Exciting news over here at the A&M household! We’re expanding our backyard! But before we get into that, we need to bring you up to speed. We have a pretty small backyard to begin with but it’s been great for a city house. We’ve done a lot of work on the space since we first moved in. There’s a full post here if you want a little refresh. If you take a look at the photos, you can see the back fence. That blocks off a large overgrown lot that spans half of the block. There used to be a house back there years and years ago but was torn down. Since then, it’s become a weed-filled mess dripping with potential. Over the 3 years we’ve lived here, our neighbor has always mentioned how great it would be to buy the lot and extend everyone’s yards. Well, thanks to the hard work of our incredible neighbor, it’s actually happening.
You’re probably wondering how it worked logistically. Our neighbor worked with an attorney and the city to negotiate the sale. From there, she split the property between each neighbor interested in the lot. Here’s the crazy part…we’re taking two lots! Our other neighbor rents and isn’t able to purchase the space behind their house. We initially declined since we have a wedding to pay for this year. But after going back and forth and running the numbers, it’s an amazing opportunity and investment that we just can’t pass on. You just don’t get this kind of space in the city. So now the fun begins!
Some Inspo —
Here’s the rough layout we have for the backyard. Ahhh just looking at this makes us so happy! We wanted to create little moments all throughout the space. The grass seed has already been spread across the entire lot. This was done after they cleared out the weeds and overgrown bushes. We all agreed on low-mow grass for less maintenance. It takes up to 6 weeks to see growth but we’re already seeing grass pop up! Next up, fencing. We need to add a new fence to separate our yard from the others and also replace the old fence around the new lots. After that, we are going to add stone around the perimeter. We also want to add a raised garden bed for growing veggies and herbs. Now for the areas we want to create, we’re thinking of dining, lounging, a fire pit, and even an outdoor kitchen. Major, right?! We already have the concrete patio so we’re thinking that would be the perfect spot for the kitchen. We want to add a grill, storage, and maybe even a wine fridge. TBD on all of that.
So that’s it. Pretty exciting right?! We can’t wait to share all of this with you. Lots more to come so stay tuned! xx
