Need ideas and help deciding how to upgrade your patio? Knowing which DIY projects can help increase your patio’s appeal and comfort will make your patio an irresistible destination.
domestic-construction.com gathered the following information and tips on several easy and inexpensive DIY patio upgrade ideas.
1. Install a Garden
Well-placed, blooming mixed planters and pots add ambiance and style to your patio. Flowers, herbs, and plants will help make the space feel homier, smell delightful, and attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Take your gardening skills to the patio with custom containers, boxes, and raised beds. Hanging plants like fern, verbena, and begonia are particularly beautiful when in bloom and overflowing from their containers.
Note: Container gardening can be a solution for those who can’t have a traditional garden planted in the ground. It provides:
- A flexible planting site.
- Freedom from poor soil.
- The ability to move plants around with the seasons.
Tip: Some plants, like citronella grass, marigolds, basil, and rosemary, are known to efficiently repel mosquitoes.
2. Upgrade Patio Shade
Build a pergola, hang your plants from it, and place your patio furniture underneath it to get relief from the sun. A fabric pergola cover can provide extra protection for those overly sensitive to sunlight. A less expensive solution is to seek shade under a patio umbrella, patio awning, or an easily installed shade sail.
Tip: A long-term solution is to plant a tree near the patio to provide natural shade as it matures.
3. Install Patio Lighting
Add atmosphere to your patio with custom LED, strip, string, or hanging lighting. Add landscape lighting to trees, sidewalks, steps, or your pool to enhance your patio experience.
Tip: Hire an electrician to professionally run electrical wiring where needed for your lighting installations.
4. Install Storage Space
Storage is crucial for entertaining supplies, accessories, equipment, and tools for yard maintenance. People tend to purchase accessories and equipment that take up more storage space than is typically available, making a supplemental storage unit highly useful.
5. Plant a Privacy Screen
You should plant privacy trees far enough apart so that they can reach maturity without overgrowing each other. Spacing your trees is determined by the trees’ mature crown width, and this spacing also prevents crowding your trees’ root systems. You can achieve this by measuring your trees’ centers 24 inches to 36 inches apart when planting (depending on the species). Popular tree species for privacy screens include:
- Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
- Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata)
- Leyland cypress (Cupressus)
- American Holly (Ilex opaca)
- Hollywood Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
- Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
Tip: Mulching around your trees is a must. Use the same mulch type and color throughout your landscape to create a unified aesthetic.
6. Upgrade Patio Furniture
Make your patio a space where you want to relax on comfortable and stylish patio furniture. Make sure there’s enough seating for everyone, and add outdoor pillows for enhanced comfort.
7. Install Wireless Speakers
Whether you want to listen to some smooth jazz, the game, catch up on a podcast, or get the day’s breaking news, wireless speakers can bring your favorite soundscape to your patio without tripping over any wires. Many wireless speakers work with Bluetooth and can be synched with most mobile devices for the ultimate patio convenience.
8. Install a Fire Pit
A fire pit is a classic patio upgrade. It extends the useful life of the patio during cooler weather. It is perfect for gathering loved ones around a cozy evening setting. Building a fire pit yourself is a highly satisfying and fun project.
9. Install a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
An outdoor pizza oven brings freshly cooked cuisine to the patio without leaving grease and smoke stains on your kitchen walls. A wood-fired pizza oven looks great on or near a patio and pairs well with a grill to handle your most delicious and smokiest meal preparations.
10. Install a Gas Grill
Stop worrying about running out of charcoal or propane. Run a natural gas line to your outdoor grill and solve your grilling needs. An outdoor gas line allows you to grill “on demand” and eliminates any low-fuel worries.
Tip: Hire a licensed professional gas fitter, pipe fitter, or natural gas plumber to run the gas line.
11. Install and Stock an Outdoor Bar
Extend your living space without overspending your budget. Consider installing an outdoor television to take your game-watching outdoors, and add a built-in mini refrigerator or cooler for the perfect outdoor bar.
Bonus: Install a Water Feature
Whether you want a fountain, waterfall, birdbath, or koi pond, installing a water feature requires a water source, an electric (or battery-operated) pump, some waterproofing, and a water collection/reclaiming and filtering system. You can hire a professional but installation is often easier than expected.
Tip: A plumber and/or electrician may be required for more elaborate water feature installations.
Will Upgrading My Patio Increase My Home’s Value?
Yes. Adding a covered patio or upgrading an existing one adds value to your home. However, like any upgrade, it’s crucial to remember that high-end, extravagant upgrades won’t increase the home’s value any more than economical, more useful upgrades.
Note: A well-executed patio upgrade can increase a home’s value by 8 to 10%.
Patio Upgrades
In this article, you discovered easy and affordable ways to upgrade your patio, increasing its appeal, practicality, and comfort.
Upgrading your patio will help you, your loved ones, and guests spend more time in touch with the outdoors without the challenges of extreme temperatures or a lack of activities.
Failing to enhance your patio can not only make your time outdoors uncomfortable, but hurt your resale value and aesthetic potential.
Sources:
extension.psu.edu/using-trees-and-shrubs-for-privacy-and-wind-screening
fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/sites/fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/files/hf-lra-007.pdf
mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/container-gardening/
extension.psu.edu/using-trees-and-shrubs-for-privacy-and-wind-screening