Thursday, 26 June 2014

The House I loved on SIGHT CHANGED

When I first saw the house I currently live I loved it, it cleanliness its simplicity and the chances of advancement.  Since moving in during March 2013 I have made changes, some I am happy with and some that were a good idea and I dislike now.  I do how ever think the changes have made a remarkable increase in the value.

I decided mid summer that the front lawn had to go, it was simply crap buffalo lawn and had become spongey and had a bad root system.  I turned off the reticulation and let it die, with the aid of some glyphosate.  At the end of summer the lawn was extremely dead and looking grey and burnt.  I decided that it would be removed and new garden beds installed.  With three beds made from treated pine sleepers and the old dead lawn removed I had a sand pit.

The sand pit remained for about 6 weeks until I decided synthetic/astro turf would replace the old lawn.   TOOn and I levelled 5 cubic meters of cracker dust and compacted it twice.  It remained un touched for a further month.

I then decided to lay pavers around the two edges, along the garden beds and the road verge.  I then waited until the turf was delivered.

Today a mate (Larry ASHWORTH) turned up to help me lay it.  I woke at 0630 and began creeping the cracker the dust, not level, with a little hump to make it look natural.  Then we cut and layer the turf, pegged it down, glued the edges and covered it with white silicone sand to aid the bristles to stay up right.

I had quotes for the job to be done, priced from $2800 to $4300,  it cost me to do it myself just short of $1500.

I thank TOON and Larry for their help and their patience, also thank the neighbours for not complaining about the sand pit that was there way too long.  I am sure you will agree it looks great.

NOW all we need are plants in the garden beds,  that is TOONs job.

PHOTOS before, during and after.