One couple finally had enough of their garden patio and decided to give it a total transformation.
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But Jemma Waine, 33, and her partner Steve were left stunned when they received quotes for the job – as they were told it would cost thousands of pounds.
The crafty pair decided to take matters into their own hands and managed to complete the project themselves, for free, using scraps from Facebook Marketplace.
Jemma, who is from Aldershot and works as a Customer Service Administrator, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “Our cobbled paving was falling apart and we always hated it.
“We needed a cheap and cost-effective way to cover it that would look better and last longer.
“I have been a member of various Facebook DIY groups for a while now and I always saw such great inspiration from these pages.
“A number of people had gone DIY and made their own decking in their gardens. They had saved so much money that myself and my husband Steve wanted to try the same.
“Our idea was solidified when both myself and Steve’s work had some pallets going spare. Combined with the warmer weather, this was the ideal time to gather supplies and start on our project.
“In the past we had been curious about getting decking as the cobbles became a trip hazard once they started falling apart.
“Last year, we received a quote to get a new patio – but it would have cost us thousands.
“As another option, we looked at decking kits, but even those would have cost us around £500.”
Jemma explained that she and Steve gathered as many pallets as they could and didn’t have to spend a penny.
She added: “In the end, we didn’t pay anything at all. We had all the tools at home already, including a saw, nail gun, screws, a screwdriver and a drill, from other DIY projects.
“We also had a hammer and a crowbar which really helped with pulling the pallets apart.
“The first step was to collect as many pallets as we could through Facebook Marketplace. While we picked up as many as possible from our workplaces we needed more.
“Fortunately we didn’t have to pay anything for the pallets as people were giving them away for free.”
The DIY enthusiast explained how she and her partner created their very own patio, as she continued: “Once we got them back home we needed to break them apart. This was the tedious part and it was a relief once this was over!
“After that we began fitting the pallets together. We used the larger and thicker pallets for the base, making the shape we needed to fit in the gap.
“It was difficult to make the decking level as the cobbled pavement underneath was in awful condition. We ended up using spare bits of wood wedged underneath to level out the surface.
“The next step was to screw and nail individual strips of wood from the pallets, cutting where we needed to.
“The job wasn’t quite complete once the pallets had been laid out in the pattern we wanted as we needed to sand and treat it to make it last.
“We used decking sealer and protector that a friend had left over. Fortunately it was clear as we wanted to keep the wood looking natural.”
Reflecting on the DIY job, Jemma noted: “If we were going to do the project again we would have created an additional step where the gate is, as it is a huge step up at the moment. However, we will be making this adjustment soon.
“The space looks much better now and is more inviting. We enjoy spending time out there now and it has made the garden more welcoming for guests.”
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