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Home Garden

Before & After: 3 updates instantly improved this home’s street appeal

And all three updates are DIY and budget friendly!
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After buying an established, unrenovated home, the owners of this house had a long list of improvements to tackle inside. But they didn’t want to neglect the home’s exterior, and decided that improving the front garden was a top priority. 

WATCH: Charlie Albone creates a stunning brick garden path

With little more than a patchy lawn and a cracked concrete path, the front yard was tired and run-down. Luckily, the Better Homes & Gardens team were there to lend a helping hand. 

In order to make the biggest possible impact in the front garden on a limited budget, the team identified three key areas on which to focus their efforts: the garden path, the front fence and the driveway. 

Brick house with tired front fence
Before: A patchy lawn and cracked concrete path made the front yard feel tired and unloved.
Old wooden fence on verge of collapse
The old fence, painted mission brown, was on the verge of collapse.

1. Install a recycled brick path

A path made from recycled bricks has a beautiful rustic look which works well with the older-style of the home. Paving a new garden path is an easy DIY job you can tackle yourself, as long as you prepare the ground for paving correctly beforehand. If you can’t source recycled bricks, try laying pavers instead. They’re laid in exactly the same way.

Recycled brick front path

In this garden, the path was laid in herringbone style, which requires bricks to be cut (hire a brick saw). If you plan on attempting a similar project yourself and want to avoid any cutting, choose an alternative brick paving pattern, such as running bond or basket weave.

2. Replace the old driveway

When building a brick driveway, the herringbone pattern (used here) offers the best strength for car traffic.

The team used the same bricklaying process as they did for the brick path. Once the pavers had been laid, they tied a scrap of carpet under a plate compactor and used it to bed the bricks firmly so they can easily support the weight of a car.

Newly installed recycled brick driveway
The recycled brick driveway was laid in a strong, herringbone pattern.
Renovated front garden
A recycled brick path connects to the newly installed driveway. Leafy trees complete the look.

3. Add a modern picket fence

The starting point with any fence makeover is choosing a design that suits the style of your home – in this case it was a timber picket fence. For a modern look, square-cut pickets were selected. Other popular fence ideas you could try at your own place include slatted screens, aluminium fences or even a fence made from Colorbond Steel.

Brick home with tidy front garden and white picket fence
After: The classic white picket fence and brick pathway are a match made in heaven.
White picket fence with letterbox
A new letterbox and house number add a touch of bling to the all-white fence.
Brick house with white picket fence
With a baby in the house, the owners wanted a secure front fence and a lockable gate.

Once these three jobs had been completed, it was easier to see where to add the finishing touches. For this home, it included reviving the front lawn, creating new garden beds flanking both sides of the front path and adding some leafy, shade trees. 

White picket fence gate
After: A few simple updates have completely elevated this home’s street appeal.
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Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens promotes inspired living for home loving Australians. With a total audience reach of over six million, Better Homes and Gardens is the country’s original and most successful multi-platform brand, combining a TV show, power-house print magazine and thriving digital and social platforms.

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