Outdoor spaces have been getting their moment in the spotlight for the past five years—and that trend has shown no signs of slowing. But backyard upgrades aren’t all created equal, and some of those projects are doomed to become a giant waste of money and valuable real estate.
So how do you ensure that you’re getting the biggest bang for the buck—and the most joy out of every inch of your yard? Think hard before you invest in one of these features that are most often a source of regret—and follow expert advice on what to think about before you commit to them.
Meet Our ExpertKids’ Play Equipment
Kids can outgrow even the most deluxe playsets. “Kids’ tastes are notoriously fickle,” says Kevin Lenhart, landscape architect and design director at Yardzen. It happens all the time that parents invest a ton in a fancy play feature, only to have it go ignored after a short while.”
His fix? Keep play features cheap and easily swapped out as kids grow and their tastes change. “I tend to favor playscapes that are low cost and adjustable. Simply having open space where different recreational features can be swapped in and out is often the best approach to designing playscapes.”
Pools, Hot Tubs, and Saunas
Landscaping projects that aren’t super flexible and have only one use—like saunas or pools—may be less attractive, especially if you have limited yard space. Be especially cautious about one-use items that can only be used seasonally, as you could wind up giving up a lot of real estate for something you’re only using for a few months of the year.
Related: Wellness Gardens Are Trending—Here’s How to Turn Your Yard Into a Peaceful Sanctuary
In-Ground Trampolines
Lenhart calls out in-ground trampolines in particular—and not just because they’re often cited as one of the more dangerous items in your yard. “It’s expensive, inflexible—and eventually you are left with a hole in the ground.”
Sports Courts
Planning for a pickleball court? Lenhart suggests you kick the tires on that one. “These features can cost a lot, and can take up a lot of space in a yard—and they are meant for a certain type of activity. It’s important to think what the opportunity cost of including that feature may be—it may be nice once a month to play pickleball at home, but is it worth covering a huge chunk of your yard every day with concrete to have that occasional game, or would you get more utility from filling the same area with a more flexible design feature that could accommodate a wider range of activities?”
Trendy Add-Ons
There always seems to be a new craze out there, and suddenly everyone’s popping pizza ovens, smokeless fire pits, or outdoor-ready TVs into their yards. But just as quickly, the trend can be over—and you may find yourself with something you don’t actually use. “Anything that rises to the peaks of popularity, particularly if it rises quickly, is likely to experience an equally rapid fall from favor,” Lenhart says. “This isn’t to say we should simply play it safe and be boring. But we should just pay attention to the trendiness of things, and engage with them with eyes wide open.”
He recommends going with budget-friendly options if you’re game to try a trend (i.e., buy a lower-priced pizza oven vs. investing in a high-end installed version)—unless you’re absolutely certain that you’ll keep using it long after your neighbors have moved on to the next big thing.
What to Think About Before You Dig Into a Landscaping Project
Understand the entire commitment—including maintenance
You may be focused on the installation costs, but many yard features—from a raised garden bed to a pool—require upkeep, which costs you time and money on a continuing basis, says Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angi. “It’s important to think about the initial cost, and the ongoing maintenance cost.”
Think about how much you’ll actually use the feature
If you’re someone who already has a Friday pizza night tradition in your family, an outdoor pizza oven is a no-brainer. But if you’re just picturing yourself hosting outdoor movie nights and big game parties after admiring someone else’s setup—without thinking about whether seasonal shifts in weather and perhaps the need to keep setting up the screen and speakers could mean you rarely use it—you may want to try a cheaper projector and a sheet as a screen until you’re sure you’ve picked a feature you really love.
“It’s fine to have features that can only be used in a single way—say a bocce ball court, or built-in pizza oven—but I only recommend installing those things if you really plan to use them regularly, or if even their occasional use would merit the cost and space they’d require,” Lenhart says.
Consider the return on investment
Obviously, no one has a crystal ball, but if you know that you’ll be selling the house in the not-so-distant future, some projects may not make as much sense as others. “General landscaping, patios, decks, and gardens are often a good investment to improve the value of your home,” Hicks says. “But bigger projects like pools, saunas, and more elaborate projects should really be projects that will benefit you and those living in your home—they can sometimes detract from the value of your home.”
Pause before you purchase
Especially if you’re looking at a big ticket item, Hicks says you shouldn’t rush into a commitment. “If it’s a project that you’ve been thinking about for years and have talked about at length, there is a good chance that you’ll use it often,” Hicks says. “If it’s an add on to a project at the last moment, you might not use it quite as much.”
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