As the temperature heats up, daylight stretches longer and a warm breeze stirs your senses, there’s likely no place you’d rather be than outside this season. Make the most of the longer days with simple, outdoor renovations that will get more buyer interest—who can resist a built-in fire pit or gorgeous pallet flower garden.

These DIY projects will make your home more appealing to potential buyers and give you a chance to spend more time outside this summer. 

Backyard Fire Pit

Image Courtesy of Smith Mountain Homes.

My wife and I love inviting people over for a weekend cookout or late night s’mores roast and this crowd-pleasing fire pit will allow your buyers to invision doing the same, turning their new patio into a neighborhood hangout.

Clear a section of the lawn and cover with a weed barrier tarp, then fill in with pea gravel, mark off the designated fire pit area with stone pavers, and add the finishing touches like decorative chairs and, of course, the grill top. During the summer, you can shade this space with a portable canopy tent, then remove the fixture as the weather cools down in autumn.

Waterside Oasis

Image courtesy of Matthias Hiltner via Creative Commons.

If you live on waterfront property, give your deck a luxury resort vibe by adding a hammock, Adirondack chairs, tropical foliage and festive tiki torches.

If your home is landlocked, don’t despair––just incorporate fountains, lily ponds, waterfalls or similar manmade features into the existing backyard decor. You can even make a DIY fountain by repurposing a garden hose spigot.

Vertical Garden

Image courtesy of Various Brennemans via Creative Commons. 

Even if your thumb isn’t exactly “green,” infusing color, vibrancy and curb appeal into an outdoor retreat is practically foolproof with this pallet garden. Gather three wooden boards, two bags of potting soil, landscape fabric, staples and a staple gun, sandpaper and several starter plants of annual flowers.

Next, clean the wood and sand away rough edges and staple the landscape fabric onto the bottom, back and sides of each board. Finally, plant a row of flowers in each pallet slot and pack the soil firmly. Lay down or stand up for a gorgeous, colorful display. I love using these for herbs like basil and mint too. 

Outdoor Wall Bench

Image courtesy of The Garden Glove.

Create a peaceful nook that will inspire potential buyers to curl up with their newest “beach read.” This sleek, stylish and simple-to-make bench is ideal for relaxing outside with all the comforts of a cozy plush sofa. If your buyers like to relax in the privacy of their own backyard, this will be a great selling point.

Find a shady spot along the house’s exterior wall and stack cinder blocks horizontally up to seat level. Complete the look with a long cushion and several brightly colored accent pillows.

Hanging Lanterns

Image courtesy of Xoyos.com via Creative Commons. 

Dusk settles in, but no one’s ever ready to leave the great outdoors and head back inside, especially this time of year. These Mason jar lanterns will illuminate the after-hours revelry, from laughing around a bonfire to watching the kids play cornhole.

Fill empty mason jars with pebbles and carefully place a pre-lit votive candle on top of the rocks. Securely fasten durable twine to each jar’s handle and dangle these mood-setting luminaries from a nearby tree branch. 

While the “dog days of summer” lend themselves to outdoor activities and home improvement projects, these creative and versatile backyard additions can be enjoyed after the seasons change as well—and they’ll surely attract even more home buyers, who are relishing in the longer days right now too.