Outdoor overhauls can be costly affairs, but a few inexpensive tweaks are sometimes all that are needed for a perfectly good-looking garden.

Repair timber fencing

There are lots of good reasons to make sure your fencing is sound. Apart from improving security, a broken fence could irreparably damage valuable plants in yours or your neighbour’s garden. If you can’t stretch to new fencing panels, replace the upright posts and the gravel boards that sit below the panels, then refurbish them with a lick of paint.

Make your outbuildings more secure

Keep tools and bicycles safe with a quality padlock on your shed or garage door, and replace any rusty screws on the door hinges. For more security tips, see our guide.

Buy or hire a pressure washer

If your garden paving or decking has seen better days, it’s worth giving it a thorough clean before you decide if it needs replacing. A pressure washer, or even a garden hose with a ‘water jet’ attachment, should do an efficient job. Take care when cleaning the gaps between the paving stones, as you can weaken or even dislodge the pointing. Pressure washers are not usually advised on driveway block paving, either, as the water can remove the sand that holds the blocks in place.

Put a path through your lawn

Lawns experience plenty of wear and tear, but rather than renewing one completely, create paths in the areas that get most use. This could be as simple as a row of inexpensive paving stones laid on a rapid-set cement base. Make sure the stones are set slightly lower than the surface of the lawn so you can mow over the edges without damaging your lawnmower.

Sainsbury's home insurance provides cover for items in your garden as well as inside your home.

This Money Matters post aims to be informative and engaging. Though it may include tips and information, it does not constitute advice and should not be used as a basis for any financial decisions. Sainsbury's Bank accepts no responsibility for the opinions and views of external contributors and the content of external websites included within this post. Some links may take you to another Sainsbury's Bank page. All information in this post was correct at date of publication.