It’s no secret that a stunning kitchen or stellar location can elevate the value of your home. However, there are many less expensive exterior modifications that can deliver a serious lift on asking price, too. With a little creativity and a manageable investment, you can add eye-catching features that make your home more attractive to buyers.
Here are our favorite outdoor building projects that increase your home’s value.
Patio cover
A patio is a simple feature that can make a big impact. A beautiful patio extends your home’s usable outdoor space, creating an additional living area in your backyard. With plenty of variations on the design, patio covers provide lots of creative freedom to add flair to your outdoor space.
A basic, lattice-covered 8’x10’ Douglas fir attached patio cover will set you back somewhere around $800. Beyond the basic structure, patio covers provide lots of leeway for personalization. Get creative with accessories like black ornate hardware, a solid roof, unique stain color or artistic corbels. Add other personalized details such as flowering vines, shade canopies, decorative panels, louvers or a chandelier. With unlimited possibilities for embellishment, a beautiful patio cover can add a “wow factor” that stands out to home buyers.
If you are struggling with ideas or need to source your lumber and building supplies, visit a lumber yard, not a big box hardware store. The staff at your lumber supplier can answer questions, provide expert suggestions and perform all of your wood cutting—both basic and custom—in-house. Plus, if you’re not confident designing or installing a patio cover on your own, hire a professional contractor for the post-setting and basic construction, then add personalized touches yourself.
Learn about the pros and cons of patio cover kits.
Horizontal fence
Horizontal fences are a popular design feature that anchor exterior spaces with a contemporary, clean look. Like patio covers, horizontal fences are a dramatic enhancement that can match almost any aesthetic. With some careful thought and planning, a horizontal fence can transform the look of your yard.
High-quality redwood, incense-cedar or ipe are always show-stoppers. However, you can also create interesting effects with less expensive lumber by staggering the plank seams, creating measured gaps between slabs, or using knotted or reclaimed wood.
Before beginning a project like this, speak to the team at your local lumber yard. They’ll help you accurately estimate the amount of wood you’ll need, as well as provide suggestions for hardware, trim and other important details.
Outdoor arbor
An arbor creates an attractive outdoor centerpiece that instantly upgrades the appearance of any yard. Even a basic arbor is an attention-getter, but the more thoughtful details you add, the more interest your home can generate. Cedar and redwood are ideal for arbors because they are bug- and rot-resistant and the tannins in the wood enhance their beauty with age. From there, you can add as many interesting details as you’d like to mimic the aesthetic of your house or create a unique focal point for your outdoor space.
Deck
Decking is one of the most significant exterior changes you can make to increase the value of your home. There have never been more decking options on the market—from materials to price to look—than right now, so you have plenty of options to match your investment level. Modern materials like AZEK®, Trex® Decking, and other composites mean a slightly bigger expense today, but your deck will still look stunning and stay in great shape by the time you go to sell.
Even a small but well-made deck can transform a basic backyard or patchy grass area into an appealing gathering spot, creating an extra perk for potential homebuyers. Meanwhile, elaborate decks that serve multiple purposes deliver an added home feature that might incite a bidding war when the house enters the market.
See how you can breathe new life into your deck.
Home buyers are always looking at the whole package, so when considering where to invest in upgrades, don’t forget about the outdoors. Creative exterior features can turn a basic yard into a stunning space and give your home an advantage. Consider adding any—or all—of these exterior building features to your home and watch your investment pay off (literally) when it comes time to sell.