Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Landscaping 1,000sqm in the Philippines is harder than it looks! In Part 2 of our property transformation, we ramped up the labor to 4 workers to tackle the perimeter wall and the yard. We used Davies Mud O’ Pie and Russet Brown for the pillars, and things were looking great... until the dirt arrived.
What started as a simple order for 6 mini dump truck loads of topsoil turned into a total landscaping nightmare. From hard clay chunks to "mystery" sandy soil, we learned a very expensive lesson about the difference between cheap materials and quality results.
In this video:
• Painting Progress: Applying Davies Mud O' Pie and Russet Brown.
• The Soil Saga: Christine vs. the local Hardware Store.
• The Result: 2 piles of clay, 4 piles of sand, and a lot of frustration.
• The Big Question: Is it actually cheaper to hire unskilled laborers, or should I have paid the "outrageous" professional fees?
If you are building a house in the Philippines or planning a garden,
Timestamps
• [00:01] Project Overview & Budget: Jason explains his "experiment" of hiring four laborers for ₱600/day ($45 total per day) to handle painting and landscaping, rather than paying professional quotes that ranged up to ₱320,000.
• [01:40] The Game Plan: The crew begins painting the perimeter walls with "Mud O' Pie" and "Russet Brown" (a roof shield paint) while others rake the 1,000sqm lot.
• [02:55] Driveway Strategy: Jason shows how they are using debris, gravel, and broken concrete from the yard to reinforce the driveway grade before the rainy season turns it into a mud hole.
• [06:34] Shopping at City Hardware: A trip to the hardware store highlights the limited paint availability in the Philippines (choosing from "dots" on the wall) and the costs of Davies Sun & Rain paint.
• [12:04] The Soil Disaster Begins: The first mini dump truck arrives. Instead of topsoil, it’s filled with massive stones and shale-like fill.
• [14:34] The "Topsoil" Struggle: The second load arrives, but it is heavy, hard clay rather than the loose soil expected for a lawn.
• [16:36] The "Garden Soil" Upsell: After complaining, Jason pays an extra ₱250 per load (₱1,000 total) to upgrade to "garden soil," only for it to look and feel like 50% brown sand [18:46].
• [19:39] Assessing the Damage: Jason surveys the backyard where they’ve had to dump the clay chunks and realizes the project has become much more complicated than planned.
• [20:21] Final Thoughts: A frustrated Jason ends the day in 95° heat, questioning if the professional fees might have been worth the lack of headache.
WATCH THIS BEFORE you order your soil!
Materials Used:
• Wall Paint: Davies Sun & Rain (Mud O' Pie)
• Accents: Davies Roof Shield (Russet Brown)
• Labor: 4 Unskilled Laborers (₱600/day)
#PhilippinesRealEstate #HomeConstruction #LandscapingFail #DaviesPaint #ExpatPhilippines #BuildingADreamHome #ExpectationVsReality #GardenSoil
Landscaping 1,000sqm in the Philippines is harder than it looks! In Part 2 of our property transformation, we ramped up the labor to 4 workers to tackle the perimeter wall and the yard. We used Davies Mud O’ Pie and Russet Brown for the pillars, and things were looking great... until the dirt arrived.
What started as a simple order for 6 mini dump truck loads of topsoil turned into a total landscaping nightmare. From hard clay chunks to "mystery" sandy soil, we learned a very expensive lesson about the difference between cheap materials and quality results.
In this video:
• Painting Progress: Applying Davies Mud O' Pie and Russet Brown.
• The Soil Saga: Christine vs. the local Hardware Store.
• The Result: 2 piles of clay, 4 piles of sand, and a lot of frustration.
• The Big Question: Is it actually cheaper to hire unskilled laborers, or should I have paid the "outrageous" professional fees?
If you are building a house in the Philippines or planning a garden,
Timestamps
• [00:01] Project Overview & Budget: Jason explains his "experiment" of hiring four laborers for ₱600/day ($45 total per day) to handle painting and landscaping, rather than paying professional quotes that ranged up to ₱320,000.
• [01:40] The Game Plan: The crew begins painting the perimeter walls with "Mud O' Pie" and "Russet Brown" (a roof shield paint) while others rake the 1,000sqm lot.
• [02:55] Driveway Strategy: Jason shows how they are using debris, gravel, and broken concrete from the yard to reinforce the driveway grade before the rainy season turns it into a mud hole.
• [06:34] Shopping at City Hardware: A trip to the hardware store highlights the limited paint availability in the Philippines (choosing from "dots" on the wall) and the costs of Davies Sun & Rain paint.
• [12:04] The Soil Disaster Begins: The first mini dump truck arrives. Instead of topsoil, it’s filled with massive stones and shale-like fill.
• [14:34] The "Topsoil" Struggle: The second load arrives, but it is heavy, hard clay rather than the loose soil expected for a lawn.
• [16:36] The "Garden Soil" Upsell: After complaining, Jason pays an extra ₱250 per load (₱1,000 total) to upgrade to "garden soil," only for it to look and feel like 50% brown sand [18:46].
• [19:39] Assessing the Damage: Jason surveys the backyard where they’ve had to dump the clay chunks and realizes the project has become much more complicated than planned.
• [20:21] Final Thoughts: A frustrated Jason ends the day in 95° heat, questioning if the professional fees might have been worth the lack of headache.
WATCH THIS BEFORE you order your soil!
Materials Used:
• Wall Paint: Davies Sun & Rain (Mud O' Pie)
• Accents: Davies Roof Shield (Russet Brown)
• Labor: 4 Unskilled Laborers (₱600/day)
#PhilippinesRealEstate #HomeConstruction #LandscapingFail #DaviesPaint #ExpatPhilippines #BuildingADreamHome #ExpectationVsReality #GardenSoil
