My wife and I have been transforming our home the last 10 years or so. Each year we do one project usually instead of going away for a week somewhere. The cost is lower, and we then enjoy whatever we've done 365 days a year, rathr than just 7.

I also do a lot in the yard, like you. I find yard work therapeutic and rewarding, in the same way I like fixing things around that house because I can. It makes me feel independent to fix a light switch rather than having to hire someone to do it. Mostly we hire people for loud, dusty jobs that require very expensive specialized tools, and we do the rest.

Our yard doesn't look as nice as yours (yet!). That is due to multiple factors, one being a XL young rescue husky who is not yet fully trained and likes to have zoomies and dig now and then. Let's just say he is a sub-optimal landscaper. What he lacks in skill he makes up in energy. :-)