A WOMAN who was quoted a “ridiculous” amount to have her garden done by professionals has revealed how she did it herself for a fraction of the price.
Rachel Harper expressed her shock after being told it would cost her a whopping £17,680 for the experts to come in and transform her outdoor haven.
In a bid to cut back on costs, she set out on a mission to tackle it herself and revealed that it cost her just £2,900 – a whopping £14,780 cheaper than the original quote.
And perhaps the best part of all? She used bargain buys from the likes of B&M and The Range to complete the stunning makeover.
The savvy homeowner took to Facebook group Gardening On A Budget Official and shared an initial post where she explained: “We were quoted a ridiculous price to have our garden done, so we decided to do it all ourselves.
“I think we have done a great job considering we haven’t ever done it before!
“I am obsessed with it and looking forward to cosy summer evenings sat outside.”
I am obsessed with it and looking forward to cosy summer evenings sat outside
Rachel then shared a selection of before photos of her garden, which showed an area by her back door completely dug up ready for a patio to be built.
Clearly delighted with the results, she then showed what it looks like now – complete with marble-effect patio, pergola and stunning seating area.
Speaking to Fabulous, she explained: “We were quoted £17,680 and it cost us around £2,900 for everything without the pergola and patio set – these cost us an additional £3, 200.
“It makes such a difference! I feel like the cost of gardens are extortionate to be honest and I don’t know how people afford it!”
And for anyone eager to know where Rachel snapped up the bargain buys, then you’re in luck…because she revealed all!
She told how the patio set and pergola are from The Range, bench is from B&M, the rug under the patio and bird bath are from B&M, while she snapped up the waterfall and lights around the patio from Amazon.
And it’s little surprise social media users were quick to rush to the comments section to praise Rachel’s very impressive handiwork.
“Wow that’s lovely – good for you doing it yourself!” commended one.
A second praised: “Absolutely amazing!”
A third enthused: “Wow well done – amazing, enjoy!”
Garden features that add the most value to a house
A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property.
Sellhousefast.uk carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK.
And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed.
- Shed – 82%
- Patio or paving – 76%
- Secure fencing, walls or gates – 72%
- Outdoor lighting – 66%
- Sturdy decking – 62%
- Water features eg. fountain or pond – 58%
- Modern garden furniture – 54%
- Artificial lawn/grass – 40%
Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Great job – looks fab!”
Another noted: “This looks amazing – well done!”
And a further added: “It’s beautiful!”
