35 Before-and-After Backyard Transformations

A ramshackle fence surrounds a barely usable backyard where years-worth of decaying fall leaves carpet the ground and English ivy is slowly taking over.

Designer Brian Patrick Flynn removed the falling-down fence to open up the backyard to the existing (and freshly painted) garage that now serves as a backdrop to the backyard's new fire pit and encircling all-weather Adirondack chairs. Fresh landscaping and a pea gravel pathway connect the fireside lounge to the rest of the renovated backyard and totally remodeled century-old home. Take a tour of the backyard, below.

Does this concrete pad look familiar? You may have one just like it in your backyard. A good powerwash, tips below, can work wonders — or, click to the next slide to see this small concrete patio earn major style points.

The budget-friendly answer to a plain patio? Paint! Well, plus a stencil and our handy how-to tips, below. HGTV editor, Chelsea Faulkner, shares all the tricks she learned when making over her backyard patio on a penny-pinching budget — just $85! — plus product recommendations and how to keep the painted surface looking its best.