To want a patio more than a holiday

[coralpig]

We moved house last summer and are lucky to have a decent sized back garden that gets lots of sun especially in the evenings.

I would really like a patio- DH is less keen. We have a quote which is about what we budgeted for our summer holiday (nothing fancy- a week in France at a family friend’s holiday home).

AIBU to pick the patio so we can enjoy summer, barbecues, maybe eating outside? DH’s argument is that we don’t have young kids (TTC in a few months) so not really watching little ones playing etc and that we are in stressful jobs so holiday is needed.

Patio. Holidays are so overrated.

I would do patio, the weather has been lovely this year and we have a patio for the first time ever and it's been so, so nice to sit out on it.

Holiday then save for the patio.

Compromise.

Patio!

When we bought our first home and were broke ( pre-kids) we had some great 'holidays at home', long before staycationing became a thing.

We went to cafés for lunch(always cheaper than dinner!), walked everywhere and went to (free) museums.

If you're hoping for maternity leave this time next year you'll want to be in the garden.

I'm wondering what holiday for two costs the same as a patio! We had our patio done at a cost of about 6k at mates rates, and my friend, who has a much smaller garden than us was quoted 9k & 11k from two local builders to do hers.
Get yourself on last minute.com, or get down to your travel agency the week before you fly, and get yourself a week in the sun for £300-£500!

Do you live in the SE Grimgle? That is pricey.

We paid about £3-4K for our patio - 25msq and we are south east. That also included retaining walls

Patio. Holidays are so overrated

Yep!

I would definitely have the patio, you will use it loads, holidays soon forgotten.

Patio

Patio for me. We have new garden furniture this year, enjoying it already. Mind you, holidays are still going ahead too. But I’d choose patio if I had to choose.

No Katterina, we live up north and friend only wanted a regular/smallish yard and a path down the side of her house paved!

patio and time off work pottering about.

Why can't your DH just do the patio himself? Then you'd probably still be able to afford the holiday.

"Why can't your DH just do the patio himself? Then you'd probably still be able to afford the holiday."

Or OP could do it, alone or with him. Women can pave too!

I'd do the patio. Years of enjoyment rather than a week away.

Goon holiday, do the patio yourselves!

Patio, it's what we did last year. We've used it a lot and it brings me joy. And I'm not a holiday lover anyway, they're way too stressful.

Holiday!!!

Is there any way you can do the patio yourself and save money?

We had our patio done at a cost of about 6k at mates rates

That seems expensive unless there was a lot of excavation to be done first, a lot of soil to be taken away, and it was a fairly large size.

And my friend, who has a much smaller garden than us was quoted 9k & 11k from two local builders to do hers. friend only wanted a regular/smallish yard and a path down the side of her house paved

They saw your friend coming then.

Unless there is major work to be done, drainage issues, a relatively simple patio shouldn't cost anything like that.

I think six k is cheap, so I think it depends on the size of the patio and the site.

Patio laying is no small job. From digging the foundations on.

I'd pick holiday. If you're ttc then it could be your last one as a couple, so make the most of it!

6k for a patio??? Chuffing hell. Is that really how much they are?

£6k is crazy unless it's a very sizeable area (I imagine in Shatner and Bluntness's case it probably is, I imagine both of you living in really lovely houses!)

My small, normal-sized patio cost about £3k (I think) and that was with beautiful (and expensive) grey sandstone. Around 18m^2.

I think £6k is cheap too. Materials could easily cost that on their own