Making a house a home: Before and After!

This was the back yard closing day. I knew I needed a backyard oasis, where I could get away right in the city!

The back corner sloped off on the right hand side of the yard, I knew then a retaining wall was needed. So I went to the local Home Improvement store and bought the supplies. Cinder blocks, morter, rebar, etc.

Adding Plants, Furnishings, a water feature, trees, shrubs, and just a lot of hard work, we were able to dream up a place for us to escape to.

Total Cost to Before to After- around $2500.

__________________________________________________

The Front of the House appealed to me, because it had that Charleston charm I was after. Even though being new construction in an old Historic neighborhood, I was bound and determined to get that feeling of a beautifully renovated home!

The Seller did agree to put in a brick walkway up to the front of the house- Just what a first time home buyer wants to hear! So it was all about adding touches with plants!

Still after seeing the stairs going all the way across the front yard, it drove me crazy. I wanted to build historic looking lattice but I didn't want to break the bank!

The cost to rip up stairs? Free, with a lot of hard work. Moving the stairs was the best thing yet. It totally gave the house a new look, lined up with the walkway and just looked like it was always that way!

All that was left was some paint, and adding a flower bed where the stairs were. Total Cost- Around $525 ____________________________________________________________ The Kitchen was the next project on my list. I needed to add a back splash. Always being such a huge fan of New York City, I went with the inspiration and decided to put in bright white subway tile. Supplies for morter, grout, tile and hard work all came up to around $200. If I were to have a contractor put in a back splash, it would've been well over $1000.