Outdoor livin’ on a budget
One of my most recent home projects has been to totally renovate part of our backyard. Of course there's lots to go - this time, I focused on the side of the house. We've been wanting to get a patio since we moved in, but couldn't really justify the cost. However we have come up with a good interim measure that works really well! We had a halloween party in the new space, and here's how we did it:
The side of the house had a carport, which was lined with some old trellis and vines. We pulled out the trellis, which then left the carport facing onto a wild patch of dirt and stunted trees, with a dilapidated old cubby house in the middle. Diggin, cursing, and many cuts and bruises later, we had an expanse of flattish dirt. We got some dolomite sand delivered, raked it out level, and hired a compacter - then it was time to start paving! After a couple more days labor, we had a lovely paved 12m sq area fronting on to the long side of the car port. Next, to enclose the area and give some partial protection from the wind, we set up some vinyl patio covers (aka cafe blinds) on the short sides of the car port. This gave us a great semi enclosed patio, facing on to a small courtyard. It's already got quite a nice mediterranean feel but we are going to continue this theme with some potted herbs and maybe even fruit trees.
Anyway, just wanted to show how you can save some money on home improvements if you think outside the box a little!
Till next time.
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