A DIY-savvy dad decided to take matters into his own hands when he was quoted an expensive price for a garden makeover.
Dad-of-two Matthew Johnson, 33, was quoted a whopping £20,000 to build a decking area in his garden.
Instead, the business director, from Kent, armed himself with YouTube tutorials, free design software trials, and lots of wood.
The resourceful dad managed to build himself a stunning pergola, deck, and BBQ area for a fraction of the price he was quoted, spending just £7,000.
‘I originally came up with the idea after we went on holiday to Spain and there was a beautiful BBQ area that we sat at every night,’ Matthew told LatestDeals.co.uk
‘I could not believe the amount of content there was available online.
‘I found a few free trials online for design software and tried a few out. Before long I had managed to design the deck, pergola, and BBQ and I had evolved even further to now making it into an outdoor kitchen and living area.
‘The one I’m most proud of as I think it’s really original is the plinth lighting that was set upside down in the rafter to give a starry night type mood lighting effect. It looks amazing.’
Mathew built everything from treated timber and decking boards. The cupboards, kitchen sides, back bar are all made from decking scraps and bits of wood he had left over in the garage.
He reckons his costs would’ve been lower but because he’s an amateur builder, he made a few mistakes that he had to account for.
The dad spent £2,290 for the wood, then the rest went on wiring, lighting, plumbing, fixings, the BBQ, bar accessories, audio bits, sink, tap, hedge screening, and a few other bits.
Mathew also made sure to get locally sourced wood.
He added: ‘Now that’s it’s done I genuinely feel incredible about it! We’ve spent so many afternoons and nights out there and it’s totally changed the function of our garden.
‘Where there was once a derelict unsightly and unloved concrete slab now stands a beautiful place for us to relax and make happy memories with friends and family.’
Mattew says that even if you’re not a DIY pro, now is the perfect time to attempt a project like this yourself.
‘It sounds obvious, but have a go!’ he adds.
‘There’s so much now that you can learn from blogs and online content such as DIY forums and YouTube that you can pretty much learn to do or get instructions on anything, subject to having the right tools to hand.
‘But why not invest in some tools and make it a reality? It’s all right there on demand.
‘Once you do have a go and you realise that actually, some of these jobs are really quite doable, then you’ll get the bug and want to do more.’
Mathew certainly has the DIY bug. He adds: ‘My next task is to make some built-in wardrobes.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/21/dad-quoted-20k-for-dream-garden-builds-his-own-for-just-7000-13301361/
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