My husband and I are in the process of buying a new build home. It will be ready in January at some point. The house is going to be amazing a finished inside, however the yard is going to be just dirt. So we have to plan landscaping and hire someone. We have a pretty good idea of what we want, but we’re not sure how expensive landscaping actually is. So we’re trying to be as responsible as possible and choose the best cheaper alternatives for certain things.

My question is, has anyone experienced this whole process? If so, what do you recommend? What products and techniques are cheaper? We know concrete or smaller rocks are cheaper than larger pavers, but are there alternatives that look similar to pavers and are cheaper in price? What type of plants are cheaper? Etc...