12 cheap simple front yard landscaping ideas to use in 2022 - House Bello (2024)

If you have a dull and boring yard, you might want to make it look beautiful and expensive on a limited budget.

It is possible, though, that you can make it work by using your creativity and our guidance to help you get ideas.

If you have seen a front yard landscape, you might also have thought that it would take a lot of money to get the exact look; well, you don’t need to go for expensive props such as water fountains or other decorative items. Instead, you can take inspiration from this article and create a pocket-friendly front yard landscape without compromising on style and aesthetics- by choosing traditional and cheap materials.

Things to keep in mind

If you are really going for cheap simple front yard landscaping ideas, then you have to make a budget first. And decide the placement and the materials you are going to use.

Budget and quality

Fixing a budget is necessary so you don’t end up buying extra and unnecessary stuff, decide the placement and all so that you can have a rough idea of the quantity of the materials you need to buy.

1. Is lawn a good idea?

Of Course, yes, but only when you have a reasonable budget; it enhances the yard’s aesthetics just by existing. Still, it needs a lot of maintenance to have a good-looking lawn, such as you’ll need to install an irrigation system or spending hours yourself irrigating the lawn; it needs constant maintenance in hot weather or during the summer season.

You’ll need a lawnmower, turf, etc., and reseeding can be an exhausting idea. So it’s better to opt for another option to get a majestic yard on a limited budget.

You can ditch the lawn, go for a front yard with a lawn-free front yard, and plant some inexpensive plants such as aloe and ornamental grass. If you have a small space, then this much should be enough, but if you have a larger place than the picture, then you can also plant bigger plants, even trees. Use pebbles to escalate the aesthetics of the plants and the yard.

2. A stepping stone pathway would do the job

Stepping stones can be the cheapest option you can go for; they are not only very convenient to have in the front yard but also enhance the look of your yard. You can design them in several ways; there are hundreds of ideas when it comes to stepping stones.

It goes both ways; it can be cheaper or costlier based on the material you’re buying. There are cheap stepping stones available in the market you can go for; you don’t need to buy an expensive one; you can make your yard look a whole lot better even with cheaper stepping stones.

It all comes from your creativity and vision. You need to have a vision of what you want, at least. Now you have one more option with stepping stones; either you can buy it from the market or go for the traditional way- where you need to dig a symmetrical hole in the ground and fill that up with concrete.

The space left between the concrete-filled holes can be used to grow grass. You can also use glow-in-dark stepping stones for glorious night vision or use different textured stepping stones to create a path or patio of your choice.

Though it is a time taking process, the final results are worth it. If you want more ideas regarding stepping stone front yard, then you must visit and read 30 gorgeous and cheap patio paver ideas.

3. Trees are evergreen

A tree is the cheapest and most beautiful natural prop to give an aesthetic look to your front yard. It won’t matter if your yard is small or large; having a tree as a focal point is the cheapest way around.

Now the cost will also depend on what kind of tree you are looking for; if you go for a seedling instead of a young tree, you can save a lot and witness the tree’s growth in front of you.

You can also get a young tree planted, but that would cost you approx $1000 or more if the tree is of a rare kind.
You can plant more than one type of tree if you have enough space.

Or suppose you want other things along with the tree. In that case, you can go with the look in the picture, planting a tree in the corner with other smaller plants and also creating a garden edge.

And in the rest of the yard, you can create a patio, fire pit, etc.

4. Xeriscaping is the new cool

Xeriscaping is more popular in areas with hot weather. Still, it will be more popular everywhere in the coming years as we are witnessing climate change.

Xeriscaping stands for making your land more drought tolerant, planting drought tolerant plants, and covering the ground with gravel to retain moisture in the ground.

If you are wondering that it would be heavy on your pockets, don’t worry, it’s actually a lot budget-friendly. You can get gravel at a reasonable price, and finding drought-friendly plants isn’t also very expensive, so the expense is minimal, and the outcome is worth it.

5. Large rocks are worth it

Landscaping a front yard is incomplete if there are no big rocks, you can actually use big rocks to create the magic. There are so many placements you can try with these big rocks.

For instance, you can achieve the exact look in the picture and have a rocky edge to your garden or front yard, or you can use these rocks to create a separate platform in the corner and then plant suitable little grasses or plants in that particular area.

6. Gravel can be a cheap option

For sure, laying gravel and then putting some minimal plants or decorative pieces isn’t only cheaper and a marvelous idea for landscaping a front yard on a limited budget.

You can use the picture as a reference and go for a single color or multicolor gravel to make a pattern. Gravel is a traditional and inexpensive material.

• It requires almost zero groundwork
• Just find a suitable place and lay the gravel.
• Plant smaller trees or plants.
• Use different colored gravels to create a pattern or make your front yard stand out.

You can use the concrete pots for plants as shown in the picture or plant them directly in the ground. It would look good both ways; however, for a modern look, try using pots.

7. Picket fences are gold

Old is gold- isn’t a lie; this old trend of white picket fence will never be out of trend, you can use it in any era, and it would still give proper aesthetics your yard needs.

It’s a traditional look you can achieve with significantly less investment as it is much cheaper than you might imagine. You can customize it as per your mood; you can doodle it or paint it. However, it looks best when painted white.

You can also try planting some floral plants on the edges to complement the picket; roses go best with this type of look.

