does landscape architecture/new patios increase values of homes?

[purbeast0]

my wife and i are looking to do some work in our backyard. right now we have a patio already that is cement. our backyard also is kind of "2 layers" with a small hill in the middle.

we are interested in basically redoing the whole backyard and putting in some nice pavers and also putting a retaining wall, with steps, that will split the top/bottom "levels" in our backyard. the wall won't run the full length of our backyard but it will run the length of the patio. we're also making the patio bigger and adding a second "level" to it, to the left of our current patio, that is currently grass. we're also thinking about putting in a second patio up top with a corner retaining wall and possibly a fire pit up there.

this past weekend we had a company come over and they did up a design for us and gave us estimates. the estimate for just the patio + retaining wall (which is the primary thing we want to do) is $26k. this is not including the up top patio+firepit area either, that was an additional $5k, and that is without a permanent built in firepit. then they also did some lighting as well which would be an additional $2k.

now we're definitely not jumping right into this, and i have some ideas how we could possibly get the price a little lower. i am meeting with 2 other companies this weekend and seeing what they come up and with what prices.

as only being a homeowner for not even 2 years, this would be our first renovation type project at our house.

i was just wondering if things like this, outside of the home, increase the value of the homes. i'm assuming if it does it won't just flat out be a $26k increase, but I was just wondering if it in general would increase the value of the home. i'm assuming it does, but just curious if there is any kind of general percentage or something that it increases the values of the home. we don't plan on selling it anytime soon or anything and staying here for a while, so it is just a curiosity thing more than anything at this point.

 

[NutBucket]

It's really hard to say but obviously the features you're interested adding would greatly improve the overall appeal of the home. We just closed on our house and in most cases we found the backyards of the homes we saw to be rather plain. Ours is far from elegant but it is very inviting. It's amazing what some shrubs and a nice patio can do for a yard. We also like fruit trees. Something to think about

But for me, I don't want too much hardscaping. I guess I would need a photo of your yard as you seem to be interested in a lot of patio space.

 

[Markbnj]

I don't know. The advice I always got was to invest in quality of life, and don't plan on getting all the money back out when you sell.

 

[gorcorps]

There's zero way of knowing for sure. One would think that any money into a house means the value would increase, that's not necessarily true. There's no telling what buyers will be looking for.

The thing I've been told which makes a lot of sense to me is: once you start making decisions on your home based on what others may like (home value) then it's no longer your home. Do what you want to make it yours. Chances are if you want to do this overhaul to your backyard then somebody else might have the same thought, and your house would have a higher value to them.

 

[NutBucket]

Definitely what gocorps said. Assuming you aren't a slob or a hermit, one day when you go to sell someone will find value in what you have done. People make emotional connections and if a home looks inviting and well cared for the selling price will reflect it. Of course there are limits depending on how out of date the finishes when you decide to sell.

 

[DrPizza]

From what I understand, those kinds of improvements may increase the appeal, and increase the value, but you're not likely to get out of it anywhere what you put into it. It's more of a break-even or come out ahead proposition if you d-i-y; or at least do part of it yourself. (I personally put a lot of value in the satisfaction of doing such projects myself.) $2000 for lighting?! Egads!

I have no idea how big the area you're talking about is, seating, etc., and have seen some very elaborate patios. But for the sake of reference, this cost me under $1k to do myself:
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/DSCN4089.JPG

I can't imagine how elaborate it could have been for about 40 times as much money.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I recently had my home appraised and asked the appraiser various questions such as those posed in the OP. The answer to all of them was pretty much "it depends."

According to the appraiser their job is to assess what someone would pay for features of your property, relative to comparable features of comparable homes. That said I asked about various features and was given the following replies

New roof - increases saleability, but assessed home value stays same unless the roof is made of some unusual material (e.g., metal roof > assessed value than shingle roof)

New driveway - adds nothing to assessed value in most cases

New paint - adds nothing to value in most cases

Landscaping - basic landscaping adds nothing to assessed value. But high end landscaping can add quite a bit. Features like bushes, flowers, etc. generally get you nothing. But sprinkler system, high end retaining walls, stonework, can add value.

Basement remodel - Its all about finished square feet. Level of finishes do not play a huge role in assessed value. translation 900 sq foot finished dumpy basement will be assessed at ~ 75-100% of the same value as 900 square foot nicely remodeled space.

New windows - no affect on assessed value

Remodeled baths - moderate/high increase to assesed value (~50-80% of reno cost, depending on finish level)

Remodeled kitchen - moderate/high increase to assessed value (~50-90% of assessed value)

FWIW OP if you are planning on staying for a while you may not WANT the improvement to affect the assessed value. Because increased assessed value = increased taxes.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

From what I understand, those kinds of improvements may increase the appeal, and increase the value, but you're not likely to get out of it anywhere what you put into it. It's more of a break-even or come out ahead proposition if you d-i-y; or at least do part of it yourself. (I personally put a lot of value in the satisfaction of doing such projects myself.) $2000 for lighting?! Egads!

