Posted on

Backyard Renovation

OMG guys, I can’t believe how long it took for us to finish this project! What we thought would turn into a 2-3 month project turned into a year! We started on July 13, 2017 and finished the project on June 11, 2018. Granted, life and work definitely got in the way. We could’ve finished this project way sooner if it weren’t for work and stuff.
 
Before – Lots of land, no landscaping
 
When we bought our house the front and back yards weren’t landscaped. Our ultimate goal is to be able to use more of our yard since we have so much square footage back there. So the first project was to create an area where we could put our outdoor chairs and tables. Kinda extend our covered patio so we could BBQ, have outdoor dinners, use our fire pit, etc. As first time homeowners we knew this would be a huge undertaking for us. It was going to be our first big investment into our home. Since It was kind of overwhelming we didn’t really know where to start. We didn’t even know how much to budget but thought about $3000 might be reasonable. We contacted a few landscapers to give us an estimate but it was way out of our budget so we decided to just slowly work on it ourselves. It was so rewarding to finish but damn, it was so hard! No regrets, though.
 
Our first goal was to decide how big we wanted the space. Our backyard is flat land with no trees or anything to abstruct/work around so we had a blank canvas to work with. It is also a rectangle so it was really easy to dissect the yard into. We decided to go with a 725 sq. ft. space for what we called the “patio extension.” I did extensive research, went online, watched YouTube videos, read blogs, and went shopping at Lowe’s and Home Depot to start to create a realistic budget.
 
Let’s start digging!
 
Once we decided on the dimensions we got to digging! This was the hardest part, it’s really labor intensive and took time to make sure the slope of the land was going away from the house for rain fall. You don’t want excess water to pool or go toward the house. That can lead to foundation issues down the line. We started with 4 inches closest to our covered patio and went down to 6 inches as we went farther away from the house. This is what took us over a year to do lol!
Finished “pit”
 
Once we finished digging (a year later) we wet the soil to help it settle a little and sprayed it with weed killer. A few days later we laid down our weed barrier, put in some landscape edging around the perimeter, and went to order our rock. At first weren’t sure what we were going to use for the patio extension but obviously price was a factor. We were thinking about doing concrete, stepping stone with rock or grass in between, brick, or rock. We decided to go with rock since it was the most affordable option and the most versatile. We could always add stepping stone in the future if we wanted to. 
Weed barrier down
 
There’s a great family owned building materials company about a mile from our house, Jacobi Building Materials. We went there, told them what we wanted, and everything was spelled out and really simple. They asked for the dimensions, they told us how much weed barrier we’d need, how much gravel, and they were right on the money. We hardly had any waste! Plus, they deliver! If you live in the San Fernando Valley area, I highly recommend seeing them.
 
The rock was delivered at 7 am sharp and we got to work right away. Charlie and I moved all the rock from our driveway into the pit we dug in 6 hours. It was just us, 2 shovels, a wheelbarrow, and lots of water!
Finished! Look at that cute pup enjoying her new patio
 
All in all we spent a total of about $800, WAY LESS than our expected $3000!! The $800 included shovels, a wheelbarrow, a tamper, the weed barrier, weed killer, the edging, gravel, and delivery.
 
View number 2
 
In hindsight there are a few things I would’ve done differently:
  1. I would’ve dug 2 inches and sloped to 4 inches instead of 4 inches to 6 inches. It really wasn’t necessary to go that deep and we probably would’ve spent a little less on the rock.
  2. We should’ve done this in the fall or winter, it was so hot most of the days we worked on it and I got such a bad tan!
  3. Because it took us so long to dig the pit weeds and grass began to grow where we previously dug. It took extra time to remove and kill what was growing in that area. Next time I’d make sure that we could consistently work on the project so we don’t create extra work for ourselves.
  4. We made the mistake of not creating a straight line to follow when we were digging so our patio extension is a bit squiggly lol! We’re going to cover it up eventually but it still bugs me! We should’ve either spray painted the perimeter, used wood for our edging so it would be pretty straight from the beginning, or put stakes at the corners and tied rope to keep the lines straight.
 
