the entire backyard experience. Covered back patios and shaded arbors with outdoor kitchens, fireplaces or fire pits and outdoor bar setups with flat screen TVs are just a few of the more popular features that homebuyers are considering. These outdoor features have become just as important as the indoor features when selecting a home. Last week in Prosper, I asked a family to give me their top 2 or 3 “must-haves” for their home and number one on their list was an outdoor living area. More specifically, the location of that outdoor space should be just beyond the family room with French doors so they could enjoy both areas at once. The mom stated that her favorite room in the home is her Outdoor Living Space. Although you may not recuperate 100% of the dollars you invest in your outdoor living area, it will enhance the resale value of your home in more ways than one. And at the same time, you are spending more quality time with your family in a nice, safe and peaceful environment, in your own private backyard! Stay and Play Cut your precious time in half! Instead of packing your bags to head over to your community pool, simply open up your back door and jump on in for a summer cool down! Picture this following your afternoon swim. Open your grill and throw on some burgers and kabobs in the privacy of your own backyard. With your outdoor living area, you can cook, eat and entertain without even dirtying your main kitchen! Once you have experienced this luxury you may never want to leave your home again on the weekends. Your outdoor living area will also afford you the option of inviting more friends and family to your home. It also enhances your ability to entertain with additional space and fun activities.
20 | Texas Homefront Magazine
Rather than spending thousands of dollars on your family vacation, try this option. Take your typical vacation time off, and then hang out with the family and relax in your own backyard. Swim, eat, sleep, watch TV and finish off your evenings by the fire pit. You could even pop open a tent! Clearly you can see that by taking advantage of your backyard haven, homeowners in Texas are rewarded with tons of pure enjoyment and happy faces. And the investment is well worth it. Pool Positives Most families invest in a pool not for the financial gain but for pure family enjoyment. Although that enjoyment is the main reason families invest in a pool, there are a plethora of positives to adding a pool in your own backyard. From a realtor perspective, RESALE – in two different ways. First, your overall property value will increase based on the year the home was built and on the age of the pool. Second, a pool minimizes your “Days on the Market”. During the months of May thru September homes sell 28% faster in North Dallas than homes without a pool. To me, this is huge. As realtors we all know that “it only takes one buyer”, but when you add 28% to the equation your odds increase tremendously. Hypothetically speaking, put yourself in a buyers position. Imagine looking for a home in North Dallas during the month of July. You and your family see 5 homes in one day. One of the homes has a covered patio and a nice refreshing pool in the backyard. Which one would catch your eye? In most cases the home with the pool wins, and the appeal for a pool grows during the hot summer months in Texas. In most cases, it goes without saying that the quicker you sell your home, the more money you can put into your pocket.