<figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d811d15f8a5729749862?format=jpeg" height="952" width="1320" alt="Woman holding tray of food on stone patio"><figcaption>Our outdoor patio has been one of the best investments we've made in our home renovation.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><ul class="summary-list"><li>My husband and I finally redid the outdoor space of our <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fixer-upper-before-and-after-photos-2017-8" data-autoaffiliated="false">fixer-upper home</a> in Connecticut.</li><li>We tore down the old deck and replaced it with a stone patio, which saved us about $33,000.</li><li>The project cost us $27,000, and we now have a fantastic entertaining space that we love.</li></ul><p>In 2023, my husband and I packed up our shoebox-sized apartment, said goodbye to our fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle, and headed to our new, adorable <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-coastal-towns-connecticut-better-than-the-hamptons-list">coastal Connecticut suburb</a>. We purchased a fixer-upper and embraced it.</p><p>Our house was built in the '80s and came complete with <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/renovating-kitchen-into-open-concept-space-photos-diy-2026-4">linoleum kitchen floors</a>, a compartmentalized dining and living space, and a dark-brown wooden back deck that had creaky steps.</p><p>Vision became our newest best friend, so we rolled up our sleeves and looked at each task as an exciting opportunity to make the house entirely our own. </p><p>Multiple renovation projects — and three years — later, the inside was just about done, and it was time to give the outside space its own personality.</p><h2 id="881484bc-eb8b-49fd-87df-7d2feb5fe1e6" data-toc-id="881484bc-eb8b-49fd-87df-7d2feb5fe1e6"><strong>Our newly renovated home deserved the same TLC on the outside as we gave it on the inside</strong></h2><figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d8b8d15f8a5729749869?format=jpeg" height="2268" width="3024" alt="Wooden deck with trees behind it"><figcaption>The deck wasn't in the best shape when we moved in.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><p>The first spring in our new home, I spruced up the deck with an outdoor rug, a small sofa, two chairs, and fringed umbrellas as a sort of Band-Aid.</p><p>The deck was old and installed when the house was built in the '80s. It was too small for entertaining — and the overall aged condition of it was honestly a vibe killer.</p><figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d8a5265e3f8e338f5fdb?format=jpeg" height="2268" width="3024" alt="Deck with chairs, umbrella, rug"><figcaption>We tried to make our old deck look nice, but it wasn't working for us.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><p>Three years after purchasing our home, the backyard became a priority. After all, we were eager to spend most of our time outdoors enjoying the nice weather, and we wanted to make that area as nice as the inside.</p><p>We envisioned an outdoor space where we could entertain, kick back and relax, and make the most of our backyard. </p><p>But alas, we faced a crucial crossroad: Should we replace our deck with a new, larger one, or install a patio? We chose the latter and wouldn't have it any other way.</p><h2 id="c15f0123-3ead-480a-a571-f1f3b1c1dca1" data-toc-id="c15f0123-3ead-480a-a571-f1f3b1c1dca1"><strong>We saved a significant amount of money choosing a patio over a deck</strong></h2><figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d866265e3f8e338f5fd7?format=jpeg" height="4284" width="5712" alt="Patio being installed"><figcaption>We decided to tear down the deck and replace it with a beautiful patio that completely opened up our backyard and saved us money.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><p>An earlier renovation project we worked on involved swapping out our dated front porch for a new one with dark hickory-colored Trex decking and a cable railing to <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coastal-grandmother-tiktok-trend-what-its-really-like-2022-8">match our coastal aesthetic</a>.</p><p>Based on the $14,000 price tag for labor and materials we invested in our front porch, we estimated that a new back deck built to the size we wanted — roughly five times our 8-by-10-foot front porch — would cost us over $60,000.</p><figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d866265e3f8e338f5fd8?format=jpeg" height="3024" width="4032" alt="Woman sitting on sectional couch on patio"><figcaption>Our patio space has been a wonderful investment.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><p>This estimate, along with our vision for aesthetics, solidified our decision to install a patio in our backyard. We ended up spending a little over $27,000 on a 600 square-foot (20 by 30 feet) patio, saving us an estimated $33,000 or more.</p><h2 id="f488ab3f-fabc-4fe6-a5ed-59ad5fb73309" data-toc-id="f488ab3f-fabc-4fe6-a5ed-59ad5fb73309"><strong>A patio made perfect sense for our dream of backyard entertaining and relaxing</strong></h2><figure><img src="https://i.insider.com/6ab3d866eb72254112679900?format=jpeg" height="4284" width="5712" alt="Stone patio with steps leading down to it, table and umbrellas"><figcaption>We love hosting on our new patio.<p class="copyright">Alexa Mellardo</p></figcaption></figure><p>From fine-tuning the right layout and stone pavers to selecting furniture that would optimize the space, we put much more thought into our patio than initially expected.</p><p>Our backyard genuinely deserved some extra love, and we gave it exactly that. It's now a peaceful oasis, complete with a backdrop of glacial rocks covered with ivy and lush foliage. In the future, we envision bountiful strawberry-vanilla hydrangeas spilling over the patio's back wall.</p><p>We decorated our new space with stone planters, lanterns, a plush six-seater sectional, <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/serena-and-lily-dupes">Serena and Lily</a>-esque throw pillows, a coordinating dining table, and fringe umbrellas.</p><p>Our patio also transformed <a target="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hire-someone-to-help-whenever-we-host-party-cheap-helpful-2026-9">how we entertain at home</a>, from holiday barbecues to garden cocktail parties with friends. It serves as a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.</p><p>And the best part? It has no boundaries, as it spills into our yard for games, flower picking, and cozying up around the fire pit.</p><p>When we're not planning social gatherings, we're sunbathing, curling up with a good book, or savoring wine at sunset. The money we saved was used to construct a new front walkway and fire pit area in the back.</p><div class="read-original">Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/got-patio-instead-of-deck-worth-it-saved-money-photos-2026-9">Business Insider</a></div>
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