Our Favorite Lawn & Order Transformations

See how landscape contractors Sara Bendrick and Chris Lambton transform outdated homes into a buyer's dream with curb appeal and home exterior updates.

By: Sara Bendrick

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Before: Overgrown Front Yard

This house lacked a front entrance and was so overgrown that it was hard to actually see the home. The sea of subpar lawn made this home look neglected and uninteresting.

After: Paver Brick Driveway

Landscape designer and Lawn & Order host Sara Bendrick and landscape designer Chris Lambton broke up the lawn and added a garden area to add color and interest. Opening up the enclosed entrance completely changed the appeal and aesthetic, and adding a paver-brick driveway created a warmer and more valuable driveway than the boring broken concrete.

Before: Standard Mailbox

This sad mailbox was standard and boring and detracted from the house more than added to it. With the numbers peeling off, it was hard to find the address to the home.

After: Gabion Basket Mailbox

Sara and Chris created a one-of-a-kind mailbox using gabion baskets. Gabion metal baskets hold rocks typically used in waterways to slow down water and stop erosion of banks. The new mailbox is eye-catching and substantial, making a better impression than the previous plastic one.

Before: Basic Exterior

Overwhelmed with basic textures and materials, this house needed to be scaled back with direction and style. Overgrown shrubs covered part of the house, and the landscape was rundown and unwelcoming.

After: Raised Patio

Sara and Chris simplified the materials with stucco over brick and a neutral gray palette to complement the beautiful natural stone. They created a welcoming porch by removing the shrubs and building a raised patio, adding value and interest. An orange front door brings a pop of color and pulls the eye to the center of the home.

Before: Uninhabitable Cottage Home

This cute little cottage house was in need of repair. In fact, it was technically uninhabitable and needed to be brought up to par so the homeowners could move in. Overgrown and falling apart, the home had a lot of potential for a great transformation.

After: Cedar Accents

Raising the tree canopy's opened the view of the house, which now sports natural cedar accents in the door, shutter, planter boxes and shingles on the portico. The moss green vertical board and batten add style, and a new garden and pathway make this place look fresh and welcoming.

Before: Unappealing Front Garden

The front entrance of the house lacked appeal because the house was falling apart. The garden wasn't much better with overgrown green shrubs and lack of color, organization and interest.

After: Refreshing Garden

Redefining the garden beds and adding fresh new plants brought new life to the entrance garden through different colors and textures.

Before: Sloped Yard

This house suffered from a poor color combination, a lack of an entrance path and a rolling slope up to the street. With three kids and trying to put the house on the market, the homeowners needed help sprucing up the house to sell it quickly.

After: Boulder Retaining Wall

Sara and Chris pulled the slope with a natural boulder retaining wall and added in a front entrance path. This made the entrance more functional and organized. Painting the house a deep blue was a bold move, but also eye-catching for a potential buy. White trim and hydrangeas balance out the yard.

Before: Neglected Home

This house was neglected and needed a refresh. The original color was faded, and the house lacked an entrance path and landscape direction.

After: Welcoming Entrance

Sara and Chris went with a neutral exterior color that tied into the existing natural stone veneer. They added a conversation-starter entrance path made out of recycled granite counter tiles. A small patio and custom-built succulent table and bench make this house feel like a home.

Before: Underutilized Yard

This overgrown and uninteresting landscape was linear and underutilized. The yard was leaving anything but a good impression.

After: Two-Tone Beauty

A two-tone light and dark gray exterior makes this house interesting and the entrance more welcoming, Sara and Chris added a round seating area for guests, and a new paver path and entrance stairs lead up to a stylish teal door.

Before: Standard Garage Doors

This standard double garage door was basic and boring, and the garage is inconveniently four inches higher than the driveway.

After: Garage Pergola

Sara and Chris built a pergola above the garage door to add dimension. They also changed out the doors and added hardware for a more distinct look. Pavers enhanced the whole driveway and got rid of that odd grade change.

Before: Unkempt Landscaping

This bungalow-style home was bland on bland with unkempt landscaping. The homeowners struggled to keep up with it despite its potential.

After: All-New Everything

Keeping with neutrals, Sara and Chris revitalized the exterior with new siding, porch expansion, railing (to bring it to code) and landscaping and planter boxes. They enhanced the front door trim with a mirrored box trim that gives the illusion of a wider, grander entrance. Plus, you can check your hair on the way out.

Before: Reverse Saltbox Home

This reverse saltbox house was bland, and it was hard for guests to find the front entrance due to the attached in-law suite. Saltbox homes usually have two stories in the front and slope down to one story in the back.

After: Classic Entrance

Paint can really change the mood of a house, so Sara and Chris decided on a classic dark blue-gray with white accents. You can almost never go wrong with white accents. A red front door and an updated entrance help guests find the front of the home.

Before: Worn-Out Steps

This worn-out path did not stand the test of time. It became a tripping hazard not to mention that it made a terrible first impression for the rest of the house.

After: Classic Brick Steps

Sara and Chris revamped the steps with classic red brick and pressure-treated lumber. Planting a garden on either side improved the appeal of the front entrance and made it safer.

Before: Milky Pink Exterior

This Palm Coast home was in desperate need of a renovation with an underused front entrance, a boring L-shaped pathway and a milky-pink paint job.

After: Blue Upgrades

Sara and Chris installed a new patio space near the entrance. A curved flagstone pathway adds function and personality to the yard. A low-maintenance garden filled with affordable blue-gray gravel ties back nicely to the new light blue house color. Upgrading the old garage door with a new wood-textured metal door adds value and depth to this previously boring yard.

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