I have no idea how big the area you're talking about is, seating, etc., and have seen some very elaborate patios. But for the sake of reference, this cost me under $1k to do myself:
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/DSCN4089.JPG

I can't imagine how elaborate it could have been for about 40 times as much money.

Nice. Did you do the pergola yourself?

Also - some folks don't have the skill or the time to do projects like a patio. You clearly do. FWIW I'm guessing that the bulk of the 26k quoted in the op is going towards the retaining wall. I had a 1'Wx80'Lx3'H retaining wall quoted and the price was almost 30k. Needless to say we did not do it.

 

[NutBucket]

Diy is great but if you don't prep right for pavers it'll look like crap in a few years.

 

[shortylickens]

EVERYTHING you do increases the value of your home.

However, in a given neighborhood there is always a max value. You can only get so much for your house, so dont go crazy.

 

[WackyDan]

It will add appeal, perhaps will add some value. Generally I liked the houses that had a large enough patio space and that were well kept or well thought out. I wouldn't go putting in a $5000 pizza oven, but basic pavers installed properly can really make a difference. Even fresh concrete is good. We just doubled the size of our back yard patio last year and used concrete. Modest home in modest neighborhood. Pavers would have been overkill for where we live. Would have added appeal and sold the house faster, sure.

 

[purbeast0]

There's zero way of knowing for sure. One would think that any money into a house means the value would increase, that's not necessarily true. There's no telling what buyers will be looking for.

The thing I've been told which makes a lot of sense to me is: once you start making decisions on your home based on what others may like (home value) then it's no longer your home. Do what you want to make it yours. Chances are if you want to do this overhaul to your backyard then somebody else might have the same thought, and your house would have a higher value to them.

well i'm not making any decision based on what others may like. as i specifically said in the OP, we're doing what we want to do and i'm just curious.

my basement is a theater now too and i'm not sure how many people that would appeal too when/if we sold the house. i plan on putting a bar down there at some point as well, and some other renovations in our house, just based on what we want. none of it has to do with resale value, i'm just curious, as mentioned in the op.

 

[slugg]

Funny... I'm in the middle of a patio addition right now. Just poured the concrete.

 

[purbeast0]

Nice. Did you do the pergola yourself?

Also - some folks don't have the skill or the time to do projects like a patio. You clearly do. FWIW I'm guessing that the bulk of the 26k quoted in the op is going towards the retaining wall. I had a 1'Wx80'Lx3'H retaining wall quoted and the price was almost 30k. Needless to say we did not do it.

the wall would be about 1'x2'xlike 30' or something like that, as well as having a break in it with steps. also, the patio is a good sized, and we want some nice pavers. the lighting is expensive i guess partially because of the wiring and they have to install a transformer as well. but the lighting wasn't a must-do or anything, but looking at pics it sure was nice.

fwiw, these are the pavers we were looking at.

http://www.belgard.com/products/pavers/lafitt_grana_slab

and this is the wall style.

http://www.belgard.com/products/retaining_walls/belair_wall

i'm also sure a good amount of the estimate is in labor. i don't have the time or skill to do a job of this nature. my brother who actually did his own retaining wall at his previous home even said he would recommending having a professional do it and that if he was to do it again he'd pay a pro to do it. i might actually build a fence myself though to save on the cost of that and it sounds like something i could do myself.

i am also wondering how much money i could save if i demo'd my current cement patio myself and used someone's pickup truck to dump it.

 

[DrPizza]

Another consideration, since you have a cement patio, is to top coat it with stamped concrete. Concrete is heavy, and will scratch the heck out of the bed of a pickup (if it's a nice pickup, vs. someone's work truck).

Yikes on the cost of a retaining wall; didn't know they were that expensive to put in.

 

[mizzou]

Don't make it too complicated. A busy yard, even if cool, can be a turnoff

 

[NoTine42]

The impression I get from TV shows, people like "entertaining space". But if you go overboard, potential families with kids and/or dogs get turned off if there is not enough grass left to play on.

Otherwise, most landscaping is just curb appeal...which helps more with selling speed than price.

For demo... Typical pickup trucks can't hold that much weight in their beds, but they are be able to haul much more in a trailer.

 

[bbhaag]

What's the current appraisal on your home? Give us a little perspective. Where do you live, what are other homes in the area selling for, ect...That will give us a better idea if spending 26,000 on plants, cement bricks, and stone is worth it.

 

[lupi]

Only if you pave it with xbones.

 

[Anubis]

Another consideration, since you have a cement patio, is to top coat it with stamped concrete. Concrete is heavy, and will scratch the heck out of the bed of a pickup (if it's a nice pickup, vs. someone's work truck).