8. Say yes to the bird bath

Placing a birdbath is a good option as it looks really cool. You can also keep mosquitofish in the birdbath to prevent mosquitoes as this fish eats mosquito larvae preventing their multiplication.

Even if it eats mosquito larvae, don’t leave it on its own, change the water regularly, feed it, etc.

Placing a birdbath in your front yard can be a good option if you love nature and want to help poor animals. A bird bath won’t only serve the aesthetic’s purpose but would also mean a lot to the thirsty birds. They can cool them down by swimming or satisfying their thirst.

It’s tough for them to bear so much hot climate and not be able to find drinkable water. If you don’t want to buy one you can try DIY bird bath.

9. Lightings are always the best option to go with

Better lighting is all everyone asks for; better lighting can elevate the looks of any place.

If you feel that lighting is an expensive option, in that case, you need to rethink because there are a lot of solar lighting available in the market you can go for and save a lot on your electricity bill along with the beauty of perfect lighting.

You can either use the LED strip to light up your garden stepping stone- for this; you need to make plans in advance, such as leaving enough space for the light to set well.

You can also use it for creating the garden edge with bigger or smaller stones. It all depends on the aesthetics of your garden. However, good lighting would make everything look good automatically.

10. Gardening edge is all you need

Creating an edge in the garden gives it a very professional and expensive look.

There are a lot of options you can use for creating an edge. The famous one is the steel edge which separates the flower bed from the rest of the garden, it can also be within the budget, but the most budget-friendly would be the one created with concrete and pebbles and mostly last forever.

You can also use gravel and bricks to create a garden edge which would give your yard a modern look, you can also plant some aesthetic plants in the floral bed, and the gravel would lock the moisture in the ground.

If you don’t want to use gravel or pebbles to create garden edges, in that case, you can also do it by separating the flower bed from the lawn by plucking out the grass in such a pattern.

However, it would need regular maintenance to keep the edge sharp and separate from the lawn.

You can plant different smaller plants to make them look more pretty. You can also use flower pots, birdbaths, etc.

Gravel and pebbles are okay, but you can also use paver stones to create an edge; you use the leftovers or buy some.

It would create such a strong appearance of partition; some would like it. On the other hand, some might also dislike it; it depends on people’s preferences. You could choose one as per your budget and need.

11. How about a fountain?

Well, fountains have always been the symbol of elegance in houses. But they can be quite expensive to have. However, you can try DIY with pretty good outcomes.

It is a DIY fountain you can create with concrete, mold, a water motor, and lights. And with some youtube tutorials, you can create it with ease.

You won’t need any motor for this one. Just get a container to hold water dig a hole, put that container in the hole and cover it with some big rocks, then place the motor in the container and, hide the pipe in the rocks, connect it with the socket. Here you have an affordable, beautiful, and natural-looking fountain.

You can place it in the corner of your yard or create a garden edge and use the fountain as a decorative piece in the corner.
Don’t forget to change the water frequently if you don’t want a stinky corner with mosquito buildup.

12. Paver patio

It is the most popular option people go for as it is not only affordable; when buying materials with proper planning but also beautiful.

You can create this corner in your yard on your own; you need some concrete pavers because they are cheap. You can create the circular stepping stones on your own by digging a circular hole, filling that up with concrete, and placing gravel in the wet concrete. Your stepping stones are good to go.

You can plant floral plants to make it look like a bush, and for the patio, you can use wooden chairs and flowerpots to give it a cozy look.

You can also use swings as they look pretty good and are fun. A fire pit with this type of setting is like the cherry on the cake. You use gravel if you find pavers expensive. Besides the swings, you can place some wooden chairs to make seatings more comfortable.

It is a pretty unique and beautiful setup to have; you can go for it if you have a smaller yard.

What is the cheapest form of front yard landscaping?

When you are planning for a cheap simple front yard landscaping idea, you don’t have a lot of options to begin with, because there is a budget limitation to bound your desires, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

There is a lot you can do even with a limited budget, such as planting a tree which is way cheaper than buying other decorative stuff as you only need to buy a sapling instead a fully grown tree which would save you around $200 to $300.

However, if you’re looking for a rare tree, then it could cost much more than this. It all depends on your budget.

If you buy a sapling, it’s obvious that you’ll have to wait a bit until it is fully grown, but it is worth waiting. It won’t only work as a focal point of your front yard, but it would also keep your house a bit cooler in the hot weather. Also, if you ever decide to sell your house, the value of the grown tree would add up.

How can I make my front yard look expensive with cheap simple front yard landscaping ideas?

It is all based on how well you take care of your front yard. If you own a front yard, the key to making it look expensive is regularly mowing the land and pruning your plant. The neat and clean look obviously gives an expensive look to the yard.

You should try planting perennials along the perimeter to make it look more professional; it would add elegance to your lawn and last long. It also seems expensive, though it is cheaper.

You can go for the lighting if you have a bit more budget. You can opt for solar lights to save your electricity bills.

You can place these lights around the stepping stones to make them glow or use wall-mounted lights. It would enhance the beauty of your wall or place the lights around the area you believe to be the most beautiful in your yard.

Installing lights can cost you from $80 to $200 if you are doing it on your own, but if you feel the need for a professional to do it, the cost will go around $1000-$4000.

A professional would analyze and make the best decision to install the lighting, so your front yard could look way more expensive than it actually is.