Building a new home involves hundreds of decisions, and landscaping is often one of the last major stages to come together. After months of focusing on floor plans, finishes and construction, it can be easy to leave the outdoor areas until the house is nearly complete.
Thoughtful new home landscaping can make the property feel finished while creating outdoor spaces that are practical to use and suited to the way you live. A well-planned landscape can improve street appeal, create more usable areas around the home and contribute to the property’s long-term appeal. For Perth homeowners, planning also gives you the opportunity to consider local conditions, water efficiency and how the landscape will perform once it is established.
Why New Home Landscaping Matters
Landscaping works best when it is considered as part of the overall home build rather than something to think about after moving in. Planning the outdoor areas early can help the landscape connect more naturally with the house, its access points and the way the property will be used.
Completing landscaping sooner can improve street appeal, make outdoor areas usable earlier and help stabilise bare areas around the property. It also gives the home a more finished appearance. Planning before construction is complete also gives you more opportunity to account for levels, access, irrigation, planting areas and hardscaping before later work limits those options.
When Should You Start Planning Your Landscaping?
There is no single point in a home build when landscaping has to begin, but planning it before construction is complete can give you more flexibility. It allows landscaping costs to be considered alongside the broader build and gives your landscaper an opportunity to coordinate relevant details with your builder before access becomes limited or finished areas need to be disturbed.
Early planning can also help account for site levels, drainage considerations, irrigation, pathways, planting areas and other services before construction progresses too far. This can reduce the risk of avoidable rework later.
Waterwise offers landscape architecture for new builds. Its in-house Landscape Architect, David Martinez, has nearly a decade of international and WA experience and works with homeowners, builders, architects and contractors to develop practical, build-ready landscape plans.
What Does New Home Landscaping Include?
New home landscaping can involve much more than installing lawn and a few garden beds. Depending on the property, it may bring together design, site preparation, hardscaping, planting and irrigation to create an outdoor space that works with the home.
Landscape Design
A landscape plan helps determine how each part of the outdoor area will be used and how it connects with the house. This can include planning entertaining areas, lawns, garden beds, pathways and planting zones while considering access, available space and the overall style of the home.
Hardscaping
Hardscaping creates much of the structure within a landscape. Depending on the design, this may include paving, pathways, retaining walls, garden edging, concrete areas, patios or decking.
Planning these elements alongside the softer parts of the landscape helps create a more cohesive result rather than treating each feature separately.
Soft Landscaping
Soft landscaping covers the living elements of the garden, including lawn, trees, shrubs, groundcovers and garden beds. Plant selection should consider the conditions of the site as well as how much water and ongoing maintenance different areas will require.
For Perth homes, choosing plants suited to local conditions can help create a landscape that is better equipped for the warmer months while reducing unnecessary water use.
Irrigation and Drainage Considerations
Irrigation should also be considered early rather than added after the planting is complete. Waterwise installs water-efficient irrigation and reticulation systems designed around the needs of the landscape and WA conditions.
Site levels and how water moves through the property should also be considered during the planning stage so paving, planting areas and other landscape elements work effectively together.
Factors to Consider Before Landscaping Your New Home
The size, shape and conditions of the block will influence how the landscape can be designed, built and maintained.
Key considerations include:
- Block size and shape: The available space will influence where lawns, garden beds, entertaining areas and pathways can realistically fit.
- Soil conditions: Perth’s sandy soils can affect plant establishment and water retention, so soil preparation may need to form part of the landscaping process.
- Sunlight and shade: Different parts of the property can receive very different levels of sun, which can influence plant selection, lawn placement and outdoor living areas.
- Lifestyle requirements: Think about how you actually want to use the space, whether that means entertaining, room for children or pets, privacy, gardening or simply creating a low-maintenance outdoor area.
- Future maintenance: Lawn, planting and irrigation all come with different maintenance requirements, so the design should reflect how much upkeep you realistically want.
- Budget: If the entire landscape cannot be completed at once, having an overall plan first can help ensure each stage works towards the same finished result.
Considering these factors early helps create a landscape that suits both the property and the people who will use it.
Common Mistakes Homeowners Make
A few common planning mistakes can make new home landscaping harder to deliver efficiently or result in an outdoor space that does not work as well as it should.
- Leaving landscaping until well after moving in: Waiting too long to plan the landscape can limit options around access, levels, irrigation and how different areas connect with the home.
- Overlooking drainage and water movement: Site levels and the way water moves through the property should be considered alongside paving, garden beds and other landscape features.
- Choosing plants that are not suited to Perth conditions: Plants should be selected with local climate, sun exposure, soil conditions, water requirements and available space in mind.
- Treating irrigation as an afterthought: Planning irrigation early makes it easier to match watering to the needs of lawns and planting areas.
- Focusing only on appearance: A landscape also needs to work for the people using it, whether that means entertaining, privacy, children, pets or lower maintenance.
- Poor coordination between different trades: When design, hardscaping, irrigation and planting are managed separately, clear coordination becomes especially important. An integrated Design & Construct approach can help keep these elements working towards the same overall plan.
Why Professional Landscape Design Makes a Difference
Professional landscape design brings the different parts of the property into one plan. It can help make better use of available space, improve movement around the home and identify issues around levels, access, irrigation and construction before work begins.
Waterwise’s in-house Landscape Architect, David Martinez, has nearly a decade of international and WA experience developing practical, build-ready plans. Waterwise can then carry that planning into residential landscape construction, bringing design, hardscaping, irrigation and horticultural work into the same project.
Plan Your New Home Landscaping Early
Good new home landscaping should feel like a natural extension of the house, not something added once everything else is finished. Planning early gives you more opportunity to coordinate the design, irrigation, planting and construction while creating an outdoor space that suits the property and the way you want to use it.
Working with a landscaping company that can coordinate design and construction can help identify potential issues before work begins, reduce avoidable rework and keep the different parts of the landscape working towards the same plan.
Building a new home in Perth? Founded in 2007, Waterwise brings landscape design, horticulture and construction together through its residential landscaping services. Speak with the team about planning an outdoor space that complements your new home.