Everyone wants to have a beautiful lawn and property. The last thing you want is to be that one house on the block with weeds growing as though they were on steroids, hedges that reach from the front bushes all the way to the front door, and overgrown tree limbs that hang low over someone else’s property. You have several choices to avoid this type of situation. You can hire a professional landscaper, hire someone from craigslist, hire a teenager to do all the work, or you can do the work yourself. If you hire a professional landscaper, it’s going to cost a decent amount of money. If you can’t afford extra expenses, this option should be avoided. If you hire someone from craigslist, be prepared for anything. You might get a one-hour talker, an ex-convict, a scammer, or a stalker. If you hire a teenager, you won’t have to pay much, but you also shouldn’t expect a great job. It’s not possible for them to have decades of experience. That leaves you, the do-it-yourselfer. Landscaping on your own is not as difficult as it sounds.

Your first step will be to buy a lawn mower. Set aside $200 to $300. This might sound like a lot, but a good lawn mower will last for 10 to 20 years. It will pay for itself in no time, and in the long run, it will be much cheaper than hiring a landscaping service. You will also need a gas can, which is where you will keep the gasoline for the lawn mower. The gas can should be kept in a safe place, where temperatures remain moderate. The next item to purchase will be a hedge trimmer. If you go with the manual version, great. Just expect to be out there a while. It’s good exercise, but extremely tiring for your arms. An important safety note here is that if you ever feel yourself slipping, toss the hedge clippers away from you as you’re falling. If you buy a power hedge trimmer, you will be done in about 5 minutes. Another important item for landscaping on your own is an edger/trimmer. You can buy these items separately, but it makes more sense to buy a two-in-one as it will save you money. Finally, purchase a handsaw for cutting down overgrown tree limbs. A good tip here is to consider an extension. It’s easy to use and you will be able to get to a lot more.

The best part about landscaping on your own is that it’s more rewarding than hiring someone else to do it.