As we get set for summer, many of us are getting thrifty and carrying out various DIY projects to transform our gardens.
And as six-pople garden gatherings are now allowed, many of us are busy getting our outside space ready for entertaining.
And one woman managed to do just that and on a complete budget too.
Viv Wilks called in the experts for a quote to upgrade her patio, but when the price tag was £500, she decided to take matters into her own hands and give her garden a budget friendly makeover.
The 50-year-old said: "Our old grubby concrete patio tiles needed changing. We considered decking, but the quote wasn’t what we wanted.
"My partner said that he would have a go himself and we were going to price up the materials when I was inspired by a painted patio on Pinterest so I said I would have a go at that first!"
So while working from home, Viv got to work and managed to complete the project in a few days.
Speaking to LatestDeals.co.uk, she said: "First I gave the patio a good cleaning with water, giving it a good scrub with my yard brush. I demossed and pulled up the grass from in between the tiles."
"I only used water and floor cleaner to scrub the tiles with my outside brush - Cif floor cleaner only cost me £1.50".
Where there were gaps between the tiles, Viv used ready mixed cement from B&Q to fill them and then it was time on to the painting.
She used B&Q Masonry paint in the colour Hudson on the tiles and ensured each coat was dry before applying another one.
But the next step involved Viv getting more creative.
"Once the coats of paint were dry, I used a 30x30cm stencil from Amazon that cost £8.50 to create patterns on the tiles with a small tin of Cuprinol fence paint in the shade Dark Slate," she said.
"You could get away with using a tester pot of Cuprinol or other waterproof paint to save even more money, depending on the size of your patio.
"After leaving the paint to dry for about an hour, I then sealed the patio with No Nonsense sealant from Screwfix, which cost £12.99. I did this to preserve it from spills and dirt. It provides a light glaze which you can clean easily.
"The total cost for my patio was £38, which is definitely budget friendly! What’s more, the entire process only took about three hours in total.
"I found the project easy to do - I don’t feel there were any tricky bits! I love DIY so I thoroughly enjoyed the experience."
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