A couple have transformed their ‘wasteland’ garden into the perfect stylish bar to enjoy the heatwave - and saved £3,000 in the process by doing it themselves. Samantha and Richard Turner, 41 and 43 from Halifax, West Yorkshire were given a big quote of £4,000 to get the area fixed up professionally.
But the pair decided to go it alone - and although it was hard work - and took them 6 months, they have been delighted at the result. According to Samantha and Richard the area was an eyesore before with cracked paving slabs, a slope covered in dead grass and with little of merit.
However now it is a fully stocked bar area - and they at first they took to the internet for inspiration for their project. Samantha told LatestDeals.co.uk: “Our garden had so much potential but it was looking neglected and had become a bit of a wasteland. We had a patio with some cracked slabs and a big grassy slope which was overgrown and discoloured.
“We knew we wanted to transform the space so we could spend time outside enjoying the summer evenings. I came up with the idea of creating a garden bar and started looking for ideas on Pinterest. Initially we shopped around for quotes but the average price we received was £4,000. Our budget was much smaller so we decided to go DIY.”
They first began to shop around for supplies - they bought ready mix concrete to lay the foundations from a local trader for £60 - Huws Gray Bradford (Parkside). It can be bought on B&Q for £9.50 a20kg bag - with bulk deliveries available - for more information click here.
They able bought a load of 8 inch concrete blocks for a total of £150. They also created some decking buying loads of timber for £100. B&Q’s range of decking can be viewed here.
Samantha added: “Finally we got a tub of Ronseal Wood Stain in the shade Country Oak for £20. For decoration we bought a bar sign from eBay for £15 and the two faux ivy wall panels were £10 each from Home Bargains to add some interest & colour to the wood. We also used black paint for this project, which we already had.
“We saved over £3,000 compared to the professional quote which I am really happy about.”
It was a big job which means hiring in some big equipment. Samantha said: “The first step was to use the mini digger to dig out the rubble and soil on the grassy slope until the entire floor in the garden was level. We were lucky enough to avoid paying a hire fee for the digger as we borrowed it from someone we know.
“Once the floor was level, this gave us the base to start working on the retaining wall. We dug the footings 3 feet deep each, and poured concrete on top.”
The construction took many months and once it was up, they were able to start to decorate the interior and make it more ‘bar like’. Samantha explained: “We hung up lights, attached the TV to the retaining wall and laid out some plants. We got faux wall ivy to hang along the wall and some large plants were laid out alongside the egg chair, hanging chair and our corner garden sofa with matching table blocks.
“The project took 6 months in total as we were only working on it during evenings and weekends. The biggest challenge was digging out all the rubble & soil which took us almost 2 weeks.
“It was challenging at times and there were definitely some hard days, but the end result is well worth it.”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Samatha and Richard’s dedication and determination to transform their neglected garden into a stylish outdoor bar is truly inspiring. Their DIY approach not only saved them over £3,000 but also allowed them to create a personalised space where they can now enjoy the warm summer evenings.
‘Their hard work and creativity have paid off, demonstrating that with a little bit of vision and a lot of effort, you can turn any wasteland into a beautiful oasis.”
