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SmartMoney Magazine: Turf Battles
Fertile Ground
Turf Battles
By Chris Taylor  Published: March 3, 2003
In This Story

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This story is from SmartMoney magazine.

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THE HARD TRUTH IS that some backyard projects run the risk of scaring away prospective buyers. Here are a few splashy additions that not everyone loves:

Swimming pool
You see: Your home's crown jewel, a place to lounge and entertain.
Buyers see: Constant chlorine monitoring in summer, an eyesore in winter and an area they'll have to fence off so the neighbor kids don't wander in.

Sport court
You see: A multipurpose area for tennis matches and half-court basketball.
Buyers see: A huge patch of asphalt where a beautiful yard should be. So much for their backyard sanctuary.

Tea rose garden
You see: The fruits of your intense labor and the most gorgeous garden in the neighborhood.
They see: Intense labor for them, too, including continuous pruning and the fending off of garden pests.

Fruit trees
You see: A picturesque and fragrant orchard. They see: More pruning, rotting fruit that falls to the ground and the omnipresent flies that feed on it.

Built-in fire pit
You see: Barbecue heaven for alpha males.
They see: An immobile stone monstrosity, when a small "portable campfire" unit would've done the trick — and given them more backyard flexibility.

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