Making improvements to your house before you put it on the market is a great way to raise your property value if you make the right changes and additions that is. If you’re putting up your home among the homes for sale in Charlotte NC or any other city and don’t have a lot of extra cash, these cheap backyard additions may be one of the best ways to get the most bang for the buck.

Landscape Lighting

A survey conducted in 2016 by the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals, as reported by US News, revealed which projects offer homeowners the best ROI. An overall landscape upgrade topped came out at No. 1 at 105 percent. One of the least expensive additions you can make to your backyard landscaping is often referred to as “Malibu lighting.” It’s easy to install, runs on solar power and helps to prevent people from tripping while showing off your yard and garden at night, silhouetting the trees, and it may even keep burglars away.

Water Features

Adding water features doesn’t mean a swimming pool – you won’t make your money back on that investment; in fact, you’ll lose. The average pool costs $75,000 to install, and you won’t be able to tack that much onto the asking price, according to Today.com. What is a good idea is to add less expensive water features like a hot tub, a small pond, a fountain or even a smaller decorative piece with a recirculating pump.

Upgrade an Old Patio

An updated patio can transform a backyard into an enticing place to entertain and relax. A couple of ways to do that includes concrete stamping, which makes concrete look and feel more like high-priced flagstone, slate, cobblestone or brick. You can also use color or staining to provide a rich color scheme that mirrors materials like wood, stone, marble or leather.

A Deck

Decks are more popular than ever and may bring 75% ROI or even more. The key is to avoid going overboard, keeping the cost of the deck more in line with the overall value of your home. For example, installing a large, luxurious deck in a tiny house with a little yard isn’t a good idea financially. Experts recommend the deck be about a fifth the size of your yard.

Reseed Lawn

National Association of Realtors managing director Jessica Lautz says one of the most important factors in ROI is a well-maintained, clean landscape, including a healthy lawn. Freshly-seeded grass makes for a lush, inviting lawn and it only costs around $120, yet increases your home’s value by 417 percent ROI.

If your lawn needs a lot more than reseeding, think about laying sod. It can transform your backyard instantly. It only costs about $700 for 1,000 square feet, but it will increase the resale value of your home by $1,000. Plus, it’s likely to make it sell faster too.