Moving into a new home is exciting, but an unfinished backyard can make it feel like there is still work ahead.

Most Ehrenburg homes include front-yard landscaping, a driveway, and a concrete sidewalk leading to the front door. The backyard is generally left for the homeowner to complete based on their lifestyle, budget, and plans for the property.

Unless, of course, you purchased one of our Cockcroft Street homes—in which case the landscaping, deck, and fence are already included in the price. Lucky you.

For a typical new-construction home, landscaping requires planning and a little patience. Seasonal work may continue into the first year after possession, and the ground surrounding the home needs time to settle.

Here is what to consider before getting started.

1. Give the Ground Time to Settle

During construction, the soil around a home is excavated, moved, and replaced. This disturbed soil contains spaces that gradually compress as moisture moves through the ground.

That is why settlement around a newly constructed home is expected.

Ideally, the property should experience all four seasons before major permanent landscaping is completed. Rain and snowmelt saturate the ground, while moisture in the soil freezes and expands during winter. When the ground thaws, it may settle further.

Allowing this process to occur gives you an opportunity to identify low areas and refill the grade before installing permanent features such as decks, patios, and fencing.

If landscaping is completed too quickly and the ground settles afterward, portions of the work may need to be removed or redone so the grade can be corrected.

2.Consider Which Direction Your Yard Faces

The direction of the home on its lot can affect how quickly the ground thaws, dries, and settles.

A south-facing rear yard generally receives more sunlight and may thaw and dry earlier in the spring. A north-facing yard often remains shaded longer, which can slow snowmelt and keep the soil cooler and wetter later into the season.

Neighbouring homes, fences, and trees can also affect these conditions.

Before committing to permanent landscaping, watch how sunlight, snow, and water move through the property. An area that appears dry in summer may collect water during the spring thaw.

Yard orientation can also help determine the best locations for gardens, trees, decks, patios, and lawn areas. Planning around the property’s natural sunlight and moisture patterns can improve comfort, plant health, and the long-term performance of the landscaping.

3. Allow Access for Seasonal Work

Depending on when you take possession, Ehrenburg may still need access to the yard to complete final grading or other seasonal exterior work.

This is common when a home is completed during winter or when weather conditions prevent exterior work from being finished before possession.

Before installing a fence, deck, shed, or another feature that could restrict access, confirm that all outstanding builder work is complete. Equipment may still need to reach the side or rear yard to add soil, adjust the grade, or finish other exterior items.

If homeowner-installed fencing or landscaping prevents the builder from accessing the property, responsibility for completing the outstanding work may transfer to the homeowner.

When in doubt, check with our team before beginning. A quick conversation can prevent delays and unexpected costs.

4.Refill the Grade and Protect the Drainage Plan

Settlement around a newly constructed home is expected to occur. As the disturbed soil surrounding the foundation becomes saturated, freezes, thaws, and compresses, low areas can develop.

Monitoring and refilling these settled areas is the homeowner’s responsibility. Any necessary grade corrections should be completed before permanent landscaping features are installed.

This may involve adding and compacting suitable soil to restore the intended slope away from the foundation. Installing sod, decks, patios, fencing, or garden beds before correcting the settlement can make the grade difficult and costly to access later.

Proper grading should be the foundation of every landscaping project. The ground around your home must direct rainwater and snowmelt away from the foundation and toward the approved drainage pathways. Water cannot be redirected onto neighbouring properties.

Maintaining and correcting the grade helps:

• Protect the foundation from excess moisture
• Prevent water from collecting near window wells
• Preserve applicable warranty protection
• Reduce erosion and standing water
• Protect neighbouring properties
• Provide a stable base for permanent landscaping

Downspouts should remain connected and directed away from the foundation. Avoid shortening, burying, or redirecting them without understanding how the change could affect drainage.

Garden beds, patios, decorative rock, artificial turf, and additional topsoil can all alter the grade. After landscaping is completed, confirm that water can still move away from the home and follow the intended drainage plan.

5.Plan the Entire Yard Before Starting

Even if you intend to complete your landscaping in stages, create a plan for the entire yard before beginning the first project.

Consider where you may eventually want:

• A deck or patio
• Fencing and gates
• A shed or storage area
• A play structure
• Garden beds and trees
• Underground irrigation
• Outdoor lighting
• Entertaining space
• Room for children or pets

Think about future access as well. A narrow gate may prevent equipment from entering the yard later. Sod may need to be removed for a future patio, and a young tree planted too close to the house could become a problem as it matures.

Planning ahead allows each stage of the project to support what comes next.

6.Complete the Work in the Right Order

Every yard is different, but most landscaping projects should follow this general sequence:

1. Confirm outstanding seasonal work with the builder.
2. Review property lines, easements, utilities, and community requirements.
3. Observe how sunlight, snowmelt, and water move through the yard.
4. Allow the soil to settle and refill low areas.
5. Complete any homeowner-required grade corrections and confirm drainage pathways.
6. Plan decks, patios, walkways, and retaining features.
7. Install underground irrigation, electrical lines, or lighting conduits.
8. Complete fencing once builder and equipment access is no longer required.
9. Add topsoil and prepare planting areas.
10. Install trees, shrubs, sod, or seed.
11. Recheck the grade and drainage after the work is complete.

Always arrange to have underground utilities located before digging, installing fence posts, or planting trees. You should also review easements and community guidelines before placing permanent structures.

Good sequencing can reduce costs and prevent completed work from needing to be disturbed later.

7.Understand Community Requirements

Landscaping requirements can vary by municipality, developer, community, and address.

Some neighbourhoods may have guidelines covering fence styles, landscaping materials, tree requirements, completion deadlines, or refundable landscaping deposits. Review your purchase documents and community guidelines before ordering materials or hiring a contractor.

Depending on the property, homeowners may be responsible for:

• Grade maintenance and settlement corrections
• Topsoil and sod
• Rear-yard landscaping
• Fencing
• Decks or patios
• Trees and shrubs
• Irrigation systems
• Landscaping inspections or approvals

Confirming these responsibilities early will help you create a more accurate budget and realistic project schedule.

8.Choose Materials for Saskatchewan Conditions

Saskatchewan yards experience hot summers, cold winters, wind, drought, heavy rain, and changing moisture levels.

Choose trees, shrubs, and perennials suited to the local climate and the amount of sunlight each area receives. Consider their mature size—not simply how they look when first planted.

Low-maintenance landscaping can reduce watering and upkeep, but it must still support proper drainage. Decorative rock, raised beds, edging, artificial turf, and large hardscaped areas can all change how water moves through the yard.

Create an Outdoor Space That Lasts

A well-planned yard does more than improve curb appeal. It protects your home, respects neighbouring properties, and creates outdoor space you can enjoy for years.

The most important first step is often patience. Give the ground time to settle, allow outstanding seasonal work to be completed, and refill the grade before installing permanent features.

Once that foundation is ready, you can begin creating a yard that works for your lifestyle—without having to take it apart later just to put the dirt back where it belongs.