Heads Up: Home Buyers Value This Amenity Above All Else

Think outside the box.

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With summer being one of the most popular times to sell a house, there is some serious competition to stand out. Thankfully, a new survey from Porch.com revealed some strange but true info that could be very useful in that endeavor: The number-one amenity home buyers are looking for in 2019 isn’t even in the home. The report dives deep into the topic, and evidently the most-sought-after feature is a backyard, garnering 97.6 percent of the vote. Central heating and central AC closely follow. 

While there’s not much we can offer to help you with the latter two—you either install them or you don’t—we definitely have some ideas on how to make the most of your outdoor space, even if it’s so tiny that there’s barely enough room for a garden gnome.

Sort Out Your Priorities

First thing’s first: Decide what you want to do in your backyard. Do you plan to host numerous barbecues? An outdoor dining set or even a portable kitchen cart are necessities. Are you hoping to pull an Ina Garten and transform it into a bountiful garden? Make room for plant plots and a mini toolshed. Do you simply want to spend all summer out there lounging in the sun with a good book? Splurge on a few recliners. (And don’t forget the SPF.) 

A Little Paint Goes a Long Way

Nothing makes a space come to life quite like a pot of paint. Use it to give your concrete patio a colorful refresh or revive your tired old wood fence. Bonus: These tweaks will also help the resale value of your house.

Plants, Plants, Plants

Even if a full-blown garden isn’t in the cards, fake it till you make it. A simple weatherproof shelving system (check IKEA) can act as a makeshift herb garden, or install a window box and fill it with your favorite florals. Plus, with so many chic gardening tools on the market right now, how could you resist? 

See more tips for your backyard: Patio Season Is Coming—This Easy Update Will Completely Transform Your Space If Nothing Else, Add a Firepit to Your Yard This Summer These 20 Outdoor Chairs Are So Good, You’ll Want to Bring Them Inside

Elly Leavitt

Writer and Editor

Elly enjoys covering anything from travel to funky design (tubular furniture, anyone?) to the latest cultural trend. Her dream apartment would exist on the Upper West Side and include a plethora of mismatched antique chairs, ceramic vessels, and floor-to-ceiling bookcases—essential to her goal of becoming a poor man’s Nora Ephron. You can probably find her in line at Trader Joe’s. You will never find her at SoulCycle.