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