By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
What's The JamWhat's The Jam
  • Home
  • Latest News
    • UK News
    • World News
  • Super ViralHot
  • Lifestyle
    • Health and Fitness
    • Photography
    • Property
  • Humor
  • Celebrity
  • Weird
  • Videos
  • All Topics
    • Babies and Kids
    • Celebrity
    • Comedy and Humor
    • Documentary and Reportage
    • Fails
    • Health and Fitness
    • Holidays and Travel
    • Influencers and Models
    • Latest Videos
    • Life Hacks
    • Lifestyle
    • Nature and Wildlife
    • Pets and Animals
    • Photography
    • Property
    • Real Life
    • Sport
    • Strange and Bizarre
    • Super Viral
    • UK News
    • World News
Search
  • Health and Fitness
  • Holidays and Travel
  • Nature and Wildlife
  • Pets and Animals
  • Photography
  • Babies and Kids
  • Comedy and Humor
  • Fails
  • Real Life
  • Strange and Bizarre
  • Submit News
  • Customize Interests
  • Bookmarks
  • Newsletter
  • Who Are We
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: ‘I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do’
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
What's The JamWhat's The Jam
Aa
  • News
  • World
  • Viral
  • Funny
  • Weird
  • Celebrity
  • DIY
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Videos
Search
  • Home
    • News
    • World
    • Super Viral
    • Videos
  • All Topics
    • Babies and Kids
    • Celebrity
    • Comedy and Humor
    • Documentary and Reportage
    • Fails
    • Health and Fitness
    • Holidays and Travel
    • Influencers and Models
    • Life Hacks
    • Lifestyle
    • Nature and Wildlife
    • Pets and Animals
    • Photography
    • Property
    • Real Life
    • Sport
    • Strange and Bizarre
  • Quick Links
    • Customize Interests
    • Bookmarks
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Write For Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Property

‘I was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation but did it MYSELF for £1,000 using ChatGPT to show my kids what single mums can do’

Katie Dollard
Last updated: 2025/07/01 at 11:17 AM
Katie Dollard
Share
8 Min Read
Holly Metcalfe's garden. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)
SHARE

A headstrong single mum-of-two who was quoted £10,000 for a garden renovation has done it herself for just £1,000 with the help of budget stores and ChatGPT.

Thrifty Holly Metcalfe said the “shocking” price tag offered by professionals felt unjustifiable, especially as England doesn’t get good weather all year round.

And while she knew it would be a mammoth DIY project, she wanted to show her kids it could be done.

READ MORE: ‘Trolls say I’ve wasted my money – but moving into a £26,000 caravan is the best thing I’ve ever done’

- Advertisement -

The 37-year-old mum, who has a son, 16, and daughter, 14, turned to B&Q, Amazon and ChatGPT for ideas and gardening advice, and then rolled up her sleeves.

“After getting shocking quotes for the work I wanted to be done, I decided I would give it a go myself to save money,” Holly, from Whitley Bay, in the North Tyneside borough in Tyne and Wear, told What’s The Jam.

Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Holly Metcalfe. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

“I’ve always been quite headstrong when I get an idea, and I knew I could see it through.

“I also wanted to show my two children that you can be capable of achieving anything, even if it means getting your hands dirty.

“I just thought this is a lot of money to spend on a space that we only get to use for a few months of the year when the weather is good.

- Advertisement -

“It was challenging at times and I had to dip in and out of it between being a mum and working, but I really enjoyed the process and felt really empowered when I stood back and looked at it finished.”

Holly spent every free moment doing the DIY and admits it was “back-breaking” work.

Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Holly Metcalfe’s garden before. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

Holly, who works in housing, added that the project was “exhausting” but that she had “never felt stronger”.

- Advertisement -

She said: “I feel so empowered as a single mum achieving this on my own around all of my other commitments.

“This project has pushed me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one.

“It was a physical and mental challenge – pushing through with the heavy lifting or digging in the rain – but also it has brought me so much confidence.

“The garden looked a lot worse before it started to look better.

Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Holly Metcalfe renovating her garden. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

“I spent many pockets of time on it; evenings, lunch breaks on days working from home, weekends.

“I gave up any relaxing time really, I ate while I was working at my desk so that I had my hour lunch break to get out in the garden.

“I normally love sitting down to watch EastEnders in the evening, but I gave that up to focus on the project.

“I made sure I still got up at 6 am to head to my fitness classes, though.”

Holly had to start the project with hardcore manual labour by digging up decorative stones.

She then measured sizing for her shed and searched through home improvement websites for the best but cheapest paint, turf and furniture.

Holly said: “I kept myself going with the project by giving myself timescales to adhere to.

(Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

“I ordered the shed before laying the base, then I knew I had to get the base down before it arrived.

“Painting my fences and building the shed was probably one of the most rewarding things I did in the garden.

“[Getting the turf sorted] was a really hard job as the earth needed turning over, and it was really dry and hard.

“My back was aching from carrying the grass, which is surprisingly heavy.

“The paving was equally back-breaking, and it felt like I was never going to get it done – this was the part where I felt like giving up, but I pushed through.

“I felt like the garden was getting bigger and bigger with every bit of digging.

“I also had to re-lift the paving I had laid because it wasn’t perfectly level.

(Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

“Give me a shed to build any day over doing that.”

The mum repurposed the slabs by first cleaning them with a pressure washer and then painting them with masonry paint.

She said: “I did it, the whole thing, myself.

“My dad helped me carry some things in from the car, and my teenage son has helped with some heavy lifting as well.

“But the rest was all me.

“I strongly believe working on things like this is essential for your mental health.

“The sense of achievement I have gained from doing this has left me feeling so empowered.

Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Holly Metcalfe fixing her DIY garden. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

“I also learned new skills with recording and editing the footage, and putting myself out there by sharing it online.