Yikes on the cost of a retaining wall; didn't know they were that expensive to put in.

yea retaining walls are no joke, they are not hard to do yourself but just a PITA

i also 2nd the stamped concrete. buddy of mind did it last year and it looks great

 

[soulcougher73]

Should, but probably not enough to offset what you put into it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

In 2011, I spent about $30K on my backyard. I had a concrete pad installed for a hot tub (and of course, I bought the hot tub), a roughly 1000 sq. ft paver patio built, some additional electrical work, and several trees and plants added into new landscaped areas. I'm not sure if it added to the house's value or not, but I think it was worth every penny. The old patio was just a brick paved wreck and this one is so much nicer and much more relaxing.

I think the effect on home value should be a secondary consideration. Ask yourself this -- will you get a lot of enjoyment out of it? How long do you think you'll live in that house? In my case, my wife and I intend to live here until we retire unless circumstances dictate otherwise. We're starting to think about adding a paved firepit in another area of the yard and that might happen next year.

i'm also sure a good amount of the estimate is in labor. i don't have the time or skill to do a job of this nature. my brother who actually did his own retaining wall at his previous home even said he would recommending having a professional do it and that if he was to do it again he'd pay a pro to do it. i might actually build a fence myself though to save on the cost of that and it sounds like something i could do myself.

My back yard was a pretty big project, and it took the pros about a week to do it IIRC. If I tried it myself, it would likely take a couple of months and involve lots of rental equipment and begging people to help me. It was worth every penny to have someone else do it and coordinate the project.

One thing I would recommend you to do, especially if you elect to do the lighting yourself. Have them install PVC channels underneath the patio so if you need to pass cable from one side of the patio to another, you can dig down to the channel on either side and just fish a cable through. That is one mistake I made -- they did put one electrical run in PVC under the patio, but I have a couple of isolate flower beds surrounded by the patio and I wish I would've had PVC channels run to them so I could easily add landscape lights to those areas.

i am also wondering how much money i could save if i demo'd my current cement patio myself and used someone's pickup truck to dump it.

Ask them to itemize the quote and break it down for you.

 

[nageov3t]

The impression I get from TV shows, people like "entertaining space". But if you go overboard, potential families with kids and/or dogs get turned off if there is not enough grass left to play on.

sounds like my parents' yard... I'd never buy their house because I'd have to completely gut their backyard to make it usable. between the patio, pool, hot tub, and flower beds, there's not a spare patch of grass to just throw a ball around with the dog.

 

[purbeast0]

In 2011, I spent about $30K on my backyard. I had a concrete pad installed for a hot tub (and of course, I bought the hot tub), a roughly 1000 sq. ft paver patio built, some additional electrical work, and several trees and plants added into new landscaped areas. I'm not sure if it added to the house's value or not, but I think it was worth every penny. The old patio was just a brick paved wreck and this one is so much nicer and much more relaxing.

I think the effect on home value should be a secondary consideration. Ask yourself this -- will you get a lot of enjoyment out of it? How long do you think you'll live in that house? In my case, my wife and I intend to live here until we retire unless circumstances dictate otherwise. We're starting to think about adding a paved firepit in another area of the yard and that might happen next year.



My back yard was a pretty big project, and it took the pros about a week to do it IIRC. If I tried it myself, it would likely take a couple of months and involve lots of rental equipment and begging people to help me. It was worth every penny to have someone else do it and coordinate the project.

One thing I would recommend you to do, especially if you elect to do the lighting yourself. Have them install PVC channels underneath the patio so if you need to pass cable from one side of the patio to another, you can dig down to the channel on either side and just fish a cable through. That is one mistake I made -- they did put one electrical run in PVC under the patio, but I have a couple of isolate flower beds surrounded by the patio and I wish I would've had PVC channels run to them so I could easily add landscape lights to those areas.

Ask them to itemize the quote and break it down for you.

as i've mentioned multiple times, i'm simply wondering and it has no bearing on us actually doing the work or not in our backyard.

the total time they estimated for the project was 2-3 weeks, if that gives any kind of thing perspective on the time/size it might be, based on yours taking 1 week.

also, the house was purchased for $419k in september 2012 (for the one who asked) and ours is on the upper end of the prices in our neighborhood. there is one that is for sale up the street that is asking $549 which i would love it to sell at that price, but i don't think it is going to sell at that price.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

as i've mentioned multiple times, i'm simply wondering and it has no bearing on us actually doing the work or not in our backyard.

the total time they estimated for the project was 2-3 weeks, if that gives any kind of thing perspective on the time/size it might be, based on yours taking 1 week.

How long do you intend to stay in the house?

I think mine was actually closer to 10 days now that I remember it, though it should've been done in 1 week. I love the patio though and it was worth it. The only things I would do differently would be 1) the PVC channels 2) probably an integrated firepit at one end. Home prices are starting to creep back up and while I don't think it will increase the value by $30K, I think it will increase it somewhat.