Note: there other things more interesting to me than escrow/real estate issues, so hope this topic does not tread on other contributors expertise.

It is Spring (believe it or not) and the Everett Home Show just wrapped up over the weekend. This is the time of year where home improvement projects start to come to the forefront. One of the larger projects last Spring was to remove our 30+ year old drab, cracked walkway and driveway apron in front of the garage. We obtained bids to install either a stone/paver walkway (Hardscape) or new poured concrete. For our budget, time constraints, and do-it-yourself experience, we ended up going with a stamped concrete walkway.

I rented a jackhammer and broke up the entire walkway and driveway apron. It was tough work. We liked the stamped concrete patterns that we observed visiting new home developments, home shows and doing research online. After sifting through all the information, we took quite a while to make a decision on the color and blend we envisioned. It is nerve-racking because if we were unhappy with the patterns and color after the concrete pour, we were going to have to live with it.

A significant amount of prep work had to take place because there is a lot of water run-off from the road adjacent to our home and the topography slopes towards the house. You can also see remnants of the perimeter drainage system I installed and connected to an existing drain system.

Project cost: about $6,000.00 including my expense in removing the old walkway & driveway apron myself. Drain system and retaining walls (Stacked Wall supplied by Pacific Stone Company in Everett) were a separate expense, but we did do it ourselves.

Hope this project provides inspiration and ideas for people thinking about their outside projects!

This year’s Spring (I hope) project entails a new asphalt driveway from the street to the apron & walkway. I’ve also been informed that I need to remodel the guest bathroom. One project at a time.