Yard makeovers for $500 or less

This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in May 2009 Consumer Reports Magazine.

You don't need big bucks to improve your yard. We picked four projects, based on what people in our latest national survey told us they were most interested in. But with a $500 budget, you'll have to prioritize. Start with a plan for your entire yard. That way you can tackle projects one at a time knowing that everything will work together. Then grab a shovel and get started.

Boost curb appeal

Overgrown bushes, bare spots, and unkempt lawns can make your home look sloppy and uninviting. It's simpler to get rid of an over- grown shrub and start again. Many bushes won't survive a hard pruning or take years to look good again.

Create layers to add interest, says landscape architect Keith Wilson, of Sacramento, Calif. Trees and bushes and plants that won't grow beyond 3 to 4 feet high provide background. Plant trees or tall bushes at the edge of a house to frame the view of the house, or in front of blank walls. Ground covers create interest lower to the ground and control weeds.

Next, use a shovel to create a clear edge between the lawn and the bushes. Fill the area with mulch for a neat look.

Finish off the look with containers filled with colorful plants in prominent places, near the front door and along walkways.

Stretch your budget by buying younger, smaller trees, bushes, and plants. Trade clippings with friends.

Entertainment area

Don't make the mistake of thinking you can have only one gathering spot. Areas near the kitchen are good for the grill and a dining table and chairs. Create gathering spots near a patio or French doors with chairs, sofas, and end tables. Match the size of the entertainment area to the average number of people you have over, not to the once-a-season blowout.

New furniture and patios and decks can make a serious dent in a $500 budget, so if you can, work with what you have. Dress up furniture with new water-resistant chair pads and tablecloths. Wash patios and decks with a household cleaner or mild bleach solution to remove dirt and mildew. Opaque deck stains, such as Flood SWF-Solid, $26, McCloskey Storm Coat Deck & Siding 7953, $16, and Thompson's Water Seal Deck & House, $20, lasted the longest in our tests, at least three years. But they hide wood grain and can peel, chip, and crack like paint, making refinishing a big job. Consider semitransparent stains Sikkens Cetol SRD 1708902, $27, or True Value Woodsman UV 7338872, $20, which let the wood grain show through but need to be reapplied every two to three years.

If your furniture is too far gone, our tests have found that low-priced furniture doesn't have to be flimsy. Look for tight, well-fitted joints on wood furniture and smooth welds on metal units. Finishes should be even and nuts and bolts capped.

Need a new deck? Veranda composite decking kept its color in our tests without the restaining real wood typically requires and cost about $425 per 100 square feet. Love wood? Thompsonized Southern Yellow Pine cost roughly $225 per 100 square feet and outscored our $825 clear-cedar decking.

Add some privacy

Whether you want to screen ugly views, escape from nosy neighbors, or mask noise, there are inexpensive options. Premade wood lattice panels and climbing vines take up less space than trees and screening shrubs. Plus you'll have enough money left over to plant perennials and ground covers for added interest and color. Another option: Attach stainless-steel eye hooks to walls, fences, or posts and string fishing wire between the hooks. Vines can be grown on the wire. Water features, which can help drown out noise, don't have to be elaborate or expensive. Recirculating pumps can cost as little as $50 and can be added to large pots you already own. Ready-to-install fountains are available for less than $200.

Existing trees and hedges can also serve as a background for an intimate area that can be used to escape the hustle and bustle of the rest of the yard. Areas outside ground-floor master bedrooms and corners of your property are other prime places for smaller privacy zones. Create a refuge by blocking views of the larger yard with smaller, lower accent trees, a couple of evergreen bushes, or even a few large containers filled with tall plants. Add two folding chairs and a small table and you're done.

Go green

Weaning your yard and lawn of chemicals and high-maintenance plants can save you time and money in addition to being good for the environment. Native plants are already adapted to your area and often require less water and care. Visit nearby nature preserves and botanical gardens to see what's growing in shady areas, near water, and in full sun. Use your cell-phone camera to take pictures, and show them to staff at local nurseries, where many of those same plants are available. Nursery and botanical-garden staffs are good sources of information. Cooperative-extension services also offer free information suited to your area. Find your extension by going to www.csrees.usda.gov.

Collecting rainwater is another way to save money and natural resources. The typical single-family suburban household uses at least 30 percent of its water outdoors for irrigation. Rooftop collection systems are available, but simply diverting your downspout into a covered barrel with a spigot is an easy, low-cost approach. Cover or seal barrel tops to prevent animals and children from entering and to prevent mosquito breeding.