I was confronted with a small 12′ x 12′ courtyard for a guest cottage that had a lot of issues — not the least of which was extensive dryrot and various paint colors in the wood fencing that surrounded it. The purpose was not home staging for resale, but rather to simply make it more aethetically pleasing. The courtyard was not inviting and so it was never used. It was full of debris and pine needles from the surrounding trees, lots of assorted potted plants in various stages of neglect and decay, spider webs, etc.
Nevertheless, the cottage and courtyard really have a lot going for it. It’s part of a historic Spanish-style home. The cottage itself is quite cute, and the floor of the courtyard is of a lovely old brick. Very desirable in many ways, but the privacy/containment fence around it stuck out like a sore thumb. something had to be done, but without spending much money. A big home remodeling project was not an option at this time.
So, besides cleaning it up, uncluttering it, and adding a used iron patio set (with a fresh coat of black spray paint) and a matching bench, I really needed to do something about the mish-mash wood fence.
Well, I love the pre-made bamboo fencing that is readily found at home improvement stores like The Home Depot. It comes rolled up in different heights and lengths, and with various diameters of the bamboo shoots. I have found a wide variety of uses for it, including a makeshift floor over dirt or to provide a decorative pet barrier or containment fence.
For the purpose at hand, I used some 6′ height rolls in 8′ lengths, and wired them against the existing fence. As you can see in the photo, it worked really well for this application — as a temporary aesthetic facade over a mish-mash courtyard fence.
Longer term, the existing fence really needs to be torn down, fumigated, and rebuilt … but not today.
Seek simplicity, comfort, and value!
In high-cost areas like coastal California, a $50,000-100,000 investment in something 
like a decorative swimming pool/waterscape as an enhancement to your outdoor living area might be worthwhile. Shown are pools from two homes I have remodeled.
So, I tried a few configurations — first including two identical white slip-covered sofas across from each other, but it was like a sea of white. So, I made room for the big screen TV in the corner and brought in another sofa of mine as shown under the eye-catching zebra print, and its contrasting color and texture actually worked out much better. If you look closely, you can see my big Mexican door-turned-dining-table-turned-coffee-table. Turned out it wasn’t too big for this room after all, despite my initial concerns. (It’s a great piece — very versatile.) Overall, this is a very cozy, comfortable living space..jpg)
Kevin Contreras is the host and executive producer of Building Green TV on the PBS network. He is an old friend from our college days and has become quite prominent in the green construction movement. In his chapter of my e-book, he provides some fantastic tips on green remodeling, resulting in a home that costs less to operate, is healthier to live in, and has less impact on the environment. .jpg)
Mark MacKenzie is a Sigma Chi alum who runs a real estate brokerage and information firm in Phoenix, and he is the author of the Amazon.com #1 best-selling real estate book, Marketopoly, and he has another book due out soon called, It’s the Housing Market, Stupid! In his chapter of my e-book, he provides some great information on housing market trends, timing the market for maximum profit, buying low, selling high, etc. It’s a great read, especially for someone who is looking to be an investor in this difficult market.