If your home is your palace, then your backyard is your oasis. Using your backyard as an extension of your house is worth a thought and could be well worth the effort. It's a place to entertain, a place to relax, and in some cases quite an enjoyable hobby. Let it take the place of the cottage idea and enjoy your backyard on evenings you wouldn't even think about heading to the cottage, like the evenings when the sun peeks out through the clouds an hour before sunset and lights up the sky, a great time to be chilling in your favourite place.

Whoa, hold on though... Before you get too excited and make rash decisions to jack up the available credit limit on your MasterCard, put a little thought into how much your backyard vision will cost, and how much it will add to your property's overall value. Some would get back every penny, but others might realize you're in a neighbourhood where homes are quite similar and there is a bit of a ceiling on home values, in which case watching your spending would be very smart. Make sure your neighbourhood and area can support the extra value you'll be putting into your backyard reno before you go breaking ground. When in doubt, a good Realtor will be able to help you determine potential values of each idea you have for your backyard and your home in general, so having your Realtor over for coffee to discuss might be the best $1.90 you ever spent.

Ok, enough of this financial stuff though for now... the first step is to dream! Decide what would add the most enjoyment to your life in your backyard space and get your creative juices flowing. Is a games area like horseshoes or washer toss going to be incorporated into your design, or will your space have more of a relaxed vibe with lounge areas, water features, a hot tub, and a fire pit? Working your design around natural features you have out back already is something worth thinking about as well. I had clients last year who made a hill in their backyard into the most incredible water feature you could imagine, pumping water back up the hill and having it run into multiple fish ponds and waterfalls before it made its way back down through the beautiful shrubs and plants and back down to the bottom. There were multiple patios throughout as well as a fire pit area, cool staircase, gazebo, and so much more.

Have I got you thinking? If so, get dreaming, crunch some numbers, and maybe even get planning... making your backyard a true extension of your home could be one of the best decisions you will ever make.

Backyards Are Under-Rated