Your backyard is your family's personal play space. You've got room for the animals and kids to run around, a space to grill out in the summers, and an area for you and your guests to sit and chat. In most cases, the backyard patio is the place a lot of people are looking to improve when they say "I'm going to sell my house." A simple and practical looking patio can make your house pop before you put it on the market. Not only that, it'll easily help add to your value and get a great return.

Size doesn't matter

A lot of people think that the size of the backyard and patio limit what you can do, and they'd be half right. But even a smaller space can be personalized to fill a family's needs. There's no shortage of ideas for smaller back patio designs. You can go as far as to add a fire pit, a grill, a seating area, and posted plants. Or you can just clean it up, fix some basics, add some decor and a few plants. The key to a small backyard patio is minimalism and efficiency of space.

Bigger doesn't always equal better

Assuming you have a good-sized backyard, you have a lot of canvas to work with. With a lot of area comes a lot of ideas. But when it comes to backyard patios, bigger isn't always better. In some of the best-kept backyard areas, a patio is an accent to make space stand out from everyone else. Some outdoor furniture, a simple grill or fountain, and a few well-placed accents on the patio or even side of the house can change the entire look.

Organize

No amount of accents, grill tops, or chairs can make a backyard patio work if the whole thing keeps you from getting to it. We don't mean to hire a feng shui master to make sure the elements align for good flow. But making sure you do not trip over a garden gnome when you try to sit in a chair would be a good start. The basics you want to stick with is to have enough room for two people to stand in between each piece of outdoor furniture or appliance.

We know that you have probably seen some picture-perfect patios with pergolas, a 57" TV, and a hidden beer fridge that pops open with a key fob. That might be right for the millionaires, but keeping up with those might not be practical. Getting creative not only will help keep your space practical, but it'll also save some money. Recycling old pallets to make border planters, or even just cleaning up the old grill can help add to your outdoor space. There's really no limit when it comes to having a practical design for your backyard patio.

Alex Capozzolo is a partner of Henry Buys Homes, a real estate company in Jacksonville, FL. He has been writing for the real estate industry for several years. Henry is a licensed agent that operates in the Florida market.