Patio Revamp with Fantastic Services

Although a decking area looks good in any garden, it’s such a pain when the time has come to spruce it up. Our small decking was already there when we moved in 9 years ago, and was tired-looking then, so imagine what it’s like now! A little patio revamp was much needed…

It took me a couple of years to get enough motivation to sort it out for the first time. I was heavily pregnant with Beanie and I remember spending the whole of my Easter holidays doing just that.

We rented a pressure washer for a few days, and it took forever to get it all clean. Not only was I struggling to keep the pressure washer attached to the tap, but I was also full of hormones, cranky and once I had started, I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. The pressure washer helped, but there was a lot of moss and dirt that had accumulated on the paved area and decking for years, so it was a big job.

After it had all dried, it took forever to stain the gate and the decking. Seriously, forever. A week later and I was happy it was all done, but it took every spare minute I had that week. That’s a week I will never get back.

I am a lot wiser these days, and I know my limitations. Although I am not scared to get my hands dirty, the extent of my capabilities in the garden doesn’t go much further than a quick wash with the hose, a thorough clean of the bins (is there anything more revolting than that?), weeding and a bit of planting with my children. I doubt I will ever feel the need to paint a decking or fence ever again.

Luckily, as I am an ambassador for Fantastic Services, these guys are helping me with a few bits and bobs around my home. A few weeks ago, they removed all large items I needed to get rid of in my house and garden. I then tried to make my patio look better, but the decking and fence needed TLC. After a quick consultation with landscape specialist Martin, it was decided that what would make the most dramatic difference in my tiny patio would be a thorough clean followed by a few layers of paint on the decking and fence.

We agreed to go for slate grey, which would give my tired-looking garden a bit of a modern touch. I have no idea what the trends are when it comes to fence colours (is that even a thing?), but it was blatantly obvious my faded rusty-coloured fence and decking were not remotely in trend.

When I booked the service, I had the option to either go and buy my own materials, or let the specialists make the decisions for me and I would pay them back. To me, that was an absolute no-brainer. We’d agreed on a colour but if I went shopping for paint, I would faff for hours not completely sure which one to get, and I would probably get the wrong kind of paint (why are there so many types?) or the wrong volume. I get it wrong every. single. time. I would probably end up buying random stuff as well like gardening gloves, a cactus or a colourful windmill (is it just me?). I was given an estimate of £110 for materials

The job would take two visits by Fantastic Services. First, Latyo came for a couple of hours lto jet wash the patio and decking. He brought the paint with him and gave me the receipt for it, which was lower than expected (£76). He got started on the fence and came back this week.

The decking needed to fully dry before the staining was done, so two visits made perfect sense. The first booking for the painting day had to be cancelled because of torrential rain, but it was smoothly rescheduled for the following afternoon. When Latyo arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. With a big business like Fantastic Services, I didn’t expect continuity in the service I was receiving. I would have thought whoever was available would be sent, not the person who had started the job. I liked the fact the whole project was looked after by one person. It felt like I was dealing with a tradesman rather than a faceless business. Brownie points, Fantastic Services, brownie points!

It took Latyo about four hours to complete the job, and he did so to a high standard. There was no mess whatsoever anywhere; not one dot of paint where it shouldn’t be. Latyo was incredibly discreet. You wouldn’t have guessed he was there. In fact, we had friends over when he was painting outside, and they didn’t notice him although they kept going past the window that oversees the patio.

I loved the fact he had all materials and equipment needed with him, so I didn’t have to worry about anything. I didn’t have to rent a pressure washer, buy a new paintbrush or worry about getting the paint wrong. He also moved my plants and pots around as he was working.

Look at my freshly painted decking and fence!

I am still finding my feet in the garden and moving things around, adding bits and bobs and getting small pieces that enhance the tiny space, like those pretty VARTA powered solar lights.

Since the weather has been so lovely and warm, we have been spending a lot of time outside at night. The patio is fast becoming my favourite room in the house!

Fantastic Services’ range of services is rather impressive and includes cleaning, pest control, gardening, DIY, building work, removals, and many more If you’d like to book of the services offered by Fantastic Services, click here.

Disclaimer: As a brand ambassador for Fantastic Services, I will be trying out several services in return for reviews over the next few months. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am not compensated in any other way. The complimentary services mentioned above would have cost me £234.80. The fairy lights and VARTA powered solar lights were sent to me by VARTA as a gift.