“The kids have been full of compliments and are really proud of what I’ve done. I’ve found we’re spending time outside more as a family now.

“My family and friends have been totally amazed by what I’ve done when showing them progress and videos, they say they’re shocked by what I have managed to do on my own and that it has turned out beautifully.

“My friends tell me I’m superwoman, and they can’t believe I’ve done this myself.

“I have received so much lovely support on social media, too.”

Single mum transforms garden for £1,127 using ChatGPT and grit after £10k quote - inspires kids and social media with DIY drive, ditching TV for power tools.
Holly Metcalfe’s garden now. (Jam Press/@Hollymetcalfe)

The mum is adding the finishing touches to her garden with more lights and plants – and is already considering what to DIY next.

BREAKDOWN OF QUOTE BY COMPANY

  • Paving: £8,000
  • Grass: £600
  • Shed: £420 and £340 for installation
  • Paint and furniture: £500
  • Waste removal: £160
  • Total: £10,020.

BREAKDOWN OF HOLLY’S DIY PROJECT COSTS

  • Paving: £0 (used existing slabs)
  • Shed: £406
  • Turf: £170
  • Soil and sand: £100
  • Masonry and shed paint: £75
  • Shed base paving: £100
  • Sofa set: £256
  • Egg chair cushion: £20
  • Total: £1,127

READ MORE: ‘I furnished my entire house using SHEIN – my friend screamed when I told her it cost just £269’

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • X

Have a story to tell? Hello@whatsthejam.com
TAGGED: DIY, property, renovation, saving money, Transformation, Video

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
[mc4wp_form]
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Snow blankets Chile’s Atacama Desert for first time in a decade - experts say rare event may become more frequent as climate models predict rising precipitation. Snow blankets driest desert in world
Next Article M\&S faces backlash over Lionesses Euro 2025 outfits as shoppers mock the minimalistic line, comparing it to chef uniforms and calling it drab and outdated. Lionesses M&S clothing for Euro 2025 slammed by shoppers for being ‘drab’ and looking like ‘chefs uniform’
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

235.3k Followers Like
69.1k Followers Follow
11.6k Followers Pin
56.4k Followers Follow
136k Subscribers Subscribe
4.4k Followers Follow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Latest News

Brad Pitt flips tacos and topples a meat spit in viral skit with F1 movie co-stars and Mexican chefs, as fans go wild over the fun-filled promo in Mexico.
Hollywood A-lister knocks over giant meat skewer while making tacos
Celebrity 1 July 2025
Scared cops film spooky woman in white coat and stockings standing still in Mexico City alley with hair covering face as video sparks eerie reactions online.
Scared cops encounter eerie woman in street at night
Strange and Bizarre 1 July 2025
Sniffer dogs swap drugs for Platypus detection in Australia - trained pups ride paddle boards to track endangered species in remote waterways for vital conservation work.
Paddle-boarding dogs circle pond to protect endangered platypus
Pets and Animals 1 July 2025
Clarkson’s Farm star Harriet Cowan reveals she’s driven tractors since age 12 - the ex-NHS nurse turned farmhand now shines with a decade of experience behind her.
Clarkson’s Farm star Harriet Cowan reveals she’s been driving tractors since she was about 12
Celebrity 1 July 2025

You Might also Like

Brad Pitt flips tacos and topples a meat spit in viral skit with F1 movie co-stars and Mexican chefs, as fans go wild over the fun-filled promo in Mexico.
Celebrity

Hollywood A-lister knocks over giant meat skewer while making tacos

1 July 2025
Scared cops film spooky woman in white coat and stockings standing still in Mexico City alley with hair covering face as video sparks eerie reactions online.
Strange and Bizarre

Scared cops encounter eerie woman in street at night

1 July 2025
Woman drops Greggs pizza slice inches from home in Ring cam fail - £2.40 lunch lands cheese-side down, only to be scooped up by cheeky seagull moments later.
Fails

Fuming woman drops pizza just inches from front door with red-faced moment caught on Ring camera

1 July 2025
Teen lands helicopter at prom after earning £500k from reselling business - 16-year-old Ahmet Karakaya stuns classmates with James Bond-style entrance and big dreams.
UK News

‘I landed at prom in a helicopter at 16 – call me the teen James Bond’

1 July 2025
Tinchy Stryder pranked fans in Nando's who failed to recognize him, despite chatting about spotting him nearby, leaving the rapper hilariously stunned by the moment.
Celebrity

Rapper Tinchy Stryder chats with oblivious fans who don’t recognise him

1 July 2025
Snow blankets Chile’s Atacama Desert for first time in a decade - experts say rare event may become more frequent as climate models predict rising precipitation.
World News

Snow blankets driest desert in world

30 June 2025
Plus-size influencer Alex Aspasia says Monaco elites stared and mocked her during visit - but she proudly flaunted her curves, calling for travel spaces to be more inclusive.
Real Life

‘I’m so plus-size rich people in THIS European country can’t stop staring and calling me names’

30 June 2025
Micro influencer slammed for using ChatGPT to design £3.65 textured wall - sparks backlash for mimicking low-income aesthetic but defends DIY as personal expression.
Property

Influencer slammed for ‘imitating’ look of ‘low-income’ home after using ChatGPT to redecorate living room for £3.65

30 June 2025
//

What’s The Jam is your one stop website for the latest viral and weird news from around the world.

 
Have a story to tell? Hello@whatsthejam.com

Quick Link

  • Customize Interests
  • Bookmarks
  • Write for Us
  • Newsletter
  • About Us

Top Categories

  • UK News
  • World News
  • Latest Videos
  • Lifestyle
  • Super Viral

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

[mc4wp_form]

What's The JamWhat's The Jam
Follow US
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?