cost of hair transplant

DIY Porch Update: A Pretty Porch for Pennies!

Confession time! We “finished” our porch a little while ago, but I have been holding out on the blog post because we still have a few small details to tweak here & there. Then, a friend mentioned that she’d been excited to see an update on our DIY porch, so I figured I’d just go ahead and share our progress so far! (Letting go of perfectionism once again!)

porch-diy, curb appeal

Here’s where we left off on Part One of our DIY porch makeover:

DIY-curb-appeal, porch front

After installing a wooden deck over the concrete porch, we decided to trim out our posts. Instead of shelling out for prefabricated trim, we just cut our own from regular ol’ 2×8 beams. Waaaaay cheaper!

diy-porch

A table saw cut ‘em down to size in no time! We also used a miter saw to cut the angled pieces for the top & bottom trim.

porch-makeover

We decided not to use treated wood for the trim because we wanted to paint it right away.

outdoor-decorating, curb appeal

We also used a circular saw to cut the angled pieces for the top & bottom trim. A brad nailer made it easy to attach them to the columns, and after a few coats of Kilz exterior primer, we had some very pretty posts!

build-a-porch, curb appeal tips

We then attached some vinyl lattice to beautify the rest of the visible concrete, and I gave my old Adirondack chairs a makeover using Kilz & spray paint.

porch-decorating-ideas

The seashell & succulent were gifts, and I found the pillows, faux boxwood, and jute place mat at Home Goods. We already had the table, too — it actually pops up & serves as a bar/cooler!

What Our Porch Looks Like Now:

deck-tutorial

Completed DIY Porch Upgrades:

  • Wooden decking over steps, porch, and railing
  • Vinyl lattice attached to concrete base
  • Extended garden beds to curve around house
  • Trim added to posts
  • Fresh paint on posts, railing,  & chairs
  • New table decorations & pillows

DIY-porch-ideas

We still have some work to finish (i.e., attach a new downspout, lol!), but I am in LOVE with the progress we’ve made!! I think it looks a thousand times cuter than before — hello, curb appeal!

The best part?

We did the entire thing (from decking to decorating) for UNDER $600!!

Whoop whoop!!

How We Saved:

  • Borrowed tools from our amazingly generous friends & family
  • Bought regular treated lumber & chose each board carefully (it was almost $2/board cheaper than if we had purchased “premium” lumber.)
  • Reused exterior primer that was left over from a previous project
  • Cut our own trim for the posts instead of buying it
  • Purchased minimal decorations at discount stores & reused the furniture & decorations we already had

TIP: If you need to borrow a tool but don’t have friends who own the equipment, try searching online for tool lending libraries. You can also find cheap or free tool sharing posts on Uniiverse, and, if you’re in Australia, you can try Friends with Things.

What’s on your project list this summer? Any favorite tips for staying chic on a shoestring budget??

P.S. I’m sharing this at Serenity Now, It’s Overflowing & The Great Outdoors link party at IHeart Organizing! Make sure you stop over there for more amazing outdoor project ideas!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Organizing
7 comments on “DIY Porch Update: A Pretty Porch for Pennies!
  1. Erin@Managing the Manor says:

    Wow, like, WOW! Way to create such a lovely space for such a small amount! We too borrow tools from others, and of course let them borrow ours, to save money on projects. It’s a great way to save, especially if it’s a specialty tool we know we’ll only use once.

    • Casey says:

      Thanks so much! That reminds me — I meant to add some links about neighborhood tool sharing programs! Thanks for the reminder, girl!!!

  2. Carrie @ Chockababy says:

    That looks amazing! Great job :)

  3. Aimee - It's Overflowing says:

    Wow! This is an awesome transformation! XO, Aimee

  4. Danielle @ 2 Little Superheroes says:

    Wow, what a huge difference this made. I love the added moldings on the columns. I’m a new follower, found you on Pinterest.

Leave a Reply to Casey Cancel reply

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

*

* Copy This Password *

* Type Or Paste Password Here *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Subscribe!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Get Social!
Pretty Organized Twitter Pretty Organized on Instagram Pretty Organized Pinterest Pretty Organized Facebook Pretty Organized Bloglovin Pretty Organized RSS Feed
Getting Organized Magazine - Small Banner Ad
Shop Pretty Organized Product Picks!


This list contains affiliate links & may result in a nominal commission. I only recommend products that I truly love, but please be sure to read the reviews & decide what works best for YOU! :)

My Zazzle Shop
What I’m Pinning
  • Onion soup mix roasted potatoes are flavorful, delicious, and super easy to make since they use dry onion soup mix! You'll only need a handful of ingredients and you'll still wind up with an amazingly tasty potato side dish. Either use some Lipton dry onion soup mix or make your own! BakeItWithLove.com #bakeitwithlove #onionsoup #roast #potatoes #recipe
  • Roast Carrots, Potatoes & Onions
  • DIY Snuffle Bins for Dogs | With Joslin
Follow Me on Pinterest
Legal Info

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned in some of my posts for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe my readers will enjoy in connection with my blog theme. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Pretty Organized is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.