Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,
we have a .25 acre lot where our 3k sqft house sits on. our backyard is decent size, fenced in and plenty of fruit trees. The corner of our backyard has a firepit, and sort of a patio area, closed in via pavers on the edges, done by a company about 4 years ago.
I have an estimate from a contractor to put pavers around a big tree we have, and connect it via a step to the existing corner area i mentioned. the area will be about 1050 sq. ft. and he will put pavers in the whole area, including a firepit.
Our house is paid off, with no other expense, and we've lived here for about 6 years.....we don't have an immediate plan to sell and move, but with 2 small kids, and another on the way, our 4 bedroom house might feel crammed soon.
Any thoughts and ideas?
Not a chance. Upgrading before selling you only get back 40% to 80% of the money put in because the new buyers may not want exactly what you wanted. They won't be willing to pay full price for it.
If you're even remotely considering moving, it would be unwise to sink the money into this endeavor.
You can get VTI instead if you need something to spend your money on. (Vanguard Total Stock Market Index ETF)
I practice what I preach. I'm investing a substantial portion of my income in VTI. Wish I had the money to do it earlier, when the market was lower, but attempting to time the market is a dangerous game with far more failures than winners.
PS. If you think of it as spending 100% of the money and only expecting to get 50% of it back, then if you still want to spend the money on the yard, it is your call by all accounts.
Our house has a wooden deck right outside our kitchen door. Makes entertaining in the summer really enjoyable With plenty of room for 15-20 people to enjoy a BBQ and the beautiful views of the mountains. When we bought the house, there was a huge tree growing out of it. Birds loved it and made a sh*tty mess all over it. Before closing, we got turned down by 3 ins. companies largely because of the fire hazard that tree (as well as others) presented to the home.
We finally found a company that would insure us providing we cut down that tree as well as a few others. We did so (and then fixed the hole in the deck by replacing four boards). We like it much better now! It's already quite large, but we intend to expand upon it by making it a full wrap-around.
It looks like the area you currently have your patio, would make a great spot for a swing set (in which case I think I'd lay sod). I'ts hard to tell though without seeing your property in full. I does look pretty though in your pictures!
Another thought you could look into would be to have concrete poured. I've seen it done and they can put some really nice looking finishes on it to give it a "decorator" look. Easy to clean... just sweep it or hose it. I think it would be much cheaper than pavers (and easier to maintain).
Seeing pictures wold help, also do you frequently entertain with large groups of people out there? If the answer is yes then I would say go for the larger patio, but not around the tree. We have a deck around a very large tree and once upon a time the hole was big enough to accommodate a growing tree but now it's buckling the deck.
I can just about guarantee the tree isn't 100' tall with that size bole. 50' to 70' would be an expected size. FWIW, because of wind concerns and small lot size, I might cut that tree and plant something more in scale and far enough away from the house that it couldn't damage it if it fell.
What most people don't understand is that most roots are near the surface, breathe and cannot be covered over, sunken or heavily mulched without stressing or killing the tree. The tap root is only one part of the root system.
Sorry, but I would NEVER cut down a mature tree of even half that size unless it was an immediate danger. A tree that like is very valuable and doesn't grow up over night. You have insight into the root system of a tree but are so quick to cut it down to "save" a house that might never be damaged.
And bragging about how overpriced your area is does not help the OP at all. And this is coming from someone who also lives in an overpriced area.
OP, as you know, it's all relative.
What we need is a diagram of your backyard and house. The photos help tremendously because they tell me two things: 1) That is not a 100-year-old tree, and 2) You could improve that area for much less than $11K.
I agree that to make an entertaining space truly valuable, it needs to be right out the back door. What is happening there, next to the house?
:-)
I understand.
You're also more than likely right on the age of the tree. my estimate was off the cuff answering quickly to answer someone's question.
Anyway, what do you think I can do with the space for less than the 11k, as you mentioned?
I have a 15x19 deck as I come out of the house br 8. It's a new deck and I have a 6 person table and a grill that fit nicely there.
One of the main reasons that I started to think about the patio in the corner is usability of the space. Another is the fact that cleaning the leaves is very difficult when the leaves are on the mulch area.
Anyway, alternative suggestions to the patio idea is appreciated.
Hi,
we have a .25 acre lot where our 3k sqft house sits on. our backyard is decent size, fenced in and plenty of fruit trees. The corner of our backyard has a firepit, and sort of a patio area, closed in via pavers on the edges, done by a company about 4 years ago.
I have an estimate from a contractor to put pavers around a big tree we have, and connect it via a step to the existing corner area i mentioned. the area will be about 1050 sq. ft. and he will put pavers in the whole area, including a firepit.
Our house is paid off, with no other expense, and we've lived here for about 6 years.....we don't have an immediate plan to sell and move, but with 2 small kids, and another on the way, our 4 bedroom house might feel crammed soon.
Any thoughts and ideas?
You will never recover the $11K in a sale of the house. Is there any way that you could do the work yourself?
Is it the ONLY shady area in your yard? Is that why you want to do something there?
I honestly would remove the mulch and rocks, let it go natural and plant shade-loving flowering shrubs and plants there. I would spend the $$ on something to provide shade on the deck.
You will never recover the $11K in a sale of the house. Is there any way that you could do the work yourself?
I don't think i could do the work myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life
Is it the ONLY shady area in your yard? Is that why you want to do something there?
I honestly would remove the mulch and rocks, let it go natural and plant shade-loving flowering shrubs and plants there. I would spend the $$ on something to provide shade on the deck.
Yes, it is the only shady area in my yard. i want to do the patio because 1. it'll be more usable 2. it'll be easier to clean leaves and other debris from
it used to be a grass area when i first moved in, but it would look nasty mid summer with the intense heat and the grass drying.
too large for too small a property?
From the initial description of .25 lot and 3,000 sq ft house... already seems to me there isnt much left of the lot. Adding a 1000+ sq ft patio seems like it would be tight, without even seeing a pic.
Will you need a zoning variance for that much surface coverage? Percent of exposed lot remaining is usually covered.
Return on investment
Not everything we spend is based on "will I get my money back". there is a value in enjoying it for years even if you get nothing back. Heck, 1/2 the country lost way more than $11k in the real estate downturn. If you think your family will enjoy the patio and make lasting memories, then go ahead and do it. (I compare it to a vacation... spend $7,000 on a trip to Disney, and after the week is done what tangible thing remains.. just memories.)
Paying someone
Seems like a fair price for that size of a patio. Someoen commented that "why not do it yourself", but you commented the house is paid for so I assume there is enough money in the budget to cover it easily.
House costs
In Southern New Jersey, still very close to Philadelphia... 500k can get an oversized 4,000+ sq ft house on large multiple acre lot. In fact, would probably be the envy of friends.
But I get the other commenters point that having pics and details helps people to provide adequate feedback
anyway.. my first point is the main feedback... seems like a small yard for 1000 sq ft of patio
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
my estimate was off the cuff answering quickly to answer someone's question.
