Patios, Arbors, Outdoor Kitchens - worth the $$? (Allen, Howe: houses, neighborhood)

[canuckmom]

Does $9,000 sound like a lot for a patio extension with arbor -

* approx. 400 sq. ft. of stamped concrete $3600
* approx. 220 sq. ft of cedar arbor, 2" slats, 1 post $4200
* electrical work - lighting, ceiling fan wiring $ 600
TOTAL $8400 plus permits, misc.

A built in grill space, cooler and space for mini-fridge is an additional $6000. So, we decided not to go ahead with the kitchen at this point.

BTW, There is absolutely nothing over the top or fancy about this job. No decorative finishing, everything is rectangular, the ground is pretty level. Contractor said work could be done in 2 days - then come back to finish staining.

Company has done a lot of work in my neighborhood, some of it is amazing with fireplaces, and stone benches and planter boxes, full covered patios, flat screen TV''s etc...they have a stellar reputation - work is very good. No concerns on quality.

But is this a "resaonable" price?

Is there a good return on this type of investment?

Comments, input, advice welcome.

[ETex2]

As a monetary investment, like a swimming pool, most and probably all of those items you mentioned are not worth it. If you're lucky, the market MIGHT pay you 20%-50% of what you paid to have it done. As an investment in lifestyle, it's only worth it if you get that much enjoyment out of it. You can't put a price on happiness and so if you can afford it and it makes you happy, do it.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

As a buyer of your property down the line, it would definitely put it on my short list ovr other houses equally nice but w/o the patio area. Depends on what you want - to stay forever and enjoy, to stay and enjoy and re-sell, or just to re-sell.

[nsumner]

Outdoor kitchens with a fireplace etc. are getting more popular and expected more in homes in a certain price range such as 500K and above.

I think it would put you above the competition when it's time to sell.

However, I think you can get more for your money for what this guy is offering at 9K.

Naima

[canuckmom]

Originally Posted by nsumner

Outdoor kitchens with a fireplace etc. are getting more popular and expected more in homes in a certain price range such as 500K and above.

I think it would put you above the competition when it's time to sell.

However, I think you can get more for your money for what this guy is offering at 9K.

Naima

Naima,

That what I was thinking.

I am not looking at this just as an investment - we love to grill and hang out on the patio - an arbor/ceiling fan will help us with some of the summer heat, and our current concrete area is so small - we cant even fit a table with 4 chairs.

I am in Star Creek in Allen - I'd say about 25% of the homes here have either pools, extended patios, fireplaces, arbors, outdoor kitchens etc....our little patio project pales in comparison to what some of our neighbors have built.

But my husband thinks we are being over charged for what we are receiving So I guess I'll get a few more quotes. Thx.

[momof2dfw]

Hmm, I am not sure if that is too much or not. We are building as well but not an outdoor kitchen (I wish - I get what I want next). Finding someone you can TRUST and does GREAT work is the hard part. Going with the lowest bid is not always the best bet and can wind up costing you more in the end. That is the tricky part.


As others have said, after a certain price point this is EXPECTED and it can push your house over the edge to be sold first over those without such amenities.

[Grainraiser]

9k for that work sounds a bit much to me. Get two more estimates and take the middle figure. I built a deck with a arbor and a outdoor kitchen and I love it. During the spring and early summer we spend all of our time out there. Breakfast is always served outside on the weekend when the weather allows. I never considered resell because of the enjoyment factor for me and my family. I would never hurt to get a couple of more quotes before making your decision.

[needsomeinfo]

our builder charged $20k for a covered outdoor patio/kitchen with a built in grill, fireplace, fan, pot lights, flagstone floor, etc. I'm sure they built it for much less. the arobr and electrical in your quote sound about right. the concrete seems pricey to me.

as others said, it is only worth it if you enjoy it. I doubt you will get back all your $$ at resale, but it would help your house stand out and sell faster.

[loves2read]

I don't think the patio is so far out of line...that is about a 20x20 patio--they will have to pour in two sections probably with some type of expansion joint--they will have to give it a good foundation which will probably mean digging out/grading the area
just make sure they DO pour cement on same day from same mix or it will come out two different colors--
my friend has patio about that large--it is cool deck--not stamped concrete--was done in two sections a day apart because they exlarged the original plan after they saw how NOT having patio in certain section would be much more of a problem than increased expense of the larger concrete/cool deck...they told them it would dry to same color because they mixed the same proportions--wrong--
it was different shade--she finally put down outdoor carpeting because it bothered her so much...

so make sure that ALL your concrete comes from the same mixer/truck pour and goes down at the same time...

are you having it stained and stamped--staining is not that simple to get a good look--make sure they put down some rock salt on top or do something to add some rough texture so the surface is not too slippery...

the cedar is what is expensive to me--why can't they pre-fab most of that before they get to the yard and then assemble it--should go really quickly if all they are using is lathe and some basica framing

what are they hanging the ceiling fan on--is it outdoor weather approved?
are they treating/staining the cedar prior to assembly or painting afterwards?
are they using staples or nails--galvanized or not

how tall it is going to be--what are they doing to your gutters or exterior of home
if there is only one post it must be attached to house in some fashion--

what about drainage
are you getting french drains to help take water away from patio area--did they even mention drainage

[canuckmom]

Originally Posted by loves2read

I don't think the patio is so far out of line...that is about a 20x20 patio--they will have to pour in two sections probably with some type of expansion joint--they will have to give it a good foundation which will probably mean digging out/grading the area
just make sure they DO pour cement on same day from same mix or it will come out two different colors--
my friend has patio about that large--it is cool deck--not stamped concrete--was done in two sections a day apart because they exlarged the original plan after they saw how NOT having patio in certain section would be much more of a problem than increased expense of the larger concrete/cool deck...they told them it would dry to same color because they mixed the same proportions--wrong--
it was different shade--she finally put down outdoor carpeting because it bothered her so much...

so make sure that ALL your concrete comes from the same mixer/truck pour and goes down at the same time...

are you having it stained and stamped--staining is not that simple to get a good look--make sure they put down some rock salt on top or do something to add some rough texture so the surface is not too slippery...

the cedar is what is expensive to me--why can't they pre-fab most of that before they get to the yard and then assemble it--should go really quickly if all they are using is lathe and some basica framing

what are they hanging the ceiling fan on--is it outdoor weather approved?
are they treating/staining the cedar prior to assembly or painting afterwards?
are they using staples or nails--galvanized or not

how tall it is going to be--what are they doing to your gutters or exterior of home
if there is only one post it must be attached to house in some fashion--

what about drainage
are you getting french drains to help take water away from patio area--did they even mention drainage

Thanks for the input....these are some good questions to ask. I definitely need to ask about drainage.

I did get another quote which was almost the exact same price - except arbor was cheaper, concrete was more expensive - go figure

Now I am wondering if I shouldn't "cover" some of the patio,
so I can use patio area when its raining (now that it is raining)!