5 outdoor improvements that add value to your home. These outdoor improvements maximize living and entertaining space at a reasonable cost.
If you haven’t jumped on the outdoor living space bandwagon yet, now is the time.
“Next to energy efficiency, perhaps no other market trend is changing the landscape of new-home design than outdoor living,” David Barista, editor-in-chief of Professional Builder, wrote in a recent column on the site.
These outdoor improvements maximize living and entertainment space without dramatically impacting overall costs, he added.
They also increase your home’s value: 51 percent of buyers surveyed by Realtor.com earlier this year said that outdoor living space was the most attractive quality in a home, over even open floor plans and curb appeal. To that end, more than half of homeowners told Houzz.com they would be improving their home’s outdoor footprint this summer.
And there’s more: Outdoor living spaces, defined as kitchens and entertaining spaces, were the second most popular trend in outdoor design, following gardening and landscaping, according to the 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey of landscape architects.
Adding an outdoor living space can be rewarding both personally and financially, so consider these projects that pull double duty.
5 Outdoor Improvements That Add Value to Your Home
#1 Do Some Gardening and Landscaping
Gardens and landscaped spaces are perennially popular, and though they may need the most annual maintenance of everything on this list, not all gardens are so needy. Look for native plants or drought-tolerant plants that thrive in your region, which are both low-maintenance and typically less expensive. Also, consider adding shade trees or tall shrubs near windows that have the added benefit of lowering energy bills in the summer by blocking the sun’s warm rays from overheating your home.
#2 Add a Pergola
Pergolas are archways that cover a patio or deck dining area and typically have a wooden slatted roof. Installing one over your existing patio or deck provides several benefits, including better shade, opportunities for more greenery and lighting, as well as protection against bugs should you choose to install breezy curtains. Expect to pay at least $1,000 for a 10 feet by 10 feet do-it-yourself kit, or about $3,000 to have the same size pergola installed by a professional. Luckily the additions, such as vines, hanging flowers, strings of lights or fabric doors are cheap. According to the landscape architecture survey, 83 percent of homeowners and buyers are into these.
#3 Build a Deck (or a Patio)
Adding a whole deck is pricey, but it also effectively adds a whole outdoor room, plus decks provide a high return on investment at 74 percent for composite and 87 percent for wood, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost Vs. Value Report. Plus you can build a 10 feet by 16 feet raised deck, a standard size, for as little as $1,500 if you do it yourself or about $3,500 to have someone do it for you. Conversely, you can build a paved or stone patio for about 30 percent less, though its return on investment is harder to calculate. Patios, terraces and decks are high on the wish list for homeowners and buyers, a whopping 98 percent want them, according to the landscape architecture survey.
#4 Freshen Your Curb Appeal
Don’t wait until it’s time to sell your home to start caring about curb appeal. There are a million good reasons to have a better-looking home, and most of these kinds of improvements are simple, relatively inexpensive and long-lasting. Repaint your home if it needs a fresh coat; patch or repave your driveway; install a new steel door that will increase both security and energy-efficiency (plus Remodeling Magazine says it will pay for itself in resale value); or simply dig in the dirt and clean up the grass.
#5 Consider an Outdoor Fire Pit or Fireplace
While fire pits or fireplaces may not be the most immediately enjoyable outdoor addition, they continue to poll well in surveys of buyers and homeowners, and with a cooler-than-usual summer expected in some areas of the country, that may make a small fire desirable in the backyard. Fire pits can be very inexpensive, starting from as little as about $100 for a simple, transportable pit. Installing one starts at about $500, while installing a fireplace starts at about $1,500 and can run up exponentially from there, depending on design. Fire pits and fireplaces ranked third in the most popular outdoor living features on the landscape architecture survey.
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I love things that increase my property value, as does everyone I know! I recently extended my patio off of the back of my home, and Its been great. I think its about time to invest in a pergola cover now though, so we can take better advantage of our new addition!
Thanks for sharing, Max.
This is indeed helpful to those who wanted to increase the value of their home. It will not only add value but also improve the look of your place. One can try any of these and love the result.
I like your point that adding a pergola is a great way to not only shade your patio but to install more lighting. I love having barbecues in my patio, but they frequently last long into the night and we end up in complete darkness. Having a patio cover with lights would be a great way to keep the party going.
I think the addition of energy efficient windows is a good strategy that will reap benefits when it comes time to sell. In the meantime, you can enjoy a quieter home that is much easier to heat and cool!
These are some good ideas to improve an outdoor space. It’s interesting that 98 percent of homeowners want patios, terraces, or decks. I think this shows just how much people want to be able to sit outside and relax. Not only that, but being able to sit out on a patio when it’s covered in shade also makes it more enticing in my opinion.
Thanks for these wonderful ideas! I thought our yard looked plain so I wanted to see if there are things that we could do to improve its current state. A bit of landscaping would be good as a weekend activity for the family, in my opinion. Cheers!
[…] In addition, a deck or patio space can add enormous value to your home. Considering an estimated 98 percent of potential buyers want a home with a patio or similar fixture, the value of this outdoor living […]
[…] patio. The bigger is typically better assuming you have enough yard space surrounding the patio. Landscaping is the next outdoor upgrade that can truly spike the value of your home. People love to look at […]
I feel like the interior of my home is in good condition. However, the exterior part of my property could use some help. I like that idea of using native plants. It’ll be nice cine you mentioned how those kinds of plants will be low-maintenance.
My wife and I might be moving to a new house soon, so we are looking for ways to add value to the home before we put it on the market. I like that you suggest building a deck or patio because it has a high return on investment. This would be fun to have for the summer as well. Thanks for sharing!
[…] together. As long as you know what you are doing, you could probably finish an upgrade to your existing patio or deck in just a few days. If working with a professional is it a better choice for you, you will purchase […]
I put in a second pergola 6×8 in my front garage/ house entrance. Cost was 195 dollars all in. I will add a wood deck for an extra 100 dollars cost. The people who use cedar or teak are crazy, fist off cedar is so soft it will mark up if used, Teak and cedar is so expensive its crazy. Treated pine works well.
My home was flooded by Hurricane Harvey so we decided to add a patio deck and cover as part of our rebuild. It was the most enjoyable part of the project. We now spent a lot more time outside as a family.
My husband thinks our numerous deck plants will be a part of the house when it is sold. I disagree. Landscaping plants, yes, but potted plants? What is your opinion?
Brenda,
Typically anything that isn’t permanently affixed to the property is not included with the sale – unless it is specifically listed in the purchase agreement. So, if you have a light fixture that’s hardwired to the ceiling, that would typically be included in the sale. But, lawn furniture (or potted plants), would not.
Kitchen appliances, like refrigerators, freezers, and even washers/dryers, are often subject to local customs. So, if the refrigerators are typically included in a sale in your city, then you’d need to formally exclude them in the purchase agreement.
In this case, I’d have to say you win the day: Potted plants would typically not be included in a sale, whereas plants and trees that are already in the ground, would.
Please look at your purchase agreement to see what it says about fixtures.
Best,
Ilyce Glink, Publisher
ThinkGlink.com
Conversely, you can build a paved or stone patio for about 30 per cent less, though its return on investment is harder to calculate.
I like how you mentioned that 98 percent of homeowners and buyers want a patio or deck on their property. With a percentage that high, adding a deck on to your house would not only look appealing but would add resale value to your home. Thank you for the information and the benefits of building a patio.