
Cheap Backyard Makeover Ideas: Budget Breakdown
Create the backyard of your dreams with these cheap backyard makeover ideas + see the entire cost of our budget backyard makeover
That’s a wrap folks, well for now at least…
I don’t ever feel like a makeover is 100% done, because I will always add more at a later date.
For now though this budget backyard remodel is complete!
I can honestly say this makeover went very quickly and we got everything done for pretty cheap.
Our front porch makeover was a larger scale project and took us a couple of months, so it was a relief to get this one done so quickly!
This backyard makeover is also proof that you don’t have to hire someone and spend thousands of dollars to have a backyard space you can enjoy.
Backyard Remodel Ideas
For every new remodel and makeover I create a list of big picture and little picture projects.
These are things that I would like to have eventually (like a full outdoor kitchen) and things that are doable right now (fire pit with seating).
For this round of the backyard makeover here is the project list:
- Stain the back deck
- Paint the exterior door
- Build a fire pit
- Outdoor seating
- String lights
Thanks to a little elbow grease and not having to hire anyone, we were able to complete all these projects and stay within budget!
Cheap Backyard Makeover Ideas
1. Staining/Painting the Deck

I will forever swear by the power of paint!
Eventually the plan will be to replace all this wood with a Trex deck system, but those are expensive so for this round we decided a good cleaning and some paint would be perfect.
You can check out all my tips for how to quickly and easily paint/stain a back deck here!

My main tip for completing this DIY as fast as possible is to go for a full coverage stain.
Our new black ceiling matches the front porches ceiling and makes this space feel so much larger!
The whicker furniture is the same set we already had, it just needed a good pressure washing.
It’s amazing how a new rug and some throw pillows makes everything feel fresh and updated.
Painted/Stained Deck & Railings Coat Breakdown:
2 Gallons Solid Stain- $97.84
1 Gallon Exterior Paint- $61.98
Deck Prep Cleaner– $12.98
Outdoor Rug– $84.93
Total- $257.73
For under $300 and in two days we were able to completely transform the look and feel of this outdoor deck area!
2. Painting an Metal Door to Look Like Wood

Next on the list was painting this exterior metal door.
I am always a sucker for a gorgeous wood door but they are so expensive and not in the budget right now, so I had to get creative.
Instead of replacing the metal door I used primer, stain, & a graining tool to make this door look and feel like a real wood door!

You can check out the complete tutorial here if you want to DIY your own faux wood door.

The black wood grain looks really custom and gives it a modern twist.
You can use this same tutorial for any color “wood” door that you want though!
Faux Wood Door Cost Breakdown:
Primer + Stain– $79
Graining Tool– $12.99
Total- $91.99
Considering exterior wood doors start in the thousands I was super happy with this dupe for under $100!

Nothing feels more like summer than hanging out around a fire pit, roasting S’mores and just relaxing.
That is why it was the next project on our backyard makeover list.
Adam got a serious workout with this project, digging the seating area out by hand but it saved us a ton of money!

We purchased retaining block from Home Depot and bought the egg rock from a local rock company to save some money.
This fire pit only took us 2-1/2 days to complete which felt like a record.
Check out the complete outdoor fire pit tutorial here!
Outdoor Fire Pit Cost Breakdown:
Wall Block (45)- $122
Egg Rock (1-1/2 truck loads)- $234
Total- $356
That felt like a really good price considering just the fire pit kits start at $600.

Adirondack chairs have always looked so sleek and cool to me.
They remind me of vacation so naturally I wanted some for around the fire pit.
They are not the cheapest outdoor seating option though, so I opted to build a set of 4 for $30 a piece!

I painted them with black exterior paint and they accent the rest of the outdoor color scheme perfectly.
Adirondack Chair Coast Breakdown:
Wood (4 chairs)- $120
Exterior Black Paint- Free (I had some left from the deck)
Total-$120
These are without a doubt my favorite backyard makeover project so far!
They are so comfy and my mom is now requesting a set of her own.
DIY Outdoor String Lights

Nothing feels as whimsical as string lighting outside.
I am not a fan of long extension cords though so we opted to use solar powered ones.
The “poles” are actually small trees that Adam cut down from our property, he felt like a legitimate lumberjack.
This was by far the cheapest project of the backyard makeover but it made a huge difference to the ambiance!

String Light Cost Breakdown:
Solar Powered String Lights- $42
Poles- Free from the property
Total- $42
If you check out the complete tutorial here, you’ll notice we used concrete to secure the poles and we had that bag left over but it would only add $6 to the project if you didn’t have it already.
Cheap Backyard Makeover Ideas: Budget Breakdown

This backyard got a major update with just a few projects and not a huge budget.
We have plans for future projects but for now we are calling this complete.
It really is amazing how much money you can save by shopping around for supplies and doing the work yourself.
We completed all the above projects for a total of $876.72!
Not bad considering the goal was to just stay under $1,000.

With the remaining money my plan is to build some cool wooden planter boxes around the bottom of the string light poles.
Let me know what you think of our backyard renovation projects so far and which projects are on your To Do List!
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Outdoor Wall Planter
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