In honor of moving week, we’re going to share a post full of empty house pics (and a list of what stayed with the house) in a day or two, but we also wanted to take a look back at our exterior progress one last time. We’ve done outdoor video tours in both 2011 and 2012, so this video that we shot a few weeks back (right before we started packing) makes it our third and final installment.
*Before you press play, I’m intensely awkward when I’m the one holding the camera and talking, so be warned that I hit on the deck. And it doesn’t respond.
Now that we have that out of the way… let’s take one last outdoor tour!
So here’s how the front yard evolved:
Here’s how the carport shaped up:
The back also saw some “paring back” to reveal those charming brick walkways and some grass for kids/dogs to enjoy.
And how can we forget the “alley” that got deck-ified last summer (meaning it just missed last year’s outdoor tour).
We recently added a front porch makeover to the list of exterior upgrades, complete with some color and contrast…
… although we have since packed up and moved the planters to our new house, so technically “now” it’s less flora-riddled.
As much as we’re proud of all of those, my favorite is still our first outdoor project: the patio. I don’t think any outside space on our property has seen such a dramatic change AND has gotten so much use while we’ve been here.
And oh yeah, I kinda cheated. That above pic is from last summer, so it’s not technically “now” since all of our lawn furniture has been moved to the new house and the hydrangeas aren’t blooming quite yet. Just wanted to remember this in all of its glory.
What exterior projects have been your favorites at your house? Or what are you itching to do most? Our list for the new house is pretty long, and most definitely includes some new outdoor ideas.
Lindsay says
Did you take the sandbox with you? I think the patio is my fav before and after. Crazy to think the previous owners had that space covered up!
YoungHouseLove says
That was built-in so it stayed.
xo
s
Jessica says
How is it “built-in”? Only the lid has a safety latch. Could you have written into the flyer to take it with you, like the curtains?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s sunk into the ground (recessed by about 6″) and filled with rocks – so taking that with us would be rough (it’s not just like a typical sandbox that sits on top of the ground that can be picked up and moved). We definitely could have written it in if we wanted to transport it though, we just wanted to sell the house with it since there would be a big bare spot in the side garden if we yanked it out :)
xo
s
Jessica says
Gotcha! I didn’t remember John digging the hole for it. All clear now! Makes sense!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries, it’s hard to keep track of this stuff! Haha!
xo
s
Sarah says
What is it like knowing that someone is going to enjoy all your hard work while you are back at square one in a new house? I can see the excitement in tackling a new project, but it must be hard to give up your wonderful living space and all the little things you did to make the house yours.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’re weird and we get a rush knowing that we left an old little ranch a lot fresher than we found it! So passing it along feels great when you know the new owners LOVE it and can’t wait to get in and keep it looking nice. I think we just like the process so much that stopping once we’re done was hard for us, especially when we had always dreamed about this neighborhood that we finally got into after 7 years!
xo
s
Melissa says
AWWW the rock box! Do you think Clara will miss it? Any plans for another?
YoungHouseLove says
I think she loved that thing but is already enamored with the water table that John’s sister got her (which is at the new house) so she’s happy for now…
xo
s
Eliesa @ Pinterest Addict says
We taught our parrot “how you doin’?” makes me laugh every time. It’s a gorgeous yard – great job!
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious!
xo
s
April says
John you should be so proud of the progress you made outside on the old house!! That was a lot of sweat-equity!
Shannon says
Amazing job, guys! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new place.
As a side note, I’ve been pronouncing “lirope” wrong in my head as long as I’ve been reading this blog! In my head it was ‘Lear-Rope” – not Lie-Rope-ee as you correctly state it! LOL. I guess you learn something new everyday!
YoungHouseLove says
I never would have known how to say it if we didn’t hear other folks say it and take notes. Haha!
xo
s
Lindsey d. says
Shannon, your pronunciation sounds like something they do in New Orleans…
There, “Calliope Street” isn’t “Ku-lie-o-pee,” but instead is routinely said “Cal-lee-ope” to the point that is the accepted pronunciation…
Kara Moore says
I say it with four syllables – li-RYE-oh-pee. I don’t think I knew how to spell it til I saw it here! Wait, is it lirope? Liriope? My computer doesn’t even know.
Tanya says
In Australia it is generally pronounced liir-ee-ope and is really favoured by garden designers for its “strappy modern form”. It really cracked me up when J and S kept pulling it all out and everyone here is paying good money for it and planting it. Mind you it doesn’t get as big and takeover here – too hot!
