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Moving into a new home is a great opportunity to make your mark – and if you’re smart, you can often transform spaces on a tight budget. That was the case for young homeowners Marlie and Rob Potter, who moved into their new home in 2020 – and immediately had lots of small backyard ideas for a neglected corner of their outdoor area.
It was a sun-trap corner in an odd spot, but they felt it had potential to be more. ‘You’d only really go there to hang the washing,’ remembers Marlie, ‘and there was a small barbecue deck – but when we moved in it had astroturf and a dated, crumbling bamboo screening that had been stapled to the back fence. It just felt like wasted space.’
Marlie’s a keen renovator and has also studied design, so she started the project with her favourite tool: a Pinterest board. ‘I use Pinterest a lot for inspiration so we were gathering ideas at first – paving ideas, did we want to put turf down, or pebbles and stepping stones,’ she says. ‘We also knew we wanted a bench seat and some garden beds for greenery.’
Marlie says they didn’t have a set budget at first but knew they didn’t want to spend too much. ‘We’d keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace, and one day we were lucky, someone was selling a pallet load of gorgeous leftover porcelain pavers. Normally they’d retail for around $50 per square metre and we got them for half that price.’
Even so, the pavers cost $600, so they decided to try and stick to an overall budget of $1000. They went to Bunnings to buy sleepers for the garden boxes, decking timber for the bench seat – and the paving sand and some of the plants.
We also roped in my dad, who’s very handy; if we hadn’t had his skills, I’m not sure we would’ve done it because we would have had to pay a landscaper. Also, we wanted to learn from him as well, so he’d come over, talk us through everything then get stuck in and help.”
The makeover involved getting rid of the astroturf, laying the pavers, building the garden boxes and planting, ripping the bamboo off the fence and painting the fence, and building the bench seat. “All up, it probably took four weekends to complete,” says Marlie.
Like any reno, they learned a lot – including that heavy 600 x 600 pavers are hard to work with! “They’re beautiful and we love how they look, but they’re a bit more challenging to lay and to get level,” she says. “Dad said if we did something like this again to use paving cement, as you have a bit more scope to adjust the pavers and get them in the right spot.”
The other issue they had was the plants they chose – a mixture of cuttings from Marlie’s parents’ garden and plants from Bunnings. “They outgrew the boxes very quickly, and although sometimes you do want plants to grow quickly because you want that full green look, looking back we probably could have chosen different plants.”
The couple are so happy with their small backyard makeover. “The bench seat is in a lovely sunny spot,” says Marlie, “and if someone’s cooking on the BBQ, you can sit and chat to them. It’s great for entertaining and we use the area a lot when people come over.”
The project has also given the couple other ideas for using their newfound reno knowledge. “We have family in Kangaroo Valley and we’d love to buy some land down there, maybe put a tiny house on it and run it as an AirBnb, so that’s our next goal!”
1. Be flexible: “Lots of people sell great backyard materials on Facebook Marketplace and if you’re not set on a certain look or colour, you can save lots of money.”
2. Think about paving sizes: “If you’re doing it on your own, I would definitely recommend choosing a smaller paver that’s easier to move around.”
3. Built-in or not built-in? “We opted for a built-in bench seat which means we can’t take it with us if we move, but the upside is, it adds value to the property.”
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
