A Garden That is Ready for Outdoor Entertaining
With the holidays not far away, make sure that your garden is ready for outdoor entertaining or hosting festive celebrations with these affordable tips that you still have time to do.
03/12/2022
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With the December holidays just a couple of weeks away, if you are planning to do any entertaining in your garden and your garden looks anything like the one shown above, chances are you are looking to do something about it. Wouldn't it be nice to invite family and friends around for a day of entertaining or an evening of celebrating and be able to show off your new entertainment area? Well, you can. There is still enough time to pop into your local Builders store to grab everything you need - and you can do it without spending a fortune. Even putting a small portion of your Christmas bonus towards the project will reap rewards by increasing the value of your property.
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You can select a variety of paving slabs in different colours and sizes ranging in price from around R39 for a 30cm x 30cm slab to R79 for a 44cm x 44cm slab. You can use these paving slabs to set down an entertainment area, or just a place to sit and relax in the garden, or you can go a different route and lay a concrete slab with paving slabs around this for decoration or pathways.
Interested in getting your garden in shape for the holidays? Read on for easy step-by-step instructions on how to do this without too much cost and just a bit of effort.
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HERE'S HOW:
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Plan and prepare
As with any project, planning and preparation need to be done before you can begin the actual job. Measure the site and draw a rough sketch of what you have in mind. The sketch will also let you calculate what materials you will need to complete the job, the labour required, as well as a cost estimate. If you don't think that you can afford to complete the job in one go, look at what can be done now to have a presentable result and you can always leave finishing touches for later when you can afford it.
A visit to your nearest Builders store or browsing their website will assist in selecting what materials and supplies you need to complete the project. You will also be able to check on stock levels so that you don't run out of what you need halfway through the job.
Since this is a do-it-yourself project, this is also the time when you can decide what you can do yourself or hire casual labour for the heavy work. Having a couple of extra hands to help will make the job easier and go faster.
Clean up the site
Something you may want to consider if there is a lot of mess that needs to be cleaned up is hiring a skip, not sure what this costs these days, but I do know that it costs around R800 for a 5-ton truck from a rubble removal company. Set aside an area where all the refuse can be easily piled up and removed without hassle.
The planning phase will give you a clear picture of what needs to be done for the project to proceed, so whatever it is, make sure you have the tools on hand to get it done. If there are tools you need but don't have, consider popping into Talisman Hire inside Builders for what you need.
Work from the bottom up
While many projects are best started at the top and working down, in the garden it is best to start from the bottom and work your way up. Get all the messy stuff out of the way before you consider cleaning or painting the rest. This method also works out great for garden projects like this, where you lay the paving slabs or concrete slab first and work your way from this.
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Finishing off
All the finishing touches and dressing up can be left until the last minute, giving you the time to shop around for what you need. If you need inspiration, you will be sure to find plenty of it on social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram. Just make sure that what you like is achievable locally, as many of the things we see online aren't even available here. What I have come to learn over the years is that, if you see something you really like - there is always a way to do it yourself!