Dreamy Backyard Makeover Ideas
With just a few easy changes, your dream backyard makeover can become a reality.
Ready to give your backyard a little extra love? A cost-effective makeover can transform your backyard into a cozy entertaining space for family and friends. We’ll go over how much a backyard makeover costs using a real-life homeowner example, and we’ll cover everything about the process. A backyard makeover may not be on your to-do list, but you just might change your mind after reading this guide.
Things to Consider Before You Begin
The key to budgeting for a makeover or renovation is planning. Consider the following questions to help you narrow down where you want to spend your money.
- What is the maximum amount of money I am willing to spend?
- What are the major design considerations for my makeover?
- Will I be selling my home soon?
- Do I need to involve a contractor or will I be able to do things on my own?
- Do I want to change the layout of my space or keep it as is?
- Will I need to rewire any lighting/change plumbing, or am I just replacing existing fixtures?
- How can I ensure safety measures for all members of the family?
How Much Does a Backyard Makeover Cost?
Several factors go into a backyard makeover, including the size of the lot, the quality of the soil, and how extensive you plan to be with the design. Remodeling a backyard tends to run from $1,000 to $50,000 on average. For a modest makeover, some of the most common items used are a deck or patio, sod installations, a playhouse (for the kids), plants, and landscape design. The homeowner in the example below renovated her backyard for under $8,000. Backyard remodeling costs are significantly higher than most front yard projects since backyards often include outdoor entertainment areas.
Here is a breakdown of what the homeowner spent for this impressive backyard project.
- Patio Extension: $4,000
- Rock-Retaining Wall/Wood Bench: $532
- Masonry Paint for Foundation Wall: $50
- Rock Path: $35
- Landscape Edging: $50
- Two Pond Liners: $200
- Two Pond Pumps: $240
- Pond Landscaping: $500
- Solar Exterior Lighting: $250
- Fire Pit: $150
- Freestanding Umbrella: $140
- Umbrella Stand: $49
- Arborvitae Trees: $1,040
- Edison Bulb String Lights: $150
- Foldable Outdoor Bar Cart: $75
Total: $7,461.00
The Details
These homeowners knew they had to get creative to make their yard as beautiful as their home. They opted to enclose the yard with a wooden fence that they stained black to complement their black-framed windows. Instead of having a large backyard to mow, they wanted a functional yet pretty design that would work for their family and lifestyle. First, they added a playset for their daughter and painted it to match their home.
Patio
Although the homeowners do have a deck, they also wanted a patio extension to accommodate a comfortable seating area and a fire pit. They created a pathway leading directly from the deck that opened up into a large curved space. The patio upgrade was the costliest aspect of the makeover because it was contracted out. To save money, they built their retaining wall by purchasing concrete rocks and stacking them to the desired height. Next, wood boards were cut to size and placed on top of the rock wall and stained to match their deck. This rock wall bench now provides additional seating, so a couple of outdoor bolster pillows were added, and an oversized lantern completes the look.
The most impressive DIY project this couple completed was adding a koi pond with two waterfalls. To fully enjoy their patio, these homeowners wanted to incorporate a water feature. They had the contractor dig a large hole at the end of the patio to install it. While making the hole deep enough to achieve the recommended requirements for a koi pond, they came across a lot of large rocks. They incorporated most of them into the design around the pond, even stacking some to create waterfalls.
Rocks and stakes were then placed to hold the two large black pond liners in place, and water was added to fill the pond. They added two pond pumps, lily pads, and plants to the landscape in and around the pond. Plenty of goldfish and a few koi turned this former eyesore into a water feature they could enjoy and love year-round.
Lighting
For this homeowner, lighting was an integral part of their upgrade. Solar exterior lighting adds to the ambience when sitting outside at night. To make this space a truly desirable spot to kick back and relax, these homeowners included some outdoor Edison bulb string lights attached to a second-floor balcony and then added small solar exterior lights and a little landscaping to define the space.
Accessories go a long way in complementing your space, from lights to paintings to plants. Accessories give you the finished look you desire. For their finished work, our sample homeowners lined their fence with arborvitae trees and added patio seating, a fire pit, a freestanding umbrella, plenty of potted plants, lanterns with outdoor candles, and a foldable outdoor bar cart for entertaining.
Katie Cooley is a wife, mom, and decor enthusiast who loves iced coffee, traveling, and anything on Bravo. She offers e-design services on her home decor and lifestyle blog, decorkate.com.
