
"$40,000."
"Lower!"
He finally said he was tired of guessing so I told him. Anyone care to guess how much it's going to cost?
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Well, maybe I should give some details so you know what is being done. A 30 ft. long, 3 ft. high retaining wall that curves along the side of the driveway (there is a killer slope there that has been slowly eroding into the driveway). A 5 ft long and 5 ft high retaining wall at the side of the house curving around to some steps leading into our new front walk (like the picture I posted a couple entries ago). A new planting bed around the mailbox. New planting bed along the front of the house. Large paver patio with retaining wall to make it level under the deck at the rear of the house. A "wall" of juniper bushes to form a barrier hedge along the 5 ft drop off that is between our house level and the lower part of our back yard.
A set of steps and bench height walls on either side of those steps leading down into the newly cleared lower yard. 50 cubic yards of top soil (to level things out down there), a large mulch bed where Tyler's future climber/swing set/fort thingy will go, grass seed and hay barrier for the remainder. A new planting bed along the back of the house leading to the new patio. Um. I think that's everything.
Ok. Any guesses now?
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. Somewhere in my head I imagined the cost of the yard work would be around the same as the estimate for my new hardwood floors. $8,000. Boy was I way off. But after hearing my husband's initial guess...he had a better grip on what the cost might be. And the fact that it's a lot less than his first guess, maybe that means he'll actually consider going for it!
The house really does need it.
Ok...does anyone know anything about landscaping?
Is $31,000 a reasonable estimate for all that work?
Honestly?
"$50,000."
"No! Lower..."
"$45,000?"
"Lower."
"$40,000."
"Lower!"
He finally said he was tired of guessing so I told him. Anyone care to guess how much it's going to cost?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Well, maybe I should give some details so you know what is being done. A 30 ft. long, 3 ft. high retaining wall that curves along the side of the driveway (there is a killer slope there that has been slowly eroding into the driveway). A 5 ft long and 5 ft high retaining wall at the side of the house curving around to some steps leading into our new front walk (like the picture I posted a couple entries ago). A new planting bed around the mailbox. New planting bed along the front of the house. Large paver patio with retaining wall to make it level under the deck at the rear of the house. A "wall" of juniper bushes to form a barrier hedge along the 5 ft drop off that is between our house level and the lower part of our back yard.
A set of steps and bench height walls on either side of those steps leading down into the newly cleared lower yard. 50 cubic yards of top soil (to level things out down there), a large mulch bed where Tyler's future climber/swing set/fort thingy will go, grass seed and hay barrier for the remainder. A new planting bed along the back of the house leading to the new patio. Um. I think that's everything.
Ok. Any guesses now?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. Somewhere in my head I imagined the cost of the yard work would be around the same as the estimate for my new hardwood floors. $8,000. Boy was I way off. But after hearing my husband's initial guess...he had a better grip on what the cost might be. And the fact that it's a lot less than his first guess, maybe that means he'll actually consider going for it!
The house really does need it.
Ok...does anyone know anything about landscaping?
Is $31,000 a reasonable estimate for all that work?
Honestly?
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