Fee says
Tanya, I’m in Oz too and we love Liriope in our garden! We have heaps! We like the lighter striped version too. I’ve always said “Li-ree-ope” (rhymes with rope). Hard to say. Maybe “Liri” (rhymes with silly) and then “ope” on the end. Two syllables.
J&S, I really love your patio area. So full of colour. Looking forward to your new ideas at the new house :) All the best!
Alisha says
Me too!!! When I heard John say it in the video my thought was “what plant is he talking about?! I thought this was where all that lirope was planted!”
donna in TX says
Amazing progress in such a short amount of time. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Brittany says
Hi J & S,
I was wondering if you could share what sort of flowers/plants you have in the planters?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The ones on the porch? One is a fern and one is a wave petunia, which we also have in the window boxes and the black planters on the side (patio).
xo
s
Juliette Mariano-Carlson says
I’m a new reader/follower of your blog. You’re moving?!!? You did a great outside tour of house video. Outside looks absolutely lovely.
Manda Wolf says
I really love the back patio and the hydrangeas are gorgeous!
Laurel says
Is that a gas lamp in your front yard? If so, do you know how to turn it on/did you ever use it? We have an ancient one in our backyard that we have no idea how to turn on or light (and quite frankly I’m afraid of it.) Washington Gas says it’s a “private line” so they won’t touch it and have no record of it being on our property.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s fancy! Ours was just a regular wired electric one that we controlled with a switch inside by the front door.
xo,
s
Jennifer I says
We had two of them on our property. There were connectors at the meter to shut off, and also on the light itself. Once they are shut off, you can dig them up and pull out the line if you want. Not that scary. They can be retrofitted for electric, as well.
Amanda B. says
If you aren’t confident enough to work on them yourself, a plumber should be able to come out and cut/cap them for you. We had one in our front yard and it was pretty painless and relatively inexpensive. Good luck!
Casey says
Drinking game: every time John says “liriope.” ;)
YoungHouseLove says
He does love that word…
xo
s
Rose says
I can’t wait to see what you guys do with your new yard this summer!
Kelly @ Corner of Main says
Everything you did looks beautiful! I’m sure it will be hard to say goodbye!
We are working on refinishing our deck right now. It’s a lot of work, but I can’t wait to spend time on it this summer!
Good luck at the new house =)
Betsy says
I always enjoyed the “alley” as a great feat in problem solving.
Can’t wait to see the new house unfold. :-)
Lauren @ The Highlands Life says
I think the patio is my favorite outdoor project you did. I love the pavers. My husband is hoping to attempt a smaller version sometime in the future.
Stefanie says
Tell me the new owners have a little one or two that can enjoy the awesome rock box that is being left behind!
Also, are you guys taking the rain barrel are leaving it for the new owers?
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t know much about the new owners other than they love the house but we hope they use every inch of it :) The rain barrel stays since it’s attached to the gutter so we’ll likely get another one like we did after our first move.
xo
s
Jessica says
I want to put a screened in porch on our house. I don’t know if this is something we can DIY although we do have a deck there now so it might be possible. Will you guys do this so we can just copy your methods? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like it could be fun…
xo
s
Andi (@estellasrevenge) says
Whomever bought your house is SO LUCKY! And we’re lucky to be able to follow along throughout the process. Thanks for the constant inspiration!
Katherine says
You both have a lot to be proud of. I’m amazed at how much work you did on the house in only 2 years.
The new house seems so ‘grown up’ – I’m looking forward to the style you inject and all changes yet to come. Enjoy it in good health.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Aww…bye house! You’re going to be a great home for the lucky new owners!
Lindsey d. says
I just rushed home from work to check on my house, which is undergoing a major exterior change from terracotta orange to a lovely dark-ish gray! I’m so excited about this that hopefully it will spur me to keep up with the yard a little better this summer and maybe even plant a few new things, although it is getting a bit late for planting here in Louisiana.
YoungHouseLove says
So exciting!
xo,
s
Jeannie says
I really loved your patio. I just imagine sitting out there on summer evenings with a nice glass of white wine! If my husband and I ever build a nice patio at our house, I just might have to copy that red and blue color scheme. :-)
Linda Bernstein says
I love how you guys choose houses with SO much greenery around them! The backyard looking over all of those lush trees is my favorite. (Okay, so the deck is pretty dreamy, too.)
