Balcony Makeover - I Turned My 5-Square-Meter Balcony Into a Small Garden for Just $45
Hey everyone, I finally finished my balcony makeover.
First, some background: my balcony is only 5 square meters, faces north, with average lighting. Before, it was just for drying clothes + storage, messy like a warehouse. Every time friends came over, I’d close the balcony door so they wouldn’t see the mess.
Last month, I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to renovate. Budget was 300 yuan, timeframe two days.
Now that it’s done, I drink coffee on the balcony every morning, looking at the plants and flowers—it really improves my mood.
Let me tell you what I bought:
- Waterproof floor mat, 50 yuan (from Taobao, 1.5m×3m, just enough to cover)
- 8 plastic pots, 40 yuan (from PDD, 5 yuan each, chose white minimalist style)
- 2 bags of potting soil, 20 yuan (from PDD, 10 yuan per bag, just enough)
- Plant seedlings, 120 yuan (bought 2 pothos, 2 spider plants, 1 mint, 1 rosemary, 2 cherry tomatoes)
- Small table, 40 yuan (IKEA foldable table, can be stored when not in use)
- Decorative string lights, 20 yuan (from Taobao, 10 meters long, creates great ambiance at night)
- Other small tools (watering can, small shovel), 10 yuan
Total exactly 300 yuan, not a penny over.
But here are the pitfalls I hit that you should avoid:
First pitfall: didn’t waterproof. I initially thought the balcony already had waterproofing, no need to do more. Result: first day of watering, downstairs neighbor knocked saying their ceiling was leaking.
Later I asked property management; they said the balcony did have waterproofing but it was old and needed recoating. I had to spend another day lifting the mat, applying waterproof coating, waiting for it to dry before relaying.
So everyone, before renovating, definitely do a waterproof test first. Pour a bucket of water on the balcony, wait a few hours, check downstairs for leaks. If yes, apply waterproof coating first; if not, continue with renovation.
Second pitfall: wrong plant choice. I initially bought succulents, thinking they were easy to care for, but discovered that north-facing balconies don’t get enough light—succulents grew thinner and thinner, eventually all died.
Later I checked and found that north-facing balconies suit shade-tolerant plants like pothos, spider plants, monstera, and snake plants. I repurchased pothos and spider plants—these are truly easy to care for, water once a week, and they survive on north balconies.
Third pitfall: didn’t consider weight capacity. I initially wanted to buy a large plant stand with many pots, but then realized balconies have limited weight capacity—too many pots is unsafe.
So I ended up buying railing-hanging pots that don’t take up floor space and don’t add weight burden. Plus hanging higher gets better light.
Fourth pitfall: forgot to leave space for drying clothes. After renovation I realized the balcony was full of plants with nowhere to dry clothes. Later I bought a retractable clothesline that stays retracted normally and pulls out when needed—barely solved the problem.
So everyone, before renovating, definitely think clearly about what you want to use the balcony for. If your balcony is your only clothes-drying area, renovation must reserve drying space.
Finally, my renovation insights:
- 预算不用太高,300-500块足够了,关键是规划好
- 植物要选适合你家阳台环境的,不要盲目跟风
- 防水一定要做好,不然会给自己和邻居添麻烦
- 留出活动空间,不要把阳台塞得太满
- 买可以折叠的桌椅,不用的时候收起来,省空间
我现在的阳台,每天早上都会去看一眼,浇浇水,修剪一下枯叶,真的很有成就感。而且有了这个「小花园」,我整个人的心情都变好了。
所以回到最开始的问题:你家的阳台是用来晾衣服还是放杂物?有没有想过改成一个小花园?
我的建议是:想改就改吧,不用花很多钱,也不用花很多时间,300块、两天,就够了。
而且改造完之后,你会发现,每天多了一个「治愈时刻」,真的很值。