Inexpensive patio options?

[Scott White]

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?

[Scott Mac]

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!