Madeline @ Create.Bake.Celebrate says
We removed a koi pond: http://createbakecelebrate.blogspot.com/2013/05/create-pond-be-gone.html
Little did we know there was still one hiding in there. My husband squealed :)
Maggie says
My house come with pond and fish as well! The previous owner took most of the fish with her, and left a two for the next owner…
kaycee says
So much done and so much of an improvement. Job well done, of course. It’d be so fun to watch time-lapses of your projects. Imagine the front yard going from day 1, to today. I know that’d be impossible haha, but it’s doable for some of your future projects. Btw, I’ve been pronouncing “liriope” wrong all along. Thanks for the heads up lol!
christina @ homemade ocean says
I guess I never really realized ALL THE WORK the you all did. I kinda of forgot about the patio….and Claras cute rock box :)
Looks awesome…I bet the new owners are thrilled!
Doren says
You guys rock!!! I’m sad to leave behind this home that I read about every single day, but you did such a great job and now is time to start all over again and spread your gift to just make things beautiful at the new house!!! You’re my very best inspiration to make upgrades at my lovely home while raising a one-year-old baby girl running around with my craft supplies!!! I’m just loving your moving-post-series, the new home is just gorgeous and Clara’s room is just perfect with her crib and her big girl bed! Awesome! Have fun! Brazilian tropical kisses for u all!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Doren!
xo,
s
Robyn S says
It really is remarkable what you’ve done with the yard. I’d be flirting with the deck too! I also can’t believe how many birds can be heard in the video; what a gorgeous area you live in. I suddenly want to take a trip to VA…
Marisa says
Wow, it’s all so green! We live in Colorado – awesome for the gorgeous mountains and low humidity … but low humidity sadly = little rain, which means that your definition of “green” changes to “a shade of brown” after a few years of living here. I’ll live vicariously through your lush foliage!
Kim R says
I used to live in Virginia and now live in CA. When my daughter and I went back to visit, the first thing she said was, “Everything is so green here!”
Helen says
We live in Colorado too but I was initially a Washington girl, and every time I see John and Sherry’s grass a tear unconsciously squeaks out of my eye. I miss green :(
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Jealous that your azaleas are still bloomed! All of our flowers have already fallen off! I’m so excited for my hydrangeas to bloom though!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours are gone now too! We just took this video before packing up all the furniture and pots :)
xo,
s
Allyn says
“Beautifying the world, one house at a time” — you should be using this tagline on your blog! The exterior shots alone explain why you were able to sell your lovely home so quickly (the interior photos seal the deal). Well done!
Barb says
Wow! Such a beautiful place. You should be so proud!
I love the new house and can’t wait for all the new progress.
Q’s for you:
Is there any lirope at the new house? Will you be taking some with you? We know John will miss it!!!
Also, is it hard to go from completely , beautifully finished home to the new one that needs work. Will you miss the “done-ness?” Like the beautiful kitchen!!!
Excited and so thrilled for you all. Well deserved. Bring on the new projects. Yes, we will be patient! Happy for you
B.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I think there are a few errant clumps of liriope along with a TON of ground cover, so John is right at home. As for the going from something finished to something raw question, I think we love “potential” so that’s oddly exciting for us. As long as we have our comfy bed, our pooch, our kid, and our sofa (and the TV for Dexter and Game of Thrones and Walking Dead of course) we’re happy as clams.
xo
s
Barb says
Great answers!
Mary | lemongroveblog says
Super fun to see the transitions that took place on this house outside. The new owners are lucky to have such a great place to start with! Our last house was super overgrown and upkept when we moved in, so it makes a world of difference when there is already existing (nice) landscape.
Briel K. says
Ahh, I love the before and afters of the outside. You guys have done some wonderful work! Getting rid of those bushes in the front made such a big difference! And the side patio looks great, the deck, everything! Way better than when you moved in. :)
Laura & the Shell says
Sniffle. Goodbye house!
Elle says
Sherry I know you usually do the comments, but tell John he didn’t sound all that awkward, and I think the deck totally owes him a “sup, John” at the very least. And I love the word liriope too.
You guys have made me think back over the changes we’ve made to our house. At first it feels like we haven’t done that much, but well we did do that thing, and this other thing, and that … so I definitely get it when you talk about the warm fuzzies at leaving the house better than you found it.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’ll tell him that!
xo
s
Mistie says
I have been following you guys and all your awesomeness for a couple of years now. I have never left a comment before but, I HAD to just say WOW! You guys are totally AMAZING!!! NOT only have you revamped two homes to make them GORGEOUS but; you actually take the time to respond to your followers while doing all that you do. And NOW you’re moving not only are you moving you’re still keeping us in the loop. How in the world do you find the time and energy? It’s amazing! I am truly inspired by you guys and all of your talent. Best wishes on your new home and adventure.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Mistie, you’re so sweet! This whole thing started as a hobby of ours so we actually love blogging and comments and all of that stuff. We’re so grateful to you guys for stopping in to see what we’re up to :)
xo
s
Beth says
While I was watching I thought “John’s not awkward at all” and then he had to go and say “Hi deck. How you doing? … It did not answer me back.” LOL I’m also guilty of saying hi to inanimate objects so I know what that’s about.
