An Entertainer’s Dream: Top Backyard Upgrades Your Summer Guests Will Eat Up

Hello everyone! I hope you’re doing great out there! I am working on a new article that I will share next week. Kelsey Luvisa from HomeLight wrote a cool article for the Cleveland Appraisal Blog on a hot topic in real estate, namely, backyard entertaining. I hope you enjoy their article and the warmer weather!

An Entertainer’s Dream: Top Backyard Upgrades Your Summer Guests Will Eat Up

If a backyard swimming pool is high on your home upgrade wish list — not only to increase your home’s staycation vibes, but also its value, you are not alone. In fact, adding an inground pool is said to increase the value of a home by an average of 69 percent, according to a recent report from the top real estate experts at HomeLight, making pools a popular trend for 2021. But a pool isn’t the only backyard addition to consider to take your outdoor entertaining to the next level. Here are some other ideas to keep in mind as the temperature starts to rise:

What about that swimming pool?

A pool has always been a desirable feature of a home, and now — when home entertaining is more prevalent due to Covid-19 — pools are on people’s minds. Agents estimate that prior to Covid-19, home appraisal estimates reported that a house with a pool brought in $16,137 more than a house without one at sale time. However, in spring 2021, a house with a pool is said to sell for an estimated $27,199 more on average, as the same report from HomeLight revealed. Other desirable add-ons around the pool are a fence, for safety, -and a pool deck to create space for lounge chairs or tables — these additions will ensure optimum comfort for your family and your guests.

Make it cozy

As we head into summer and pleasant weather lasts into the evening, one feature that can keep the party going is a fire pit. This versatile source of backyard ambiance became a trend across the United States several months ago as people spent more time at home and were looking for more options for outdoor entertaining. You don’t have to spend a fortune to add this feature, since fire pits come in many different styles to fit a variety of budgets. Some are permanent backyard additions, sunken into the ground, or built into a side wall or recessed table. There are also portable fire pits that sit anywhere and can be moved around your yard, and taken indoors when not in use — this can be an ideal solution if you live in a climate with harsh winters where you might want to store your fire pit for several months, or if you are moving soon and might want to take your fire pit with you to your new property. Either way, you’ll be ready for roasting marshmallows, campfire songs, and more.

Take comfort up a notch

The more comfortable your guests are, the more likely you’ll keep the party going. This means replacing standard patio chairs with furniture that’s similar to what you’d find in a living room, or a resort. You can slip into true relaxation mode with a hammock — either with a stand (meaning you don’t need to hang it), or using pillars or trees (which might be harder to come by, depending on the layout of your space). Like that portable fire pit, the benefit of a freestanding hammock is that you can move it around and store it in cooler months when not in use, and more easily take it with you wherever you move. You can also rethink the layout of your outdoor furniture, with weather resistant couches, lounge chairs, and even pillows — but be sure that whatever you pick can easily be protected from the elements, especially during summer rain storms.

A few upgrades can take your backyard from an empty outdoor space to a full-on outdoor entertainment room, getting your ready for summer guests.

Photos from Upsplash

A big thank you to Kelsey Luvisa from HomeLight for writing this post for the Cleveland Appraisal Blog!

As a real estate appraiser, I can verify that in many cases, in-ground pools do add value to a home. However, the percentage depends on a lot of different factors, so I cannot endorse the figures in this article. I should also clarify that the 69% increase in the value that a pool adds, as referenced in the survey that this article refers to, is not to the total value of a home. It’s a 69% increase in the contributory value a pool adds to home. So, if an inground pool added $15,000 to a home several years ago, the survey reflects that now the contributory value is around $25,000.

The pandemic has certainly made pools, and other exterior amenities more popular than ever! A trend that I think will continue.