Preferred outdoor living spaces

[Walter Kirk]

I don't know anything about your market area however in my market area property owners must consider building regulations and property taxes when deciding on a deck or patio. Generally speaking decks require building permits and additional taxes while patio's may not.

 

[Robert Hronek]

I get asked questions like that all the time. If you look at any of the value studies you will find most times you get a only a percentage return on your investment. Sometimes 50% of value other times more. I always take these studies with a grain of salt though.

As appraisers it is hard to always tell what the contributory value is given that there are so many variables in a home sale and that it is an imperfect market. Some people must have a deck and other could care less. Then there is size, quality, and condition.

What I suggest to people is that they look at what is happening with other similar homes. If most people have a 150SF deck then thats what the market is looking at. Not having a deck would make you house less appealing when it is time to sell. So if a 150sf deck, roughly 12 x 12, is standard building a 250 sf foot deck makes less sense. With decks you can walk straight out from a living area. Patio are typically lower, a few steps or more. A few steps may not be a factor but more than that and it could be but usaually not a lot.

Also this is my standard reply. Do it for yourself and not the resell. Around here it costs about $40,000 for a standard pool. Resale is about $10,000 and goes down if as it gets older. You put a pool in for yourself because you are going to lose money. With a deck or patio put in what you want. Something that is going to give you the most enjoyment and realizing you will not recoup all of your costs.