Garden planning - no budget

Hello,
the title is a bit provocative, I know. Let's say the goal is to spend as little as possible.

Background (can be skipped):
A part of our household income is suddenly at risk, i.e. it has already been slightly reduced and unfortunately will continue to be so in the future in a way that cannot be concretely predicted, possibly severely.
The new construction has started/is ongoing (shell/roof/windows are in place).
We will finish the house construction with the secured income portion and will be able to pay it off in the long term.

But: not only luxury is no longer possible, there is actually no budget left for the garden and outdoor facilities either. “Actually,” because at some point I need to sit down with my husband and specifically work out what we can/want to spend. The house construction is still ongoing, and you never really know exactly to the euro what it will cost in the end. We definitely have 10 €, 100 €, maybe even 1000 € or 3000 €, I just don’t know right now.
(Several friends of ours have spent tens of thousands on outdoor facilities and garden. My parents have a tiny garden where they just planted store-bought plants, that’s it. Otherwise, we have no experience.)

Precisely because the expenses should be as small as possible, the absolute priorities must be worked out.

What I see as priorities so far:
* Paths so one can live without walking through mud. (Front door/garages/garbage bins)
* Ground cover in the front garden so that passersby don’t complain about a thistle desert. (Ground cover, not the passersby.)
* Things that can be done now much more easily because later access to the site might be more difficult or because construction machinery can still be used now. (Example: leveling the terrain, moving large things into the garden)
* Privacy screen – We want a (long-term) large tree in the garden that protects us from views from the neighbor’s upper floor. And maybe a section of hedge/bushes facing the street.
* Soil improvement. Heavy clay soil with little topsoil. Preparing it so that plants can grow well in the long run is more important to me than terraces, walls, fences, fountains, garden furniture, sculptures, etc.
* At least one rain barrel. (We have ruled out a cistern for cost reasons.)

Prerequisites:

[*]Plot size minus house and garage approx. 680 sqm

[*]What is still included in the turnkey contract:

* Granite step in front of the front door.
* Outdoor water tap.
* Extension of about 7 sqm at the back of the garage with access to the garden.
* Redistribution and leveling of the topsoil.
* The garage driveway will be paved. (Permeable surface is required.)
* There will be some exterior lights on the outside walls of the house.

[*]My father would simply pave an area where the “terrace” is planned.

[*]The house and garage are white with gray and anthracite elements. Therefore, I would like to keep all outdoor facilities in shades of gray.

Now concrete questions:

[*]A garden architect nearby offers to be booked only for a few hours. He then charges for travel and his hourly rate.
[*]Who has done this before?
[*]Different shades of gray in different brightness tones and surfaces can be combined well, right?
[*]What can soil improvement for the 600 sqm cost? I assume sand and good topsoil/humus soil would have to be procured and transported, possibly distributed with machines. Does anyone have experience and a very rough estimate for me?
[*]The tree should already be larger. 2 m is not a problem price-wise, but then it’s just a stick with three leaves. I have to see if we can afford something wider. I can find out tree prices, but what should one expect for transport, professional preparation of the planting hole, and planting?
[*]What is a cost-effective alternative for paths? Gravel paths? Maybe with that plastic honeycomb foil underneath, which hopefully keeps the stones in place in the long run (experience wanted)? Simply placing them on individual concrete slabs? How is this version, where stepping stones are embedded in a gravel path, financially to be seen?
[*]What should one pay attention to when choosing stones for the garage driveway and terrace?

I am happy about suggestions on what to focus on, what one can do without, and regarding materials what to pay attention to even at the lower price level to get a good price-performance ratio and to have something of it in the long term.
What costs nothing at all (like a color concept or keeping paths short) and makes a difference?

Thanks for your effort and best regards

Yes yes, you can spend a lot of money in the garden, we have also had that experience. We had a lot done by a garden and landscaping contractor, who for example offered that if we wanted, we could support him with the work and save money that way (e.g. he does the substructure for the paving and shows us how to pave, and as soon as we get the hang of it, we do the rest ourselves). That can save a lot of money since especially the labor hours are expensive.

I don't understand why you want to hire an architect already when no decision has been made about building the house yet and no money can actually be spared.............. no offense, but your considerations seem too early and too detailed. Especially since you first have to make new purchases in the new house.

I don't understand why you always and predictably get such answers in these kinds of threads that question the fundamental question and motivation. It's not meant in a bad way, but it's true.

It's not too early for considerations. Now I have some time for it, when things heat up again at the house construction site, not necessarily anymore. That doesn't mean I'll jump up tomorrow and get an architect or buy plants. The garden topic is just a gap-filler topic for me right now. I'm starting early because I will constantly have to let it rest when something else becomes more urgent.

But what if I think about it later and then a professional tells me, yes, you should have planted the tree right away when we could still drive over the back then undeveloped neighboring plot and the excavator was on site for the hole. Also, if I know what parts cost, I can make better decisions. If the tiler says, I could do glitter grout instead of normal grout in the bathroom for an additional €150, then I can say, no, for €150 I can afford a rose bush instead of a tuft of grass. (This is a theoretical example; I would never take glitter grout.)

For example, we also planned the kitchen and bathroom in detail before we commissioned the shell construction including windows. A colleague who first did the shell construction had to make many compromises later on his kitchen.

The furnishings for the house are available. We also included our current furniture as far as we want to keep it in the floor plan. Except for shelves for storage rooms, everything necessary is available for now.

: Thanks. Was the garden and landscaping professional worth it, or do you think you would have managed it just as well on your own sooner or later?

I'm really confused: You have no money - but want to hire an architect for the garden? So you buy the tree for €120 at the nearest [baumschule] and have it delivered for €20 (ok, distance matters, but gas is cheap right now). You dig the hole yourself - 2 men 2 shovels - it took us 15 minutes, then the hole was ready - as we Saxons say. Site planning is included in the contract - make sure they do a thorough job and make everything as perfect as possible. Shrubs and bushes can be planted later. First, you need grass, otherwise you'll have mud everywhere. I'd reserve about €200 for that. The path can stay gravel for now, paving can be done later. Well - help from Daddy is of course always welcome. Everything else will have to wait, I would say.

For us, it's simply called Menpower and my own creativity when it comes to garden design. After all, you live at this place for the next decades and can make it as beautiful as you want.... over the years I don't think it's bad to have just a nice lawn at first (die hecke steht schon)