Playing catch with dad, splashing, playing, and swimming in the pool, water fights, tug of war battles, scavenger hunts, and camping out at night gazing at the stars — these are the happy memories of a suburban childhood, and they all happened right in the backyard.
The backyard is an American icon, and it is symbolic of the suburban lifestyle. We associate happiness, security, and comfort with our backyard. It is a place to entertain friends and family. It is where kids can play. Most of all, it is a place of peace and quiet where we can find solitude and escape the pressures of the outside world.
Because of its significance to the family-oriented suburban lifestyle, the backyard is linked with notions of fashion. It even translates to a person’s financial standing. In fact, a backyard with a high level of functionality and pleasing aesthetics will raise the value of a house.
In this article, you will find some helpful and inexpensive tips on how to improve your backyard. By following these tips, not only will you create a functional and aesthetically pleasing area for yourself and your family, but you will also create the perfect entertainment area and increase the value of your home.
First, some statistics
The improvement of the backyard, when measured statistically, is seen as part of the home improvement market. For instance, American expenditure on home improvements in 2017 amounted to $424 billion. Then, from 2017 to 2019, Americans undertook 115 million home improvement projects. In that same time frame, the average spending per project increased from $1,350 to $1,500. By the final quarter of 2019, the expenditure on remodeling projects in American homes amounted to $328 billion. Within six months, from March 2020 to August 2020, the number of home-owner do-it-yourself (DIY) projects increased by 61%.
Home improvement tips
Here are some improvement ideas that may come in handy.
Build an entertainment area
The key element to any backyard improvement is the construction of an entertainment area. This area will usually be based around a deck or patio. The patio provides the perfect venue for entertainment because it utilizes the advantages of being outside and at the same time offers the functional advantages of being inside.
No matter what material you choose to use, be it concrete, bricks, wood, or composite wood panels, building a patio provides you with the perfect entertainment area for you and your guests. As a bonus, it increases the appeal of your home.
Grow a garden
Growing a garden in your backyard has many benefits. First, many therapeutic benefits come from digging in the dirt, starting seeds, and watching them grow. There is something very relaxing about gardening, and there is definitely a sense of achievement when you see your plants getting taller by the day.
Growing a garden also allows you to produce your own vegetables, saving you time and effort from purchasing them from the store. Of course, having those greens in your garden makes your backyard look livelier.
Build a playground
The backyard is a place for the whole family to enjoy, so why not build a playground for the kids to play in? A playground will provide your kids with years of enjoyment, and it plays an important role in their social, physical, and mental development.
Playgrounds can vary from something as simple as a sandbox to an extensive set of swings, slides, and a seesaw. Regardless of what you decide to add, a playground is a great addition to your backyard.
Enclose the yard with a fence
Enclosing your yard with a fence can have many advantages. A fence increases privacy, safety, and security because it keeps people both in and out. A fence provides protection and marks boundaries.
When it comes to building fences, the design and actual material used are important factors you need to consider. The building material used will influence the fences’ durability, aesthetic appeal, cost, and level of required maintenance. Traditionally, fences have been made from wood, stone, or metal. However, in recent years, people have sought sustainable alternatives to traditional fences, allowing these new types of fences to dominate the market.
Newer types of fences have a number of advantages over traditional fences. For example, the composite fences offered by Trex are made from recycled materials. These alternative types are cheaper to produce, more durable, and add more value to your home.
These are just a few of the simple techniques that people can use to improve their backyard. These additions will provide many hours of enjoyment for your family, create the perfect area for entertainment, and definitely increase the value of your property.