Best Yard Before and Afters 2011

Who: Sandi N.
Where: Yardley, Pa.

We discovered that it was a perfectly preserved root cellar with arched stone walls and a well on the far side. We lacked the knowledge and finances to restore it, so we covered it with plywood and stones, and there it remained for 15 long years. Eventually I tired of the ugly landscape, and my husband built a structure above the root cellar with concrete, stone, and old barn siding. He restored the stairs and added a bulkhead door. We then had a landscaper add stone paths and plantings to highlight our "new" old cellar.

Who did the work: I did some of the work myself, but a contractor did most of it.
Cost: $10,000 to $25,000