4 reasons a patio is a good investment for your home

One of the most important reasons to own your own home is its value. Sure, the whole ‘not renting thing’ is a huge bonus but most homeowners buy to eventually put more worth back into their property. Home improvements not only provide a great way to express your creativity, but they also add significant value to your home come resale time – when done properly.

With outdoor living booming in popularity, boosting the appeal and functionality of your outdoor area with a patio is one of the best investments you can make at home. Similar in design to pergolas, patios have evolved over the years making them an ideal and versatile home improvement project for almost any property.

Here’s a few reasons why a patio will help boost your home’s value:

1. Outdoor entertaining is at its peak.
If you haven’t jumped on the outdoor living space bandwagon yet, now is the perfect time. Outdoor entertaining is at its peak – especially if you live in Australia. Creating an alfresco entertaining space that you can use all your round, despite what the weather will throw at you, is extremely valuable.

Outdoor living spaces have become just as popular as kitchen renovations. According to a Houzz survey, 67 per cent of people surveyed said that outdoor living was the most attractive quality in a home and installing a patio is one of the best ways to boost the space.

Because of their design versatility and protection against weather conditions, patios are perfect for an outdoor entertaining area. Both patios and decks are high up on the wish list for homeowners and buyers and as patio designs continue to evolve, features like built-in speakers and audio visual equipment can be added to modernise and spruce the space up.

2. A well-designed patio creates space and versatility. 
Besides providing a fantastic entertaining spot for your home, a patio will create the ultimate space by extending your living space. Becoming an extension of the property, a patio offers opportunities to expand your living situation. You’ll have an extra space to add seating, more greenery and lighting, breezy curtains, colour and personality.

Whilst patios can be either attached to the main structure of your home or not, if you’re creating it as an extension to your home make sure the colours complement the existing ones. Keep things simple and neutral with the colour scheme as this will add more value to your home come resale time. You can have a patio design as an open plan space with the flexibility to allow the sun’s natural light into your home, or close it off with sunblock shades or automatically controlled block-out blind system.

3. Visual appeal. 
One of the most exciting benefits of building a patio is the visual appeal they create. Compared to other outdoor structures, patios tend to come in a better variety of roofing options. From dome roofs to pointed structures, insulated roofing to timber touches, there’s many different material options to reflect your current décor and home’s architectural design. A patio’s visual appeal (and what you use it for) can be a great opportunity to turn your backyard into your own personal retreat and allows you to have a holiday getaway without leaving home!

Because you’re creating a whole new space it’s a great opportunity to let your creative juices flow and make a bold statement through outdoor furniture, colourful rugs and cushions. This will still allow you to add your own unique touches to the space, whilst still making it a liveable and adaptable for future homeowners in the future.

4. Lowering your home’s running costs with a patio. 
Cutting down on heating and cooling costs is becoming a huge priority for budget-conscious homeowners. Not only are the soaring prices of electricity hurting everyone’s wallets, but implementing smart home improvements can boost sustainable building making your property a future home buyer’s dream.

Patios installed over certain areas of your home can help keep your property cooler in the summer months. By keeping direct sunlight off your windows and exterior walls, long-term savings through reduced power bills and less need for air conditioning are a big plus.

Building a patio for your home is one of the most affordable and impactful home improvements you can make. Offering greater living and entertainment enjoyment in the comfort of your home, a well-designed patio will increase the resale value of your home.