13 Outdoor Upgrades That Make Your Home More Valuable

During the summer months, nothing beats roasting marshmallows and sharing stories around a roaring fire. Homeowners who install an outdoor fire pit will not only create delightful memories, but will also realize a 67 percent return on investment. Fire features that have a gas burner and 10-foot-diameter flagstone patio surround cost an average of $9,000 to construct, and you’ll recoup about $5,000 when you sell your home, according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) and National Association of Landscape Professionals’ (NALP) 2023 Remodeling Report: Outdoor Features.

You might think your current garage doors are good enough, but upgrading them will give your curb appeal and home value a major boost. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2024 Cost vs Value Report, an insulated steel garage door replacement will cost you an average of $4,513, but you’ll recoup 194 percent of that, the highest return on investment of all the projects in the study. When prospective buyers pull up, your home will already be making a great impression.

While making cosmetic changes to the front of your house, upgrade your front door. Swapping your drab door for a steel unit with window panels, casing, and new hardware averages $2,355, but the Remodeling Magazine report estimates that you’ll make 188 percent of that back. An upgraded entryway not only increases the home’s value, but it also sets the tone for a strong first impression with potential buyers.

If you want a good-looking lawn, you need to supply sufficient nutrients and take steps to reduce weeds. Enrolling in a DIY lawn-care program or subscription will help you stay on track. The NAR and NALP recommend an average of six applications of lawn fertilizer and weed-control annually, which will cost around $415 for a 5,000-square-foot lawn. Your efforts will earn you a 217 percent ROI of $900. Not bad for a little fertilizer.

The landscaping around your home paints a picture of a well-cared-for property. To ensure buyers get that impression, regular landscape maintenance is a must. The NAR and NALP include regularly mowing a 2,835-square-foot lawn, annual mulch application, pruning shrubs, and planting about 60 perennials or annuals throughout the year. This will run you $4,800 on average, but you’ll recoup $5,000 of that, a return of 104 percent.

Replacing the exterior siding sounds like an expensive and immense project, but it is actually one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your home’s value, according to Remodeling Magazine—it’s just about doing it right. The report suggests focusing efforts solely on the front of the home. Using manufactured stone veneer, the average cost is $11,287, but you’re projected to earn back 153 percent. If you opt for replacing siding with new fiber-cement siding, the average replacement cost will be $20,619 and you’ll recoup 88 percent of that project investment. Or go with vinyl siding and recoup 80 percent of the cost, which averages $17,410.

Luscious landscaping increases the chance of a home sale. Plus, according to the NAR and NALP, an outdoor makeover could net you 100 percent return on investment. The association defines a “landscape upgrade” as installing a natural flagstone walkway, adding stone planters, mulching, and planting a handful of flowering shrubs and a sizable tree—all of which will set you back, on average, roughly $9,000.

Do you enjoy spending time outdoors? Then consider installing an attached or detached wood deck, which will give you the perfect spot for grilling, sunbathing, and entertaining. Wooden decks are a major selling point. According to Remodeling Magazine, a 16-foot x 20-foot wood deck with pressure-treated joists supported by 4×4-inch posts anchored to concrete piers, plus stairs, railings, and a built-in planter runs an average of $17,615, but you’ll recoup 88 percent of that when it’s time to sell. However, if you’d prefer to build with composite decking, you’ll only recoup 68 percent of the overall cost, which averages $24,206.

Installing a patio is another project that expands and enhances your outside living area while increasing the value of your home. According to NAR and NALP, an 18-foot by 16-foot concrete paver patio costs about $10,500 and you’ll recoup 95 percent of the cost, making a backyard patio a worthwhile investment for both your and your future buyer’s enjoyment.

An outdoor kitchen might not be on some homebuyers’ must-have lists, but it is increasingly a feature that could seal the deal for the sale. NAR and NALP claim an outdoor kitchen project will set you back about $15,000, but you’ll recover all $15,000 when you sell your home. To guarantee the best ROI, keep the outdoor kitchen project simple: an inset grill, stainless steel drawers, ice chest, sink, and 60 square feet of concrete countertop are all you need.

Outdoor lighting deters burglars and creates magical ambience in your yard. What’s more, stylish, effective exterior lighting (think motion lights or low-voltage landscape lighting options) can really improve your home’s curb appeal. You can expect to pay up to $6,800 for a transformer and 20 LED lights. On average, say the NAR and NALP, you could see, on average, a 59 percent return on your investment.

Tree maintenance might not be the most exciting project, but it certainly pays off. The joint NAR and NALP report describes tree care as including three applications of tree fertilizer, regular spraying, trimming and pruning, as well as the possible removal of a tree. This can cost up to $2,875, but you’re expected to recover $2,500 back. Planting new trees on the property can also add value. The Economics of Urban Forestry, a 2021 study by the Arbor Day Foundation, estimates that yard trees could add up to 20 percent to the resale value of your home, in part thanks to the energy savings they provide.

One of the best investments for a great-looking lawn is a buried sprinkler system. When calculating the ROI of installing a sprinkler system, which runs around $6,000, you should also consider the amount you’ll probably save on water. According to the NAR and NALP report, you’ll recover $5,000 or 83 percent from the project.