If your house has a backyard attached to it, then upgrading it is a great way to get more enjoyment out of it and increase your home’s value. At the moment, property prices are falling. Making upgrades to your yard could be an effective way of ensuring your house maintains its market value.
However, some upgrades are more desirable than others. If you’re planning on upgrading yours, then this post is for you. In this article, you will find out what the best upgrades are, and what you can do to make them happen.
Adding Lighting
Lighting can be a fantastic way of increasing your home’s value. A lot of people underestimate the value of garden lighting. Most people’s backyards cannot be used after dark, because all they have to light them is a floodlight. Proper lighting, ideally soft, can make your garden a much more inviting and convenient place. According to a team of landscape lighting specialists in Phoenix, there are many different types of lighting to choose from. Make sure you shop around and choose the style that suits your backyard best.
Outdoor Kitchen
An outdoor kitchen is another way of increasing your home’s value. If you live somewhere warm, then an outdoor kitchen will be very attractive to homebuyers. If you live in a cold region, however, then it’s probably not a good idea. The reason for this is that the person who buys your house will only be able to use the outdoor kitchen for a few months of the year. The main piece of equipment that you need if you want an outdoor kitchen is a grill that has a built-in smoker. These kinds of grills can be expensive but are a great investment.
Better Patio
Most people’s patios are just standard concrete tiles, usually with weeds growing between them. If you want to increase the value of your house, then invest in a higher-quality patio, ideally made out of natural stone. The better your patio looks, the more inviting your garden will be. It does need to be noted, quality patio tiling can be very expensive. You can save money by installing it yourself. As long as you take careful measurements, then you should have no problems laying it down.
Garden Design
The design of your garden requires some thought. If your garden doesn’t have a pleasant design, nobody will want to buy your house, or people will make low offers on it. The ideal design is one that’s open, airy, and a little bit wild. Try to grow as many flowers, shrubs, and trees as you can. However, make sure they are maintained well. If you allow any of your garden plants to take over (or to get out of control) then nobody is going to want to buy your house. The reason for this is that nobody wants to buy a house where they, immediately after buying, will have to go into the garden and start pruning hedges and plants.
Building Shed
A shed is always a good idea. You do not have to buy or build anything fancy. As long as there’s a shed with adequate storage space, your home’s value will increase. Sheds give you somewhere to store garden tools and utensils. Without one, your garden would be cluttered and chaotic. If you sold your house without a shed, then the people buying it would probably have to go and invest in one themselves. Sheds can be expensive, especially now when you consider the rising price of wood.
Consider Summerhouse
Another structure that’s definitely worth building in your backyard is a summerhouse. Summerhouses are like sheds; except they have big glass doors. These kinds of structures are designed to be sat in and used in summer when it’s too hot to sit outside. Summerhouses cost around the same as sheds but can add a lot of value to your home. It does need to be noted though, there are some summerhouses that cost tens of thousands of dollars. The better your summerhouse, the more your property will be worth. You might be able to save money on a summerhouse by buying one second-hand.
Firepit Installation
Firepits can add thousands of dollars to your home’s value. The only downside to them is that they are expensive to install. Unfortunately, you cannot build your own firepit. You will need a professional’s help. Firepits can be very dangerous if they aren’t set up under the supervision and guidance of a professional, mainly because they usually need to be connected to a main gas line. If you want a firepit that only uses wood as fuel (which will be a lot less desirable to homebuyers), then you can build this kind of pit yourself.
Setting Up Pond
A pond could be a good way of making your backyard a more characterful and fun place. Setting up a pond is again something you’ll need a professional’s help with. The reason for this is that in order to set up a pond, you need heavy machinery. If you do not have machinery then you’ll have to dig and sculpt your pond by hand, which could take weeks, even months. If you are going to set up a pond in your garden, then put a net over it so that herons and neighborhood cats don’t steal your fish.
Planting Trees
Finally, plant trees in your garden. Mature trees can add a lot of money to your home’s value. A lot of people underestimate the value of mature trees. Some people actually cut them down, not realizing they are taking lots of money off of their home’s value. You can buy semi-mature trees and then plant them yourself. It does need to be noted though, a tree can take decades to mature. This is only an idea worth considering if you are planning on staying in your house for a long period of time. If not, then it’s not worth the trouble.
If your house has a garden, then you can use the tips given here to increase its value. Small changes to your home’s backyard can make it a lot more desirable to homebuyers. The changes mentioned here could also help you to retain your property’s value, since prices are falling at the moment.
