Does a pool increase home value? Does professional landscaping add value to your home? What about other outdoor upgrades, like a fire pit or a deck?
If you’re considering leveling up your backyard, these questions have most likely crossed your mind. After all, additions like luxury pools, fire features and whirlpools are a big investment — so it’s important to investigate the kind of ROI you can expect from them.
Brothers Grimm has been beautifying backyards in Northeast Ohio for nearly 30 years. We’ve worked on projects big and small, and we love helping families get maximum enjoyment out of their outdoor living spaces. We’re also proud to help homeowners make the best decisions about improving the long-term worth and usefulness of their property.
We dug into our collective experience to answer these questions and help you find ways to increase your home value while also amping up the everyday experience of your alfresco areas. Read on for our insight into the benefits of investing in the real estate you own, the types of backyard upgrades that can increase home value the most — and which ones you’re better off skipping.
Why Should You Invest in Your Property?
A home is an investment in your family’s future — it’s often one of the most expensive purchases we’ll make in our lifetimes! And most homes tend to increase in value over time, which makes your home a valuable asset that can be passed onto the next generation.
Whether you’re buying your first home, trying to sell a home you’ve outgrown or living in the home you’ve loved for years, cost-effective ways to increase home value can help make sure that investment continues to grow and stays protected from outside market forces.
But it’s not only about recouping money if or when you sell your home — investing in improvements like an inground pool or outdoor living area can greatly increase the everyday comfort and pleasure your family enjoys at home. This is where some of your family’s most important moments happen, from baby’s first steps to game nights to engagement announcements and retirement planning.
When you invest in upgrades to your property with trusted and experienced contractors like the Brothers Grimm, you can be sure it’s worth it — today, tomorrow and years from now.
Exterior Ways to Increase Home Value
Each of the backyard upgrade projects we’ve completed tells a story. They’re love stories about a family and a property they know has potential. The obstacle keeping their love from blossoming is typically a lack of knowledge about the types of projects that can not only make life more fun but also increase home value.
As experienced matchmakers of the property upgrade variety, we like to introduce homeowners to our two favorite categories of outdoor improvements: outdoor living spaces and landscaping, and luxury pools and water features. Let’s dive into these ideas for upping home value while creating your personalized happy-ever-after retreat!
Landscaping and Outdoor Living Spaces
How does landscaping affect home value? It can make a great first impression on potential buyers, and it can help offset heating and cooling costs over the long term. Outdoor living spaces also lend themselves to better curb appeal while amplifying the total square footage of your property that’s useful.
Natural Backyard Privacy
It’s difficult to fully relax in your backyard if your neighbors have a direct sightline into the space. It’s also hard to enjoy a beautiful summer day when the roar of a nearby expressway or the bark of a neighbor’s dog constantly interrupts the peace. Finding creative ways to design backyard seclusion with landscaping, fencing and other options frees your family to embrace the warm weather without worries about security or privacy — and the value of that freedom is incalculable!
Outdoor Kitchen
Al fresco entertaining is one of the singular joys of summer. But missing out on the fun while you’re stuck in the kitchen prepping food is a drag, not to mention the perils of transporting trays of food and drinks through your home to the deck or patio. One of our favorite features to upgrade your backyard entertainment — that will also increase your home value — is an outdoor kitchen. It can be as simple as a covered area with a fully functioning sink near the grill or as elaborate as a stone-clad pizza oven with prep areas and built-in ambient heaters for season-spanning soirees.
Fire Features
We have a primordial fascination with fire. Adding a fire pit, fire table or outdoor fireplace to your backyard is one of the best ways to increase home value while amping up a sense of drama. Fire pits create a cozy gathering spot in larger backyards, and a stone or brick fireplace transforms a covered deck into a sumptuous al fresco living room. For smaller spaces like patios, a fire table delivers all the spectacle in a freestanding, self-contained piece of elegant furniture.
Deck or Patio
A manicured lawn looks lovely, and professional landscaping adds value to a property — but you can’t fully welcome outdoor living without a deck or patio. The Brothers Grimm can help situate these structures so that your family will get the easiest access, best views and most enjoyment from them. You’ll also get increased home value for the additional usable space!
Retaining Walls
If your property includes steep grades among the landscaping, add value to your home with retaining walls that are as durable as they are beautiful. These unsung heroes of challenging terrain can be a game-changer for extreme slopes, transforming awkward areas into useful garden beds that can really increase your home value. Pair them with landscaping around an inground pool or create tiers of greenery all around your house for a lush, luxe effect.
Outdoor Lighting
Nothing elevates outdoor entertaining like effective, stylish lighting. Plus, outdoor lights can deter trespassers, making your entire property safer. You need illumination that’s bright enough to highlight walkways and increase pool safety but soft enough to create a cozy, welcoming vibe. Whether you opt for string lights, pathway lighting around hardscapes or upward-facing spotlights embedded in the landscaping that wash over your home’s exterior walls, you’ll get more out of your property now and later with carefully chosen outdoor lights.
Professional Landscape Maintenance
Landscaping does add value to a home — but only if it’s taken care of properly. If the shrubs, trees and plants around your home are ravaged by drought or overgrown from neglect, they can actually turn off prospective buyers and make your house appear cheaper than it is. Get the best of both worlds — landscaping that increases home value and free time to enjoy your evenings and weekends — by investing in professional lawn and landscape maintenance. From spring mulching to summer mowing to fall cleanup, the pros at Brothers Grimm put in the sweat equity that keeps your property healthy and looking gorgeous.
Pools and Spas
A luxurious pool or at-home spa can truly transform your backyard. But how much does a pool increase home value? Most experts put the added worth of a home with an inground at about 7 percent of its overall value, which can mean thousands of dollars when it comes time to list. Plus, the popularity of home spas shot up during the pandemic lockdown and shows no signs of leveling off anytime soon. Brothers Grimm pool and spa services can help increase your home value and level up your family’s health, well-being and joyfulness, all at once!
Inground Pool
When is a swimming pool more than just a hole in the ground? When it’s surrounded by thoughtfully designed walkways, hardscapes and landscaping! The pros at Brothers Grimm are incredibly knowledgeable about the various types of inground pools to consider for customizing your backyard oasis. We’ll help you make the most of it by designing a shape that fits your property, building the stairs and ramps that facilitate safe access and even guiding you through unique options like custom tiling and stone finishes.
Water Features
Picture yourself relaxing in your luxuriously landscaped backyard with the soothing sounds of rushing water washing away all your worries. Waterfalls might be our favorite of the luxury pool amenities to consider for increasing your home’s value. Customize yours for the timelessly natural look of a cataract gushing forth from rugged landscaping or go for a more contemporary water curtain that spills from a sleek modern fixture.
Whirlpools and Hot Tubs
The soothing embrace of jetted water is the antidote to a stressful modern life. Enjoy the year-round luxury of an at-home spa experience by adding a hot tub or whirlpool to your alfresco space. Whether you pair it with an inground pool or simply surround it with landscaping designed for privacy, you’ll find that a whirlpool is one of the most relaxing ways to increase home value while simultaneously improving your everyday experience.
Increase Your Home Value With Brother’s Grimm
Ready to dive into the Brothers Grimm services that can increase your home value while making the most of every inch of your property? Contact us today to start leveling up your home’s value by bringing your vision of a luxurious backyard oasis to life!
