Expanded outdoor spaces make area homes more marketable

A recently released Remodeling Magazines Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report for 2013 notes that one of the most cost-effective improvements a homeowner can make has little to do with the actual house.

In Jacksonville, a 16-by-20-foot mid-range wood deck addition estimated at $7,900 ranked among the highest values of remodeling cost vs. resale value, according to the report. On average, homeowners adding a wood deck to their backyards recouped nearly 75 percent of the job cost in resale value, outranked only by a steel entry door replacement (93.7 percent), garage door replacement (83.6 percent), fiber-cement siding replacement (83.1 percent) and an attic bedroom remodel (79.3 percent). A deck addition of the same size made from composite materials costing around $13,900 pulled in 70 percent of its original cost in reselling.

I would say they add quite a bit of value to a home. If youve got an okay-looking home and a backyard thats a mess, its going to be tough to sell. But if youve got an okay-looking home and cool place to hang out and have a party, its going to attract buyers, said Derrick Pratt, president and owner of Jacksonville-based Pratt Custom Services. The family company, founded in 2005 by Pratt, specializes in outdoor woodscapes and custom carpentry.

A deck addition was also ranked nationally among the five best cost vs. value home remodels by US News.

The mid-range 16-by-20-foot deck featured in the report is constructed from pressure-treated wood in a simple linear pattern that allows for a built-in bench, planter and a set of three stair steps. It also features supports from 4 x 4 posts anchored to concrete piers.

Phyllis Staines, a broker associate with RE/MAX Coastal Real Estate, once served as a Realtor source for the report, which surveys real estate agents in the area to arrive at its conclusions. She said that, among the more expected siding, windows and roof updates, decks seem to score high in cost vs. value.

I can tell you that decks always come up in these surveys. Interestingly enough, I just did a home inspection with a deck, said Staines, who notes that decks are not as common on the First Coast as some might think. Instead, she sees a lot of lanais, screened and covered porches and Florida rooms.

Because this is such a beach community, decks could describe walkways leading to the water, noted Staines, who sells many waterway and coastal homes.

Pratt says that a poured concrete patio can make a good choice for a homeowner who wants to maximize an outdoor living area. Adding a pergola, which his business custom-makes, he says, can make a patio more eye-catching.

Pratt has noticed that the staycation, made popular by the recession, has influenced some homeowners to revamp the outdoor areas of their property.

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Expanded outdoor spaces make area homes more marketable