Even though spring is still a few months away, Sara’s before-and-after photos brought a burst of sunshine. Here’s the letter she sent in:
I’ve been following your blog for years, and I have a big Reader Redesign to share. My fiancé and I bought our house last summer and have been fixing it up gradually. Our largest project so far was a DIY paver patio. A contractor quoted about $8,200 for the job, so we decided to tackle it ourselves and added a low wall for extra seating — with no prior experience and only two weeks to finish before our summer party. Yikes!
We spent nights, weekends, and a couple of vacation days digging, compacting, leveling, shoveling, and moving literal tons of gravel, pavers, and sand. It was backbreaking work, but we’re thrilled with the result. With clearance patio furniture and pillows from Home Depot, discounted seat cushions from TJ Maxx, and a fire pit from Menards, we transformed a weedy area into a roughly 300-square-foot outdoor room. There are still small tasks left, but for this season we’re done. You can see more photos and details on our blog. Here’s the budget breakdown:
- Belgard Dublin Cobble pavers, Weston Universal wall stones, edgers, stakes, 11 tons of crushed limestone, 2 tons of sand, 3 bags of polymeric sand, concrete adhesive for wall — $2,054
- Compactor rental — $200
- Patio table — $140
- Six patio chairs — $300
- End table — $40
- Six throw pillows — $40
- Six seat cushions — $60
- Umbrella — complimentary from a neighbor
- 50 lb umbrella stand — $85
- Fire pit — $100
- Total: $3,019 — more than $5,000 less than the contractor quote, and that includes the seating wall!
Thanks for the inspiration and for taking a look at our big patio project! — Sara
Here’s the bare before photo:
And here’s the impressive after:
Doesn’t Sara’s DIY determination pay off? The result is a fantastic entertaining space that can be enjoyed across three seasons, and it likely adds notable resale value to the home. Amazing job, Sara — now if only spring would hurry up so you can enjoy all that hard work!