Build Your Dream Backyard with These Online Tools
Picture this: Your perfect backyard, as designed by you. When we had our vision for a backyard revamp, we started with a pencil and paper to try and capture our thoughts. But the availability of free online tools taught us there’s a better way to get your ideas out there and start building your dream backyard. Here are a few tools that we came across that were useful:
This versatile planner lets you change the size and color of everything in its arsenal, which is a lot. Bushes, trees, flowers, pavers and ponds, furniture, walls, herb gardens and more are just some of the things you can drag, drop and edit. You can even draw your own shapes and paver paths.
Tip: You will need to download free software if you would like to save your work. If you want to keep what you are working on, you can print it from the browser (just don’t close it before you are done!)
Offered by the well-known Better Homes & Gardens publication, this resource requires some personal sign-up information, but the app is worth it. All items you can drag and drop on the screen appear 3D over a changeable background of a home’s exterior in real space. You can sort plants by the amount of light they’ll receive, and even color on a base texture.
Tip: You can save your project any time right in the browser to come back to it later.
3. Marshalls Garden Visualiser
3D space and plenty of useful objects make this garden planner a breeze to use. It also effectively captures the dimensions of your space, and allows you to move around inside the garden to get an idea of how it will look. You can add features like paths, fences and buildings as well.
Tip: This online planner specifically does not work in Chrome and requires download of the Unity Web Player to work.
If you are looking for even more powerful tools, there are plenty of options for paid software to help you landscape and design your yard. But for something simple and free, these resources should do the trick. Having an inviting backyard is not only a great extension of your home but also a huge part of your curb appeal when trying to sell. Our team offers a free one hour home staging consultation. Contact us for more information.
Happy planning!
