Rehabbing & House Flipping
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
![](http://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/assets/forums/sponsors/hospitable-deef083b895516ce26951b0ca48cf8f170861d742d4a4cb6cf5d19396b5eaac6.png)
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
![](http://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/assets/forums/sponsors/equity_trust-2bcce80d03411a9e99a3cbcf4201c034562e18a3fc6eecd3fd22ecd5350c3aa5.avif)
![](http://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/assets/forums/sponsors/equity_1031_exchange-96bbcda3f8ad2d724c0ac759709c7e295979badd52e428240d6eaad5c8eff385.avif)
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback
Updated almost 6 years ago on . Most recent reply
![Scott White's profile image](https://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/no_overlay/uploads/social_user/user_avatar/1194603/1621510084-avatar-scottatx.jpg?twic=v1/output=image/crop=1032x1032@0x0/cover=128x128&v=2)
Inexpensive patio options?
Looks like I'm about to pick up my first buy-and-hold investment house! Yay!
It's got a large 18' x 21', 378sf covered area in the back, currently bare earth, which basically serves as a steady source of readily-available mud to track into the house.
What are some inexpensive options to create some sort of 'patio' out there, mainly for mud mitigation, but also for a bit of outdoor living?
Currently, my leading contender is installing some sort of metal edging, rolling out ground cloth, and then spreading out a few yards of crushed stone. From what I can tell, this would run around $250 for materials and involve some labor or sweat equity. Maybe I'd top it off with a big $50 Persian rug from Craigslist to give an area where a chairs can slide in and out around a table.
Another option is to do a small 'landing' deck outside the back door, maybe 6'x8', and then a paver pathway out into the yard. Maybe $650 for this installed by a handyman?
The Google tells me that installed price for a concrete patio would be about $11/sf ($4,158), a basic pressure-treated deck would be $12/sf ($4,536), and brick would be $15/sf ($5,670).
What would you do?
Most Popular Reply
![Scott Mac's profile image](https://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/no_overlay/uploads/social_user/user_avatar/1282284/1621510958-avatar-scottmac100.jpg?twic=v1/output=image/crop=403x403@37x10/cover=128x128&v=2)
Hi Scott,
With the outdoor living/cooking that so many people seem to like to do in Texas I'd think rocks would not be a good choice.
If this were mine, and the rents would support it, I'd go with concrete, or pavers laid in sand and replace the back door with a wider sliding glass door, to make the house seem bigger from the inside. (My thought would be how much more a month could I get if it were like this vs cost.)
If the whole patio area were finished it looks like it could be a selling point for potential renters if done well, but that's a major expenditure.
My thought on decks is that the wood wears out and need maintenance, concrete and pavers are a one time thing.
Good Luck!