We have been living in our house for a year now, and we made it a priority to transform the backyard from dirt to useable this year. Having an active 3 year old we really wanted a place for her to play as well as for us to use and enjoy. We started in the middle of May by getting the topsoil spread out and we ended today (July 10th) by putting in the privacy slats on our chain link fence. In between that time, we put in a patio and laid sod. It's been a wonderful process and I look forward to using our space!