Hardscaping might sound unfamiliar. Yet, it’s something you can’t ignore. Softscaping involves incorporating living elements like plants and trees to enhance outdoor spaces. Hardscaping, on the other hand, makes use of materials like wood, stone, and other inanimate substances. Features like patios, retaining walls, and fire pits are just the beginning.
Beyond beautifying a home, these additions can even make your yard more functional. However, how much does hardscaping improve a home’s value? The answer may surprise you.
How Hardscaping Adds Value to a Home
Before we delve into specific numbers and percentages, it’s important to learn the many ways that luxury construction can improve the enjoyment you get from your property while also increasing its monetary worth.
Beautifying a Yard’s Appearance
It can be difficult to spend time in a yard you don’t enjoy. If that’s the case, you’re also unlikely to want to host get-togethers without any special features or intrinsic value that hardscaping can add to your home. If you have a functional, beautified space, however, does that mean you’re more likely to entertain? Probably!
Attractive yards create stunning first impressions. Effective ways to improve your home’s value while helping you get the most enjoyment from it through hardscaping can include:
- Water features
- Additional seating
- Creating a warm space
Adding Functionality
How a yard looks is important. It’s also beneficial to have a fully functional yard for you, the people you live with, and your guests. That’s what hardscaping can provide.
Take an outdoor kitchen, for example. It provides a perfect spot to prepare meals and host gatherings, all while basking in the open air. A fire pit offers another option. It keeps everyone snug and comfortable as the cold sets in and snow blankets the ground.
Our custom hardscaping services also include retaining walls. These functional features not only enhance the landscape but also safeguard against erosion.
Enhancing Privacy
Having a yard you enjoy is great. Yet, that doesn’t imply you’d prefer having others observe you, your loved ones, or your guests. Privacy is essential. Pergolas and enclosures enhance your outdoor space’s charm and also improve the value of your home while concealing you from intrusive gazes.
These features make a difference. When a prospective buyer shares the same sentiment and notices your newly installed barrier, it may be the deciding element that persuades them to extend an offer.
Keeping Your Yard Healthy
While you may prefer hardscaping to improve your home’s value, you’ll probably want some greenery in your yard. Fortunately, hardscaping can help with that. A practical and visually stunning retaining wall or stone pathway can help improve drainage throughout your yard, preventing puddles and muddy areas.
Enjoying a Low-Maintenance Solution
Most adults are busy. If you have lots of commitments, you may think that having a beautiful yard is too much work. That’s true in some cases. However, choosing hardscaping means not setting aside time to water plants, trim shrubs, and other softscaping-related tasks but instead adding long-term appeal and improving the overall value of your home.
Charlotte Deck Builders knows the importance of low-maintenance solutions. That’s why we use time-tested and low-maintenance materials.
How Much Does Hardscaping Add to My Home’s Value?
Generally, smaller projects add less overall value than large-scale ones. For instance, adding a new outdoor kitchen would likely improve your home’s value more than a small fire pit. Does that mean a fire pit is or isn’t worth the investment? Learn more by viewing the statistics below.
A Quick Word About Joy Scores
Before we get into our list, you’ll see “Joy Scores” referenced throughout this post. In the world of home renovations, this score typically ranges from 1 to 10, with a 1 score indicating the least amount of joy and a 10 score indicating the highest amount of joy felt by a homeowner after having an outdoor living space built or renovated.
This vital metric measures the satisfaction felt by a homeowner after a project is completed and how much it has improved a home’s value.
Fences
A fence is a proven way to use hardscaping to add value to your home. Nearly anyone can benefit from having a private outdoor space, especially those who need to keep a close eye on their pets and children. According to industry estimates, a newly constructed fence can increase your home’s resale value by 50 to 70%.
Decks
One of the most popular ways to improve the value of a home is with a new deck. According to 2024 data from the Journal of Light Construction, a new wood deck has an average recoup value of 82.9%. In other words, spending $17,500 on a deck would provide an ROI of about $14,500. This same source states that composite decks also yield an impressive ROI of 68.2%.
Having a new wood deck on their property led to 74% of homeowners feeling a greater desire to be home after this project was completed. The average homeowner scores a new wood deck an amazing Joy Score of 9.8. According to the National Association of REALTORS® Research Group, the average cost recovery for a new wood deck in 2023 was 89%.
