How Much Value Can Hardscaping Add to My Home?
Hardscaping can add value to your home in several ways. Most hardscaping adds functionality that can enrich your personal experience at home. Some hardscaping features also increase buyer interest and could potentially increase your property value, which can be helpful should you decide to sell your home.
The question of “how much?” depends on several factors: the type of hardscaping feature, how the feature is designed and constructed, and your existing property (including your home and surrounding landscape).
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common hardscaping projects for homeowners, including patios, outdoor kitchens, walkways, fireplaces, and retaining walls, their expected cost recoveries, and factors that could influence a higher cost recovery.
Patios & Outdoor Kitchens
If you enjoy entertaining friends and family, patios and outdoor kitchens can be exceptional investments. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2023 Outdoor Impact Report, homeowners saw a 100% cost recovery on an outdoor kitchen and a 95% cost recovery on a new patio at resale.
One significant factor that influences ROI on these types of projects is the use of quality materials. However, your home’s location, age, and condition also make an impact.
In terms of material quality for patios, we recommend brick pavers. Brick patios are long-lasting, durable, and can withstand years of regular use.
One of the largest influences on ROI and cost recovery for outdoor kitchens is the overall design. You want to ensure the kitchen is designed for easy setup and clean up and uses materials that are easy to maintain but can resist fading in sunlight and damage from moisture exposure. You can visit our Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Kitchens blog for more planning and design details.
Walkways
Walkways protect your lawn from foot traffic, help improve safety for your family and guests, and add a dynamic aesthetic to your property. A well-installed walkway can offer an 80% to 100% cost recovery, but proper construction is essential for ensuring a long-term return on investment.
Soil can heave pavers out of place, while weeds can grow in the spaces between pavers. So, be sure the contractor you work with properly levels the soil and uses foundational materials like gravel, crushed stone, and landscaping fabric to improve drainage and prevent unwanted weeds.
Additionally, according to the same NAR report, homeowners who saw the best cost recovery for walkways used natural flagstone. Other factors that improved cost recovery were small landscape upgrades near the walkway, including flowering shrubs and landscaping bark.
Fireplaces
If you love sitting outside with friends and family, you need an outdoor fireplace. A fireplace can significantly extend your time outside and is extremely useful in the summer as it can help keep mosquitoes away. Fireplaces also create cozy, intimate spaces and can persuade you and your guests to be outside, even during cooler weather.
Although fireplaces have a lower ROI than walkways, patios, and outdoor kitchens, many homeowners can see up to a 56% cost recovery if the right materials are used. For the best value, we recommend gas fireplaces made from natural stone. This article provides more insight into other factors to consider before installing a fireplace.
Retaining Walls
If your property is inconveniently sloped or poorly graded, residential retaining walls can fix the problem. A retaining wall can be used to level your property or turn slopes into terraces. Retaining walls also transform an unusable yard into a fun space for gardening, entertaining, and more.
Depending on the problem that you’re trying to fix, a well-constructed retaining wall can offer 100% ROI or greater. However, the downside is that the retaining wall must be properly maintained. Like any hardscaping element, any degradation can result in depreciation over time, and retaining walls are more prone to soil movement and/or water pressure damage.
Additionally, retaining walls must hold a lot of weight, so proper drainage is essential for ensuring their long-term viability. Some retaining walls require input from both an engineer and a contractor. When hiring a contractor to handle this type of project, ask about their experience building retaining walls, check their references, and view photos of past projects.
Add Value to Your Home With Help From Design One
There’s no question that the right hardscaping feature can make a huge difference. In terms of cost recovery, the line between success and failure is significantly influenced by construction and the choices that you make when designing your feature. The best way to get the most out of your new hardscaping element is to work with an experienced professional like Design One.
We’ve provided landscape design services, including hardscaping installations, to homeowners throughout Southeast Michigan for over 30 years. Our experts can recommend materials, design, and other factors based on your location, environment, and the existing design of your home and surrounding landscape.
Please visit our online portfolio to view our work, or contact us today to request a free project estimate.
As a residential and commercial landscaping company in Michigan, we’re experienced in both property care and landscaping design. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Design One is great source of information when it comes to your Michigan lawn care needs! From preliminary design mapping, to irrigation and the types of plants you might want on your priority, we cover it all.
