Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Feb 25, 2015 6:12 pm After months of reading this forum for ideas this will be my first ever post! I'm currently building on a 270m2 lot in Dayton, WA. The backyard is approx 10m wide x 4m long (40m2) excluding the alfresco area. It's small, but it's what I was after in my first home (low maintenance, could become a good rental property when I upsize in 3-5years etc). I'm at war with myself over how to do the backyard. There appears to be 2 clear options: A) Go budget - ie brick pave the lot and don't add any special features. B) Spend some money and create an enjoyable space - ie raised garden beds and seats, a small pergola to extend the alfresco area a bit (and provide more space for a BBQ or maybe even a DIY pizza oven. My main concern is over-capatilising and not seeing a return on the dollars spent. It seems as though most people with small backyards tend to go for the cheaper/easier option and brick pave the whole backyard area. I personally have a pet hate against this as I feel like it creates a sterile/barren space that no one would ever choose to use. Based on the sale price of similar sized properties in the area I have worked out that I'd only have a budget of around $5thousand before I may be pushing the limits (though these houses have gone for Option (A) with paved back areas). Unfortunately, it's starting to look like creating a space that I would enjoy and love is unachievable if I'm not prepared to over-capitalise the property (I'm not). My ultimate question is: Do backyards add value to smaller properties or is no one interested in that small space out back that has the table and chairs? Re: Small backyards - Can they add value to a home? 2Feb 26, 2015 7:34 am Hi Simbo, Landscaping the forgot part of a house till you stand there looking at it thinking what is missing In regards to the value part its a hard question i can't really answer. I've always thought that there is no value added if the person buying it doesn't like it so i would suggest to keep your work simple that can appeal or be appreciated by most so it not a wasted exercise. Saying that things like pergolas and pizza ovens id say hold off on till you know you will be there for a good amount of time and that you will get your value out of them. No point putting in a $2000+ pizza oven if you'll use it twice and the person that buys your place hates it and want to pull it out. I'd look at low maintenance visually appealing garden bed (something that is easy to look after and doesn't die back to twigs in winter or gets smashed in the heat of summer) and if you think is a good idea and you want to mow it a small area of grass. I'm not sure what your suburb in WA is like but I've grown up with a backyard with grass and could live without it. If you turf there are some great threads on turf prep you should read if you haven't, i learnt a lot! put up a picture of the back yard but i'd say if your there for 5 years put a raised garden bed on one 4m side, a section of say 5x4m of grass and that leaves 4x4m for the pergola and BBQ area. Re: Small backyards - Can they add value to a home? 3Feb 26, 2015 7:36 am oh and personally id love a pizza oven as i cook a lot put honestly i know id only use it 4-6 times a year and then expense to me is better used elsewhere unless someone wants to buy me one.......... Re: Small backyards - Can they add value to a home? 4Feb 28, 2015 5:51 pm Thanks for the comments mb21. I'm definitely going for low maintenance. I'm leaning towards not turfing anywhere just to avoid the mowing. I think you're probably right about the pizza oven. I don't plan on being in this place for more than 5 years. No pics of the backyard as yet (house still under construction) but my rough plan is this: Hopefully this works.. this is the first picture I've tried to upload! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Small backyards - Can they add value to a home? 5Feb 28, 2015 9:22 pm As a general rule of thumb landscaping spend should be about 10-20% of the property's value. Lower spend on cheaper properties higher on higher. This rough guide is if you used a contractor to do the lot.. Stick to that range and you won't over capitalise. The last home I lived in didn't have a pool and when i went to sell it the agents were not happy, even telling me to put one in to sell the place. The agents weren't happy… 2 4164 go upvc window frames ensure insulation under colorbond. not just sarking, lighter color roof also not sure if you have seen this viewtopic.php?t=5823 last couple of pages… 4 110222 Ask the council if there is a chance of getting build over easement exemption. Sometimes easements are unused and 24cm is not all that much. Good luck. And yes any builder… 2 13723 |