Outdoor Living Transformation in Mount Eden, Auckland

Situated in popular Mount Eden, this semi-detached unit gains the perks of its exciting location while also dealing with the outer-city suburb’s bustling nature. This busy surrounding was highly considered when the homeowner looked to update their garden area.

Wanting to determine their best landscaping solution, they reached out to local Zones Landscaping Specialist Rose Bridge, who specialises in transforming outdoor spaces into functional and aesthetically pleasing zones. 

The Briefing Meeting

At the time, the homeowner was expecting a baby. So they wanted to see all landscaping changes finished before the due date. This goal made it important to move the process along quickly.

Getting started, Rose sat down with the homeowner for an initial consultation. In these first conversations, they discussed the property’s lack of outdoor space and focused on the driveway area. It was unenclosed, unkept, and full of great potential.

The homeowner’s main objective was to create a safe, secure, and low-maintenance outdoor area for her baby to play in. And with that in mind, Rose developed a concept that would provide the perfect, modern solution.

Design & Costing

The homeowner had a budget of $20,000, and Rose was ambitious to allocate it wisely for a high-quality finish.

The landscape design called for installing full-coverage fencing with an integrated gate around the driveway area and replacing the old stone garden with a new lawn and room for a playground. It was a fantastic design that ultimately utilised the 35m2 of available space and with consideration to creating a safe, low-maintenance environment for raising a child.

To achieve the design, the homeowner selected low-cost PVC fencing, which is incredibly hardwearing. Keeping the lawn manageable, they went with soft-level synthetic APT grass. And as there was only a small amount of planting detailed in the design, they opted to complete the work themselves to reduce pricing and keep tight to their budget. 

Four-day Construction

Tasked to complete the project before the end of February, when the homeowner’s baby was due, Rose focused on undertaking construction as soon as possible. Luckily, with the landscape design finalised before Christmas, she and her landscaping team could finish construction by the end of January.

Taking only four days, the builders worked diligently to remove the previous garden and install the new, raised grass area with timber framing, fencing, and the sliding vehicle gate. To increase functionality, they also improved the drainage by digging a new soak hole and channel for rainwater to drain.

Altogether, the construction process was swift and produced an outstanding result which transformed the old driveway into a safe, secure, and attractive outdoor living area.