How to Knock Your Backyard Project Out of the Park

Source: Image via Pexels

Guest Author:  Natalie Jones

Nobody wants a boring backyard with little more than a swing set and a slip and slide. With today’s access to information, tutorials, and help, there’s no reason that your space should not be everything you want and more.

theCincyblog shares today’s post for current and future homeowners looking to turn their backyard into the envy of the neighborhood.

What Are Your Objectives?

Before you begin any type of backyard project, decide what you actually want out of your space. Is your goal recreation? Exercise? Sit down with your family and narrow down the list of the top two or three features that you’d like to have at home. Once you do this, you can begin to budget and plan ahead for safety and privacy.

How to Budget for Your Backyard

Start researching the cost of your biggest addition. For many homeowners, this will be a swimming pool. Even a small pool can cost $35,000 or more plus an additional $2500-$5000 each year for upkeep. You may find that you have to add one feature each year to ensure you don’t go broke right off the bat!

Safety Lighting

Something else you have to budget and plan for his safety. Lighting is key here. Anytime you’re dealing with the outdoors, where it can go from light to dark in a matter of hours, you have to ensure that your outdoor space is well lit. Depending on the size of your recreational or relaxation area, you might want to research lighting options for football stadiums. Even if you don’t need this type of lighting, getting a grip on how professional and collegiate sports arenas stay safe can help you better plan for your own outdoor areas.

Amazing Additions

Need inspiration? Consider any of these:

• A pool-sized hot. If you already have an above-ground pool, you may be able to turn it into a massive hot tub for less than $600. 
• Dirt bike track. Tweens and teens love the excitement and speed of dirt bikes. To keep them safe, consider adding a dirt bike track to your backyard. While you will probably need at least a half acre of land, all it takes is a bit of dirt work to make it possible. Spend some time looking at local dirt bike tracks to get a better idea of safe layouts that your family will enjoy for years to come.
• A multi-purpose sports court. If you have kids into basketball, street hockey, or tennis, consider installing a multi-purpose court in your backyard. You can expect to spend anywhere from $3.50 to $17 per square foot.
• A ride-on carousel. If the merry-go-round was your favorite childhood playground equipment, it’s time to grab your tools. While this is not a simple DIY job, the Gone Outdoors blog asserts that homeowners can install their own merry-go-round, which can provide hours of entertainment each afternoon. If you want to have an extreme carnival-like experience, consider adding a motor and riding horses.
• A ropes course. A ropes course can contain things to climb on, jump off of, and balance on. You can use monkey bars, swinging ropes, and rope ladders to create a ropes course that encourages exercise and family time. Everything Backyard offers a few tips and tricks on how to properly tie knots in rope.

Your backyard should be an extension of your home. It should reflect all of the things about you and your family that you each love. Today’s tips can help you best plan your budget, safety lighting, and outdoor areas to best suit your family’s needs.

 About the Author:  Natalie Jones enjoys writing about home buying and hopes to inspire homeowners of all stages to enjoy the perks of homeownership. She created homeownerbliss.info to help soon-to-be homeowners in making their decision during house-hunting.