Home prices continue to be on the rise, and the amount of work people put into their backyards is a great reason why. There is no greater flex these days than your backyard patio.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on backyards these days. Bill Paliouras of Branchburg, NJ spent $550,000 on his extravagant setup, which includes landscaping, pool, waterfall, slide, hot tub, and a grotto.
Paliouras told the Washington Post, "I'm Greek. I love being outside. I wanted to extend my outdoor living during the winter." His backyard includes "a loaded, supersize, decked-out deck with an outdoor living room, dining area, 54-inch grill, full kitchen, bar, two-draft kegerator, oversize island, massive weatherproof television, elaborate sound system, and semicircular fire lounge."
For many though, the backyard has become the ultimate flex. Los Angeles designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard says "people want being outdoors to be as sophisticated as an indoor living room."
And on top of that, Lori Greely, CEO of the furnishing company of Serena & Lily, says the backyard patio has become part of our "evolving self-care regimen."
She says, "at the end of day, green plants and blue skies feed everyone's soul. People need places to just sort of relax. It's also connected to wellness. Everyone wants to spend more time relaxing outdoors after spending so much time on our devices."
