This is a before photo of a crumbling front staircase and dated walkway. Keep this picture in the back of your mind, because the after photos will include this in the transformation too. Walking up to this house, you might not expect to find the ultimate pool party hangout in the backyard, but that's what we turned it into. 

That stands for "what you see is what you get," which is only the case when homeowners keep adding improvements piecemeal and leave them that way for years. In this case, the disjointed fire pit and patio off the screened-in porch with several other elements were the makings of a great backyard entertaining space, but we needed to improve the flow so it could all work together. Keep clicking through the gallery to watch this project unfold.

Many homeowners are afraid to take on a restoration or home improvement project because they think it'll be too much work and money. But with The Burpee Group, creating the functional backyard space you've always wanted doesn't have to be a huge ordeal. We take the weight off your shoulders by making the big jobs easy — our expertise in planning and design will leave you feeling like you should've contacted us years ago!

This wooden deck has taken a beating from the sun and the elements over the years, and it doesn't really flow into the spaces surrounding it. Even so, there are already some makings of a great space. These clients already had several elements in the backyard that supported entertaining, but they were worn out and no longer functional, and there wasn't a cohesive flow. Continue clicking through our virtual "before" tour of this property and then watch it transform from potential into something new.

When you make your way through everything going on in that backyard and finally come to the pool area, you hope to see a welcoming water feature that's sure to please. Instead, we found this poorly maintained in-ground pool in need of serious repair. It may be private, but it's not perfect. While this location may be ideal for a private pool, the pool itself is in bad shape. Burpee Group to the rescue!

When updating or adding a large feature like a pool or backyard pavilion, it can be easy to forget about the smaller details that really frame your environment, like fences and landscaping. The Burpee Group takes stock of your entire layout, making sure we don't overlook those complimentary features that are often forgotten. The result? A breathtaking yard that really "pops" and stands out from the rest. This is the "before" — keep scrolling to see the "after."

We tore out the existing pool and made a plan to give the yard an entirely new, functional design. The pool will become a structural part of the yard. We're preserving this existing pergola patio and we'll save the fire pit for relocation later on.

This may look like a muddy disaster to you, but nothing excites us more than prepping a blank canvas for transformation! Stay tuned as this yard gets the facelift of a lifetime!

Yes, that is snow. The Burpee Group isn't afraid to work in the winter — in fact, the winter months are some of our busiest. We have over 30 years' experience dealing with all situations and conditions, so rarely can a little snow slow us down. 

It may be hard to see the vision now, but if you haven't peeked ahead to the end of the slideshow you'll be pretty amazed by how things turned out!

As we said in earlier parts of this slideshow, the new pool will become structurally integrated into the backyard. It won't be completely in-ground — there will be a retaining wall and steps to ascend a level, with a bar coming off the pool's edge. 

As you can see, the existing wooden deck now merges so nicely into the new wooden pool deck we built around the outer edge of the pool. The retaining wall is a bar, and there are steps on either side to lead up a level to the pool deck. We relocated this stone fire pit off to the side, and now we can finish bringing everything together.

In this photo you can see how we turned the pool into a structural part of the yard by building it into a terrace. There's a lower pool deck with a stone staircase leading to the upper pool deck and lawn. The pool itself is surrounded by a beautiful stone retaining wall and bar for dual-purpose function and enjoyment. 

We incorporated a beautiful granite bar top along the exterior wall of the pool with enough of an overhang for some bar stools and poolside lounging. Quite unique!

Take in all the different elements and facets of this project. If this were your backyard, wouldn't you want to stay a while?

Remember that muddy mess from when we demolished the existing yard? Well, it's gone! The mud has been replaced with a custom paver stone pool deck and lush green landscaping. How's that for a facelift?

Remember in the "before" photos we talked about the importance of details like fencing and landscaping that really complete a project? Well this one was no exception. We added a much higher cedar privacy fence which will beautifully frame their yard for years to come.

Details, details, details! A great pool shouldn't be all one level or depth. We've incorporated a custom wading seat with mosaic tile accents, perfect for when you want to float or just get your feet wet.

We don't just do pools, you know.

Another shot of the beautiful fence and gate we installed (and a much better entrance to the pool area).

These concrete steps are safer and more durable than the old, crumbling brick that was there before. We left the brick walkway intact to preserve its charm.

How beautiful is this environment compared to what it looked like before? Now these homeowners can truly capture the beauty of the seasons year-round.