Landscaping your home can be REALLY expensive. It’s never fun to explain your vision to a landscaper only to have them tell you it’ll take a 5-figure budget to make it come true.
Luckily, if you’re willing to put some sweat equity into your backyard, there are things you can do on your own to beautify your space.
Brad from Project Build Stuff has been sharing DIY tips on his YouTube channel, and a video he posted last summer has already received over 3 million views from people who have spent a lot more time at home recently and want to get some fresh air and fitness in.
Here are 5 ways he turned his self-proclaimed “lackluster landscaping and drab curb appeal into something beautiful” – and they’re things you can do too!
1. Repairing old features
If you have small fencing or bricks around your landscaping features or trees, chances are they could use a little refreshing if it’s been a few years since their installation.
As you can see, these features tend to shift over time, old mulch gets pushed around (or disappears), and weeds grow up inside, making your previous hard work look messy.
Brad recommends pulling them apart (if there’s no mortar involved, of course), laying them out for a good power wash, and then reassembling them to be more symmetrical.
While not everyone has a powerwasher on hand, they can be rented for the day or often purchased for under $100 online. And as you’ll see in the next recommendation, they come in handy for lots of projects. But if you’re not in the mood to spend, you can always scrub them down by hand.
After you’re done cleaning up these spaces, they’ll look as good as new!
2. Pressure washing
If you do decide to invest in a pressure/power washer, the sky’s the limit with what you can make look as good as new. From your home’s siding to your front porch and sidewalks, you’ll likely be shocked at just how much gunk comes off with a good, strong spray!
In some cases, your concrete will look like it’s been freshly poured!
3. Pruning
Pruning can be done with an electric saw or a pair of clippers.
Many of us have bushes in the front of our homes that we’ve let grow a little wild. And while sometimes that’s a nice look, a fresh prune is good for the plants and for your curb appeal.
You can do this once summer is in full swing if the plant only needs to be shaped. But you’ll want to be sure you’re leaving lots of foliage so it still looks full. If it’s in need of a bigger trim, you’ll want to read up on recommendations for the plant since some do better when they’re cut back in Fall or Spring.
And don’t forget to get the excess foliage off of your tree trunks. These are not just unsightly but they sap water away from the top of your tree!
4. Mulching
Adding mulch can make a huge difference in freshening up your flower beds and the space around your trees.
Brad used Weed Block fabric after he weeded and turned over his dirt so that it would impede the growth of new and unwanted greenery.
Once you lay down the fabric, you can just put the mulch on top and the area will look professionally landscaped!
Check out the huge difference it makes when he adds the fabric and mulch around that tree:
5. Softscaping and landscape lighting
Softscaping refers to adding and otherwise caring for plants (while hardscaping refers to things like building retaining walls). Luckily, softscaping is cheap and easy since it can simply require removing plants that are no longer appealing or moving plants around so they get more or less light.
Of course, you can always add more plants if your budget allows.
And finally, the addition of some landscape lighting (here is a link to the brand Brad uses in the video) can be a great way to show off your hard work and add extra security to your property in the evening.
Most landscape lighting is solar-powered and therefore a one-time expense.
He posted a quick recap on his Instagram page if you want to see more from his outdoor adventure in curb appeal.
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As you can see, there’s a lot you can do in your yard without investing a ton of money.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the whole YouTube video and get some ideas about how you can beautify your own yard with just a few tools and some elbow grease.
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