A recent study from Today’s Homeowner notes that homeowners recovered 86.9% of what they spent on composite deck additions and 80.1% of the costs recovered from wood deck additions.
Note: While this source lists wood decks as having a slightly higher ROI, it’s worth noting the non-maintenance factor that composite decks provide. It’s worth bumping up the ROI of composite decks if you don’t want to spend lots of time and energy on upkeep. Each homeowner’s preferences and priorities will differ.
Hardscaping adds value to your home, but it’s important to remember that some of that value is subjective. If you’re adding a deck just to increase resale value, you’ll likely have different priorities than if you are investing in a deck for your own long-term enjoyment.
Patios
A patio is a great space for everything from enjoying coffee in the morning to unwinding in the evening. If it’s time to renovate or construct your patio, you’re making a wise decision from an ROI standpoint.
According to the 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features from the National Association of REALTORS®, the average homeowner recoups 95% of this project’s costs. In a recent Realtor.com article, the CEO of the Trusted Home Buyer, Martin Boonzaaijer, states that homeowners can expect “a recoup of about 65%” for a new deck or patio.
About 85% of homeowners felt an increased sense of enjoyment being at home after having a new patio constructed. A new patio provides a stellar 9.9 Joy Score for homeowners.
Additionally, a recent article from Angi states that homeowners typically recover “about 89%” of the expenses for a new patio after selling their home.
Outdoor Kitchens
An outdoor kitchen ranks high on numerous renovation wish lists. The appeal is clear: Are you longing for a fresh grill to hear the sizzle of steaks? What about envisioning a delightful cheese and pepperoni pizza in a stone oven? The choices are abundant. This decision can certainly increase your home’s value. Not only will you relish the delicious meals it offers, but you’ll also see a valuable return on your investment.
The average outdoor kitchen provides a 100% cost recovery. Luxury features like an outdoor kitchen can help your home sell for as much as 3.1% more than expected. If your home would sell for $400,000 pre-renovations, a 3.1% increase would mean a bump in value of $12,400 for a new value of $412,400!
A recent report from realtor.com echoes that outdoor kitchens are in demand and capable of bringing in a sky-high ROI, citing the average cost recovery for an outdoor kitchen as 100%!
Outdoor Fire Features (Fireplaces and Fire Pits)
Hardscaping adds value to a home by letting you spend more time enjoying the great outdoors. But let’s be real—winters around here can get cold. Having us construct an outdoor fire pit or fireplace at your home means not having to head inside when the temperatures drop and the snow starts falling.
78% of homeowners wanted to add an outdoor fire feature to their home to improve livability and add utility and recreational value to their yards. Fire features also make most homeowners very happy, judging by a fire feature’s 9.7 Joy Score.
Factors That Affect Your ROI
So, how much value does hardscaping add to a home? Before any hardscaping project begins, especially from an ROI perspective for homeowners, factors that affect its overall value include:
- Quality of Materials: High-end materials last a long time and often look much better than lower-quality ones.
- Contractors: Experienced contractors can provide stunning results and better improve your home’s value compared to inexperienced workers.
- Matching Upgrades With Climates: North Carolina’s mild summers and sometimes long winters make fire pits or pergolas ideal yard additions.
Improve Your Home’s Value with Charlotte Deck Builders
Does hardscaping add value to a home? Absolutely! However, not all hardscaping companies offer the same service. A low-cost hardscaping solution may seem enticing. However, that typically leads to shoddy results. Quality matters. Investing in custom luxury hardscaping can provide more value down the line than projects built with cheap materials.
Visit our gallery to see the stunning results we provide. Have peace of mind knowing Charlotte Deck Builders’ work is:
- Customized to suit your every need
- Completed by skilled workers
- Built with high-quality materials
- Backed by warranties
Ready to get started improving your home’s value through custom hardscaping? Schedule your consultation today to completely customize your outdoor space. Enjoy high-quality and long-lasting hardscaping results by choosing Charlotte Deck Builders.
The President of Charlotte Deck Builders
Diego Machado has always had a passion for creating beautiful and functional outdoor living spaces. As the president of Charlotte Deck Builders, Diego takes part in designing and constructing decks, porches, patios, pergolas, and more. Diego has successfully led his team of skilled and experienced contractors to complete numerous custom luxury hardscaping projects across North Carolina and South Carolina.
When he’s not helping to beautify local outdoor areas, Diego loves spending time with his cherished family and friends and exploring new destinations as an avid traveler.