joy says
Great tour video and the before and after pictures. In the video near your new deck, was there a Japanese stone lantern? I thought I saw one by the stairs.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that was left by the previous owners! There are two tucked away in the grasses (one on each side of the house)!
xo
s
Kara Moore says
Apropos of nothing, would you use your paint sprayer on kitchen cabinets? My dad has a sprayer, and I have cabinets that the previous owner seemingly primed but didn’t finish with anything glossy/satiny/wipeable.
Kara Moore says
But also, your yard looks a million times better!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d totally remove all the doors and drawers and lay them out on a dropcloth and use a sprayer. Gotta apply primer first though (primer that’s old doesn’t really hold like fresh stuff) and then a coat or two of glossy high quality paint works (we love BM Advance for cabinets). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Kara Moore says
Thanks! I was thinking about skipping primer since they’re so chalky, so I’m glad you mentioned that. I’m excited to use the sprayer though!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo
s
Rachel says
Curious, did anyone ever sit on the bench on the front porch? Like, routinely? Or would you say it’s 99% decor?
YoungHouseLove says
Clara and me or Clara and John would a lot (ex: John’s mowing so Clara and I sit out there and have a snack and wave at him, or I’m weeding so they sit out there and blow bubbles). It actually got a fair amount of use here (oddly enough on our first porch we didn’t sit on it much, maybe because Clara was a lot smaller?).
xo
s
Stacy says
I love that side patio! I am so excited because the house we are buying has a beautiful deck and brick patio and beautiful landscaping so I don’t need to do anything which makes me feel better since I have NO green thumb. The only thing I want to do when we buy the house is get rid of the silly stone wall they built around the front of the property and put in a wooden fence. I think it will give the property a better look. Can’t wait to see what you do with the new property!
Krissy says
It looks so beautiful. I can’t decide whether your deck or patio was my favorite update…
As for favorite outdoor updates at our house… Nathan surprised me while I was visiting family and built me a big raised bed! (Big for me, 8’x12′) We’ve got a mix of flowers and veggies growing in it.
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Amelia says
Love, love, love the before and afters! This completely inspires me to get back outside to tidy things up (as they were when the spring cleaning bug first hit a couple months ago).
And John, I’m sure if the deck could, it would totally have given you a wink and a wave back (the silence after you hit on it made me laugh out loud at my desk, which got me some weird looks from my co-workers – who’s the awkward one now?!).
prue says
Hmmm…. shouldn’t the front porch without the planters be less FLORA-riddled instead of less FAUNA-riddled? (Or what kind of critters did you keep inside the planters? Eeeeew!)
Just wondering! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahhah! It’s true. Maybe the bear that keeps jumping out of people’s computers lives in there…
xo
s
House Crazy Sarah says
The buyers of your house are very lucky – they are inheriting a really well kept and well loved home! We’ll miss it too…
Meredith Jones says
Looks so great! I’m sure the new owners are glad they don’t have a tone of work to do! :)
We’re putting in a paver patio in our backyard this weekend, there was an old rotty deck there when we moved in. I’m so excited!! I’ve def been checking out your paver pato how to’s, thanks for the help!!
GreenInOC says
I love seeing side by side comparison pics but for the me, the deck was the biggest “WOW” was the deck. Kind of shocking the difference all that made!
Valerie says
You guys have good karma. You’ve been able to sustain yourselves through the running of this blog, and the changes/updates you’ve made to your house hence selling with a profit. But you have given all of that back to these new owners who will enjoy your house so much! They got a great deal, to get a house that’s just ready to move into and styled so well and coherently (especially when compared to before). But when you calculate the profit, you haven’t counted the manpower involved in making all the changes you did! I’m curious to know what it would have costed to hire all that work out? Including all the interior design you guys did yourselves, and the landscaping, deck, etc. You guys worked so hard – I am sure your older advertising jobs paid better, and it was a risk making the decision to stick with the blog. You give so much of your time to your readers and you both so deserve getting the new house in your dream neighborhood!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Valerie! We definitely think it would have been around 30K (or even more) just to hire out the patio, kitchen, and deck, so we’re so glad we got to put in that sweat equity to keep that money in our pocket :)
xo
s