I was watching “Bang for Your Buck” on HGTV the other morning and enjoyed Vern Yip’s comments and comparisons on three outdoor living spaces. As he searched for the best property investment on a $40,000 budget in Nashville, I discovered that Yip and I are on the same page as to what we liked and what we would change about these spaces.

The first couple spent their $40,000 budget on a beautiful outdoor Brazilian teak deck that flowed into a Tennessee blue-gray stone walkway and built-in fire place. They constructed a large pergola to really help define this area as another room and placed all-weather wicker furniture facing the fireplace.

Over all I thought it was good use of the money, but I strongly agreed with Vern that they needed more greenery and accessories to warm up the area. When you have lots of hardscaping you need to bring in softness by adding plants, flowers and cushions.

The second couple added a lot of landscaping using foliage and flowers to their enormous yard. Adding a coy pond and fountain really made for a soothing outdoor environment for this family. They also went for great hardscaping by creating a beautiful geometric brick flooring area with an outdoor fireplace along with custom cushions on dining table chairs and benches, a great spot to enjoy the fire with family and friends.

This was a perfect oasis. However, having numerous trees and plants surrounding this fantastic space does require a lot of maintenance, which Vern agreed, but if they are not planning to re-sell the home, it is a fantastic use of their budget.

The third homeowners spent most of their budget on a contemporary saltwater pool complete with cascading steps so their young kids and dog (yes dog) could stay cool in the shallow end of the pool. I thought it was very modern but I wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of getting in the same body of water as my dog.

They created an outdoor room by simply hanging white outdoor drapes on curtain rods around the inside edges of a porch covering. Once again Yip and I agreed on the outdoor drapes. They are the perfect choice if you want a cabana resort look without spending a large amount of money. They placed an opening for a flat screen into the inner faced wall and situated chairs and ottomans for seating along with two charming swings dangling between the drapes.

This was my least favorite because they spent too much of their budget on the tile and type of pool rather than finding a good use of their resources. They could have purchased a lot more for their space.

Vern mentioned that the pool needed plants surrounding it to soften the modern lines of the pool and less accessories in the outdoor room. Maybe we weren’t completely on the same page about the outdoor room but I agreed that more foliage was needed around the pool.

The Verdict:

Couple number one would have the biggest return; almost 100 percent of their $40,000 investment would be given back to them. Couple number two did well, with a 99 percent return. On the other hand, couple number three would only get $30,000 of the $40,000. Not great but not too shabby.