Backyard Makeover: Construction Complete

Hey, Friends! It’s been so busy around here! How about you? I just wanted to pop in really quick and give you a backyard update! If you need to catch up on the previous backyard makeover posts, you can find them here: Before and Progress

The last time you saw our yard, it was level and covered in grass seed and hay. Our grass grew, but despite all of our careful watering, it suddenly died. So frustrating! We reseeded and the grass is doing much better this time around, but we are not out of the woods yet. It is still really patchy and will take some time to fill in.

A couple weeks ago, our fence was installed and it has been a complete game changer! Up until then, the kids still hadn’t played in the yard because the wall is a few feet high at the tallest point, so they could fall off. Not to mention, we didn’t have grass, so it was a mud pit. But, now that we have grass and a fence, the kids have been able to run around to their hearts content! It has been AMAZING!!!!

For the fence, we opted to go with a privacy fence. The fencing company did an amazing job! I thought that the fence would come in panels, but they built the entire thing from scratch on site! So impressed!

I wanted it to be a little more interesting than just a straight fence, so we had them cut the tops into arches. I love love love the arches! They are the perfect angle and add just the right amount of style to the fence! We still need to stain the fence, but the wood has to cure for at least a month before staining. Confession, I have no idea what color to stain it anyway. Any opinions from you all?

 

We are done with the major construction and installation items on our list. Yay! Next up will be staining the fence, then in the spring we’ll add in some plants and landscaping. The yard is looking great considering it was a mound of dirt a couple months ago, but when I look toward the house from this angle, I’m reminded that there is still a lot of work to do! The lattice needs to be replaced desperately, as the bottom few feet used to be behind the extra concrete pad. It’s very discolored and in bad shape. We also really need to add some plants and landscaping near the steps, around the top wall, and at the base of the house and lattice. But, that will have to wait for the weather to warm back up in the spring. 😉

From the first second the kids stepped foot in the yard, we knew it was all worth it. The money, time, construction zone, stress– ALL WORTH IT. It is such a joy to get to have a flat yard that the kids can play in without worrying about them falling off of a wall! They are absolutely loving it! I was so worried that we would invest all this time and money into this project and the yard would end up being crazy small. But, now that it’s done, the yard is actually bigger than I thought it would be and is a great size for the kids! We are so thankful! It may have taken years for our yard dreams to come to life, but it was totally worth the wait!

Look how far we’ve come!

Here’s a look at our task list:

To Do:

-Rip out existing retaining walls, vine, concrete pad, and planter.

-Level out the yard. To do this in the most cost effective and visually aesthetic way from the back, we are lowering the upper portion of the yard about 3 1/2 feet and raising the lower part of the yard about 4 feet.

-Build a new retaining wall around perimeter.

-Replace lattice under deck.

-Install a fence around perimeter of newly leveled yard.

-Add some landscaping and new grass.

-Get a small swing set!!!

I’ll update you after we stain the fence! Be sure to leave me a comment with your stain color recommendations!