Home refurb pics...almost done!

Some of you may remember way back I was working on some home refurb - the interior was largely completed in 2005 and 2006, with exception of 2 bathrooms and the bar area which I still want to get to when the money comes magically floating down from the sky (don't know why that hasn't happened yet!). In 2007 I worked on the backyard - with some new furniture for an outdoor sitting room, and alot of new landscaping to replace what 5 hurricanes took away...it finally was finished in early 2008.

At the end of the year, I decided to try to do something with the somewhat bland landscaped area at the front of the house.

Here's an idea of what it looked like after friendly Hurricane Wilma did her own rearranging:



You can see I've got a privacy wall, but not much behind it other than light foliage and a small window hedge.

The front of the house from across the street, with the plants and trees fairly well recovered since the hurricane - this is taken just last month:



Jealous with all the sunshine and greenery in that shot for a January!?

Anyway, here's a closer look at what was behind the privacy wall:



Namely, nothing. Some shrubbery (neep!), and rocks, some stepping stones surrounded by bland white rocks, and those paver stones in the background by the back bedroom window, serving really no purpose. I had started a garden at least behind the wall.

Here's what I've done with it now:



I took half of the paving stones, and realigned them to make a 'porch' where the removed shrubberies were. I added a few benches to that porch for some nice sitting area, and some Roman style vase pots and a little wall sconce. I replaced the white rocks with red lava stone, and rearranged the stepping stones which I think now stand out more against the red lava. I left the garden there (though it's being replanted), though shrunk it a bit. I planted grass where the half of the paving stones had been by the back window, leaving the other half where they were so I can walk through there.

It was a cheap overhaul - $500 total for the benches (assembled myself), vases (grey plastic, spray-painted black), and 30 bags of red lava. Plus a little back-breaking labor. My entire home refurb project has been trying to make the house look as nice, modern, and styled as possible without big outlay. It was a very 70s style ranch house - the interior is where I had to spend the most money (kitchen...I needn't say more). But even there, I managed to get some amazing redos for alot less than initial estimates. Including 2 bathrooms I did myself, the kitchen which was an entire rebuild from ground to ceiling, repainting the whole interior and new carpets throughout, and new furniture, I've essentially got a new house for $27,000 over 3 years. It's worth the investment, as it has a nice 1/2 acre lot, a 50-ft pool with huge deck, and 3,800 sq ft of space. But I take the most pride out of little overhauls like this, that add so much for so little!

Anyway, just wanted to share a little of the project. Next up - take my 70's bar and turn it into a retro english pub. Still waiting for the money to fall from the sky.

 

big improvement.

 

Thanks Tim. I definitely like having a place to sit on the front porch...feeding the squirrels or chatting with friends before they leave. I miss the old front porches up north - Florida is all about privacy and most homes have all the porches, patios, and such in back, with nothing up front but walls and fences and gates.

 

Thanks guys!