Believe it or not, 65% of American families live in a home they (at least in part) own. And do you know what many of those homeowners have had in common over the last 18 months or so? They’ve all taken on a home renovation project.
If you’re behind the curve on the home renovation trend lockdowns spurred or if you’re looking to jump to your next project, we think you should focus on learning how to design a backyard and get to work!
Why should designing a backyard be at the top of your renovation list? Because backyards are extraordinary spaces for entertaining, engaging in physical activities, and making memories.
Keep reading to learn which considerations you should keep in mind to make sure your yard design resonates with everyone that might come across it!
Table of Contents
Consider Your Family First
When mulling over how to design a backyard, many heads of households consider what friends, family, and other visitors might enjoy. That desire to impress is a strong one, but we caution you to fight it and instead think about the people that have to live with your yard on a daily basis.
We’re Talking About your Family!
Bring everyone together, discuss what they’d like to see in a yard, and put those items on a wish list. Then, when you price out your renovation, try to realize as much of that list as possible.
If you do that, creating a yard you’re in love with will come easy.
Think About Your Goals
What is it that you want to achieve with your yard project? Do you want to create a great space to entertain? Are you looking to promote physical activity in your household?
Whatever your intentions are, write them down so you can use them to frame the decisions you’ll make with your renovation.
Be Conscious of Maintaining Open Space
We’ve seen time and again backyard ideas go haywire and create spaces that ultimately feel cluttered. Believe us when we say that’s the last thing you want your yard to feel like.
The best way to prevent clutter in your yard is to ensure that the majority of it is left open. We’re talking untouched lawns, or, if your yard is largely paved, unobstructed pavement.
This may not be advice that interests everyone, as some people like overdeveloping spaces. We think that keeping your yard open, at least in part, is a better long-term decision.
Don’t Create a Maintenance Nightmare
A backyard design faux pas that will quickly have you falling out of love with your space is its maintenance requirements. Are you really going to mow that massive lawn, keep each of those exotic plants on a specific watering schedule, and clean that pool every week?
Maybe you are, in which case, go crazy. If you’re being honest with yourself, though, and don’t see yourself upkeeping your vision, simplify it or be prepared to hire help.
Talk to Your Neighbors
If your backyard design includes large structures that may infringe on your neighbor’s privacy or ability to enjoy their yard, talk to them before putting anything up. People have invested heavily in yard development only to get complaints from the people next door, resulting in the need to tear down structures.
That’s not a cost you want to bear, so again, get sign-off from the people next door, check zoning restrictions, and proceed from there.
Know Your Kids Won’t Be Young Forever
Backyards are a treat for kids to enjoy growing up. For many, the inspiration behind investing in yard projects is to make their spaces more kid-friendly.
Keep in mind that your kids won’t be young forever. With that said, it may not be a great idea to build a massive playground or similar structure that they’ll only enjoy for the next 5 years before losing interest.
Try to keep your backyard developments as evergreen as possible and you’ll get a lot more mileage out of your investments.
Mull Over Resale
Will the people that buy your house next be as in love with your backyard design as you are? If getting as much ROI on your home sale as possible is important to you, that’s a question you’ll want to keep in mind.
Talking to a real estate agent ahead of renovating your yard can help shed light on this question.
Bring in a Professional
DIY designing a backyard can be fun. It can also be tremendously difficult and lead to several issues downstream.
With that in mind, we’re big proponents of heading over to sites like https://www.franzwitte.com/blog/backyard-beautiful-find-the-best-landscape-contractor and connecting with experienced contractors to help you execute your vision.
Bringing on people to aid in your projects may seem like a more expensive way to go. You might be surprised to learn how worth it springing on labor expenses is when you consider time saved and your final result.
Put Your How to Design a Backyard Savvy to Work
You’ve just taken in several tips on how to design a backyard that everyone will love. While tips are great to collect, they’re much better served by being put to use.
We hope you agree and will put into motion the backyard project of your dreams sooner rather than later by calling in a contractor and bouncing ideas off of them.
If you find yourself needing additional help as you go, know that our team posts helpful home content on our blog regularly. Drop in anytime to continue fulfilling your need to know!