What to do with dilapidated cubby house?

[smhasnain]

Hi, 

We are living in a 26-year-old home and are planning to put it on the market for sale. There is an old cubby house (photos attached) located in one corner of the backyard, and we are considering a few possible options:

1. Leave it as is, with a note stating that the cubby house is not stable. However, in this scenario, an unprofessional-looking fence repair—using a black rod and timber pieces—remains clearly visible and may detract from the overall presentation.
2. Repair the cubby house, although this could be quite costly given its age and condition.
3. Demolish and remove it. If we choose this option, we would need to address the empty space, as it sits lower than the surrounding lawn. In addition, removing the cubby house would further expose a poorly repaired section of the fence, and relocating the yellow rose plant arranged in a half-circle may be difficult.

I would really appreciate your advice on a simple, economical DIY solution that could improve the appearance of this area and potentially add value to the property.

Thank you and regards

syed

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @smhasnain,

Based on the condition, the cubby house is well past the point where a simple cosmetic fix would make sense. The fact that it is structurally deteriorated and visibly slanting means that any buyer is going to immediately see it as a problem that needs to be dealt with, rather than a feature. Even with a disclaimer, something that looks unsafe or unstable can create a negative emotional response during inspections, especially for families with children.

In that context, I would strongly recommend pulling it down now rather than leaving the decision to a prospective buyer. The burden of having to demolish and dispose of a structure after purchase is far more off-putting than a slightly sunken section of lawn or a fence that clearly needs attention. Those smaller issues are very common in established homes and are generally seen as manageable and expected, whereas a large, deteriorated structure feels like an immediate job and an added cost.

Once the cubby house is removed, the lower area can be dealt with in a very simple and economical way. Bringing the level up with soil and topping it with turf or even mulch will immediately make the space feel cleaner and more intentional, even if the fence behind it is not perfect. Buyers are usually quite forgiving of fencing repairs, especially when the yard itself looks open, usable, and safe.

Overall, presenting a backyard that is free of obvious safety concerns will almost always outweigh the minor imperfections that remain. Removing the cubby house now reduces friction for buyers and helps them focus on the potential of the space rather than the work they feel forced to do straight away. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[smhasnain]

Dear Mitchell,

Thank you very much for your clear and practical advice — it was extremely helpful. I have now pulled down the cubby house as recommended and am sharing a new set of photos showing the area before and after removal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would appreciate your guidance on a few cost-effective, low-maintenance DIY options to transform this corner of the backyard into something that looks clean, presentable, and appealing to buyers. In particular, I would value your thoughts on:

• Using bamboo fencing or else to cover and visually soften the repaired section of the fence (approximately two metres from the corner along both the north- and west-facing sides)
• Whether relocating the yellow rose plant to another position would be better, as it currently looks a little awkward in that spot
• A couple of alternative ideas to turn this area into an attractive feature from a home-sale perspective

Your advice on the most practical and visually effective approach would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again, and kind regards.

[EricL]

Hello @smhasnain 

If you are referring to the EDEN 1.8 x 3m Bamboo Slat Screening or the EDEN 1.8 x 3m Natural Bamboo Screening either of these bamboo screens would make excellent cover and tidy up the look of the fence line. I agree with your decision to move the yellow rose plant to another location. This will simplify the look of your garden and there will be no awkward explanations why the yellow rose plant is in the middle of the garden. 

I propose to keep the additions simple and straightforward to keep your expenses down. I suggest moving all the pavers to a hidden location away from the garden and that it is out of direct line of sight. Mow and line trim the area then add or remove soil to level the location and patch it with new turf. A nice clean healthy lawn and nice open tidy space often allow prospective buyers to imagine what they can put into the space. 

I've placed a sample image below rendered using AI to give you an idea what it would look like once tidied up.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @AlanM52 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.    

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @smhasnain 

Yeah I would have voted for the old cubby house to go, for the same reasons @MitchellMc stated.

So instead of bamboo screening I am thinking of a darker paint (green ish or a faded black) and paint the corner fence itself.

The bricks that you have left, I would form them into a rectangular garden bed so it takes in the rose and the mound of the soil that was under the cubby house. Keep it straight lined and rectangular. I would probarlly go only one brick high as if it was two and someone kicks it it looks messy.

Excess soil can be used to throw into the depression either side of the mound (Even using the mound for resources)

Once your rectangle has been done, and if you have any spare bricks left you could run a narrower rectangle along the repaired fence. You could also screw some vertical timbers to the fence and then nail some chicken wire or mesh for vines to grow.  Just something that is recognisable as it should be there.

The last bit/s For the garden bed level the soil and then mulch it. No need to plant as the new owners will plant and there is nothing worse then seeing something "done up with fresh plants" that start to die as the work wasnt prepped. Mulch both garden beds with the same mulch. Now for the two sections of pathway where the soil dips, level as best you can and then fill to a depth of at least 5cm another coloured mulch/barch chips. 

Your area will look like a garden just waiting to be planeted out with passionfruit, other stuff  and wont be far off if someone did the work on a budjet for themselves

Dave

[AlanM52]

Hi @smhasnain,

Retain that... using building adhesive do what's needed to make it a neat circle.

Weed the middle, top-soil if needed and chuck in mulch or wood bark.

Cheers