I helped my mum transform her boring beige front path with DIY – but her neighbour war is now more blatant than ever

The Sun

22-05-2025

A WOMAN has shared how her mum transformed the bland front of her house using some pretty stencils on the tiles.
However, it was the petty act with the neighbours which has really turned heads.
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A clip shared to TikTok showed how she had added the stencils to the front steps of her home, and also to the passageway leading to her neighbours' houses either side.
She had abruptly stopped when she reached one of the neighbour's boundaries due to a dispute.
The woman explained on her @__bambamx account: 'When you help your mum paint her slabs, and she has two neighbours - but she doesn't like one.
'Neighbours at war - Don't get any blatant than that.'
While one side had the full tile effect, the other was left completely bare.
People were amused by the act, with the video racking up over 2,400 likes.
Many were also impressed with the DIY hack and asked how it was achieved.
One user explained: 'Cream masonry paint full slab then brown for stencil, then top coat of slab sealant.'
She's not the only person to have transformed their outdoor space using a stencil with amazing results.
We previously shared how one savvy homeowner managed to transform her dull patio on a budget - all by herself.
I transformed my grubby garden patio for less than £50 - it was so easy to do, all you need is some paint & a stencil
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She used nothing but a stencil and a lick of paint.
The DIY whizz named Maddy Mcgrail took to Facebook group Gardening On A Budget Official and posted a before snap of her patio, which was plain and in desperate need of some TLC.
Speaking to Fabulous, she then explained how she simply purchased two stencils from Dizzy Duck, which cost her around £40, and some paint which she had leftover.
To achieve the finished look, she painted the patio black and, once dry, she then stuck the affordable stencil on one pavement slab at a time.
Next, she slowly brushed the white paint over it and after painting over all the gaps, she carefully removed the stencil.
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She was then left with a stunning geometric print which gives her outdoor haven a total new lease of life.
Proudly posting a photo of her efforts online, she penned: "Well I think the hard work as paid off!"
And it seems she isn't the only one to think so, with super impressed social media users quick to flock to the comments section to praise her very handy DIY skills.
'Well done!! Looks amazing," enthused one person.
A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property.
Sellhousefast.uk carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK.
And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed.
Shed - 82%
Patio or paving - 76%
Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72%
Outdoor lighting - 66%
Sturdy decking - 62%
Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58%
Modern garden furniture - 54%
Artificial lawn/grass - 40%