We renovated our backyard! Well, we cleaned up our yard and made it appealing to look at compared to what it was when we moved in! I am breaking down our entire backyard renovation on a budget for under $2,000 with links, prices, timelines and any other details that I can give you!
We moved to Tucson, AZ in August of 2022 for my husband to begin law school at the University of Arizona. We rent a small multi-unit home close to campus and it is honestly the perfect spot! The location is wonderful, we have two bedrooms, a decently sized kitchen and a yard for our puppy, Ellie! One thing that was not great though was the yard. We were so grateful to have any sort of yard because before this, we had only lived in apartments without access to a yard without leaving our unit.
When we moved in, there was no grass at all and the large format bricks on the ground were covered with so many leaves and debris from the trees, it looked like a disaster. Considering we are renting this home and are now living on one income, we are very limited in what we could do. Below, I map out all of the changes and upgrades we made to our little backyard that completely transformed it from being an unappealing piece of dirt to a yard that we look forward to spending time in.
How we did our backyard renovation for under $2,000!
Turf
We started our backyard renovation with artificial grass. This was by far the most expensive upgrade but in all honesty, it had to be done. We have a decent sized yard and not having any grass is pretty depressing. Not only was it gross to look at, we couldn’t enjoy it and play in the yard without getting really dirty.
Ellie, our golden retriever, was a trooper and would always do her business outside but she would get so dirty in the process. When we would play, dirt flew everywhere and got all over her body. On top of that, she was bringing in so much dirt with her when she came in, our floors were constantly covered in dirt. If I am being honest, we probably added the turf for Ellie and we just get to enjoy it as an added bonus!
Turf is expensive, as you probably know. We knew it wasn’t as simple as getting a large piece of grass and putting it down in the yard. If you plan on having a pet use it as their bathroom, you need to have drainage and ways for the grass to breathe. This will help prevent bacteria and lingering smells.
We sourced our turf from Home Depot. They have samples in the store that we went and looked at to decide which kind we want. We were also able to look at all of the other materials we would need such as weed protectant, stakes, and turf infill. They have pretty much everything that you need to be able to purchase and install this yourself!
The only thing that they didn’t have was the sand to pack onto the liner for the weeds. Other than that, we rented a packing tool from Home Depot and it was an easy project to do ourselves!
Turf: $450
Turf Infill: $250
Weed Protectant: $78 (we used 3 rolls)
Stakes: $25
Packing Sand: $75
Turf Total: $878.00
Lights
Another way we upgraded our backyard was by adding lights! One of the biggest adjustments for me when moving to Arizona was not having daylight savings. I love spending time outside in the evenings but between it getting dark by 7:3o pm and the temperature getting to 110+ degrees most days in the summer, I wanted to sit outside and get some fresh air.
There are a lot of bugs, insects and animals here in the desert that I am not used to so sitting outside at night without any light is risky! We decided to hang up market lights along the entire fence to add a low level ambiance and lighting at night. The way this transformed our yard is mind blowing!
Having soft lighting to frame your yard is not only beautiful but also very calming. We are able to sit out there when it’s dark and have a view of the whole yard. It is also helpful when letting Ellie out at night when we don’t want to go outside with her. We are able to have a visual of her at any point of the yard.
Light Total: $50.00
Furniture
Furniture was the second most expensive thing to add for us. Again, living on one income doesn’t always allow for the nicest options. However, we found an incredibly beautiful set on Amazon that has great ratings, is decent quality and you don’t have to spend an entire day putting the furniture together!
Our backyard furniture is one of my favorite additions to the backyard. It is a beautiful woven rope L-shaped sofa with white cushions. It is very lightweight in appearance and appealing to the eye. The light color helps it be visually lightweight which helps the sofa appear to take up less space. It also includes a table that you can use for drinks, candles or anything else you want to use outside! This sofa has been the perfect seating option for our backyard renovation.
The only thing that I would say is that it does get dirty fairly easily. However, it is very easy to clean. I would recommend putting this under a covered area if you don’t want to deal with cleaning it frequently or getting a cover for it. We don’t have any coverage and that has been my only “issue”. Other than that, I can’t speak more highly of this product!
There is a matching set of bistro lounge chairs that come with a matching table. They also have an egg chair that I think would be a wonderful addition! We didn’t get these but they are definitely on my list to get later on down the road! This could be perfect for when one of us sits outside alone with a book and just wants to enjoy the day!
Furniture Total: $699.99
Plants
The final thing that we added to our backyard was greenery. We live in a perfect climate to grow plants and have a functioning garden. One thing that we’ve discovered is that there are a lot of plants that thrive in the desert climate! We have purchased and planted so. many. plants!
We started with lemon, lime and orange trees and are learning how to take care of these plants. It is so exciting seeing the blooms of the fruits that will hopefully grow and develop! It’s fun getting to look forward to having fresh oranges for our summer spritz!
Another plant that we planted was a bougainvillea. This is one of the most hearty plants out there. We had a small issue and thought we killed it at one point because it wasn’t getting enough sun. It was a good laugh realizing that we may have killed one of the hardest plants to kill haha! We moved it to the other side of the yard and it is quickly coming back to life which has been a great surprise!
Other greenery that we bought were basil plants, rosemary, lavender and our favorite, a fence post cactus! The cactus have really grown on us since we moved to Arizona. The cactus is also very beginner planter friendly which is perfect for us!
Greenery is what I would consider to be the jewelry of the backyard. It adds colors and vibrancy to the yard and sparks life. It isn’t necessary and helps tie all of the larger, more prominent pieces together. Landscaping is expensive but if you plant a few things yourself, learn how to care for them as little or as much as you want, it can be the perfect addition to your yard!
Greenery Total: $300
Blackstone
I want to preface that we purchased our Blackstone before we moved to Arizona. We knew we wanted one for a long time but waited to purchase one until we knew we would have space for it when we moved. Once we finalized our lease in Arizona, we got our Blackstone on sale for a 4th of July sale!
I want to include it since it is a large part of why we love our yard! However, it is not included in our budget/pricing. We absolutely love our Blackstone and cook on it frequently! We use it more now that we have fixed up our yard and can invite people over to hang out. If you are considering getting one, we definitely recommend it!
Backyard Renovation Total: $1,927.99
Important Takeaways
We completed our backyard renovation for under $2,000. While that is a lot of money, this was the cheapest way that we could do it while making it cute and enjoyable. We saved money by purchasing things on sale! All of our backyard sources go on sale on major holidays and randomly throughout the year.
Another way that we were able to afford this was to do it in phases. We started with the turf and waited two months before adding the lights. At Christmas we asked for Amazon gift cards to help with the outdoor furniture. And finally, we purchased our plants and planters in March after saving up money for them. Instead of birthday gifts, we asked for cash to put towards the plants that we wanted.
The best way to afford a renovation when you are on a budget is to plan out everything you want in advance. Figure out the cost and compare that to your budget and timeline. Figure out how to do it in phases and not overspend. Watch out for sales and specials that companies run. The most important thing to do is to be patient and not rush the process. With any renovation or design, it is always worth the wait!