Honestly, if I could do it over and had the money to pay someone I think I would still do it myself. The sense accomplishment and pride I feel for my home after finishing this project is invaluable. I got out there, sit on the patio, and stare out into the yard for no reason. I rarely ever went out there before this. Now I have breakfast outside, we have friends over and eat dinner back there. Even though the yard still has a long way to go (we still have so many different sections to work on) I love being out there and get to enjoy the space!
 
xoxo,
Please like & share:
Posted on

How I Use Evernote

I’ve been using Evernote on and off for years and last year I finally invested time to make it work for me! In this video, check out how I set up my Evernote account to help me achieve my long term goals. I use it to keep track of my blog posts, all my businesses’ operations, my household budget, business expenses…almost everything!

Get Evernote:

Get Todoist:

Please like & share:
Posted on

How to Start a Business in California and Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing

It makes me really happy to see people starting businesses. As a fellow business owner and advisor for many people that have started a business here in the great ol’ state of California, it’s just a great thing to see. People with hopes and dreams making an investment in themselves. In my  almost 7 years of being a business owner, I’ve seen many businesses come to an unfortunate close. But in the past few years, I’ve met and heard of many people starting new businesses again! For many, being the owner of a business is a scary thought. The lack of a “steady” paycheck, start-up costs, (sometimes) longer hours, and other things can be daunting. Though there are cons to owning a business, there are lots and lots of pros as well – doing work that you are passionate about, the satisfaction of seeing something grow from the ground up, contributing to the economy, seeing the value of hard work, networking and meeting new people, and so much more. A lot of people have asked me to weigh in on what they need to do to start a business here in California, so I hope to answer many of the frequently asked questions here.

FAQ’s

Q: How do I start a business in California?
A: You first have to decide what kind of business structure is best for you. Sometimes talking to your accountant or lawyer for advice is best. They can give you valuable information about the pros and cons of business types so that you can make the right decision with an educated mind. If you do not want to seek the help of a professional, I would do research. Lots of research. The Small Business Association (SBA) is an EXCELLENT resource for all things business related. I’ve personally started sole proprietorships, partnerships, s-corporations, and LLCs – it all depends on the nature of your business and the amount of protection. The next step is to think of your business name and check if it’s available. You can find out more information here. Thought it’s not required, I’d also recommend getting your company trademark as well. Make sure you also check your tax certificate requirements for your city (for Los Angeles, download the form here).

Q: What kind of expenses go into starting a business?
A: There are filing fees when you start a business. For example, if you start a sole proprietorship in Los Angeles there is a fee to file your DBA and to publish your name in a local  newspaper. If you start a partnership, LLC or corporation there is a $800 yearly there is a franchise tax. Then you have the expense of printing business cards, setting up your website, setting up your accounting program, internet and telephone lines, office rent (if applicable), and office supplies. I know, it’s scary. But the good news is these will help you when you file your taxes at the end of the year!

Q: How can I market my company?
A: There are many approaches to marketing your company nowadays. The best advice I can give is to hire a great designer. The branding of your company will be the forefront of how your audience will perceive you. And trust me, that perception means EVERYTHING. Branding doesn’t just mean your logo, but the avenues you’ll use for marketing, what your brochures and business cards will look like, what kind of content you put on your blog and website, every.thing. And having a firm grasp about what you want is key. Once you figure that out, come up with a realistic plan. Maybe you need to start small – start by telling your friends and family about your new business, start marketing your business on your Facebook and/or Twitter, join the local Chamber of Commerce and start attending networking events, etc. Or maybe you want to start off with a bang. On top of your local market, you want to start a full-blown marketing campaign complete with a launch party, online advertising campaign, and press release. There is no wrong way to do it, to be honest. Just make sure you know what is best for you and your brand.

Q: Should I create a Facebook Page and Twitter for my business?
A: This is probably the 2nd most popular question I get from people. My answer is always in the form of a question. Are you going to use it, and actively post relevant content on there? If not, then it’s probably not for you. The whole point of blogs and social media is to create conversations. The point is to engage people with relevant content and do so on a regular basis. If 6 months go by and you haven’t posted anything on your Facebook page, sometimes I’d wonder if people are still in business. Social media is not an “easy” marketing strategy. It’s just like any other form of marketing – it takes work.

 Q: What is the best advice you can give to someone starting a business?
A. I always stress 3 main things. One is be patient, not all businesses boom overnight. In my opinion, lots of the businesses that have overnight success sometimes are short-lived and don’t have long-term business success. Two is find your niche. No matter who you are and what you do, the best thing is to narrow your market to an ideal client. You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.  Third, work hard and believe in your product. It starts with you first. If you believe in what you have to offer, then others will believe in it too. 

 

Please like & share: