The warmer weather is a good catalyst to get you itching to do those home improvement projects, especially those that prolong and enhance your outdoor living experience.

With rising interest rates and the cooling of the recent housing boom, homeowners have access to less equity to do such a project. So, now more than ever, you need to be smarter about choosing a project that will give you a better return on your investment.

Adding a new deck, or remodeling an existing outdated deck, will do more for you than just boost your outdoor living experience. It will add value to your home and its resale value.

Remodeling magazine's most recent "Cost Vs. Value Report" compares construction costs with resale value in 58 markets and gives you a city-by-city guide on what various home projects will pay back at resale. According to the report, the national average resale value of adding a deck is 90.3 percent (and can be as high as 99.5 percent in the Western region of the country).

So, for example, if a homeowner were to spend $5,000 on a deck, the cost recouped at the time of resale would be $4,515.

In comparison, the national average resale value for a mid-range bathroom addition is 86.4 percent; a major upscale kitchen remodel is 84.8 percent; a mid-range family room is 83 percent; and a mid-range home office remodel is 72.8 percent.

"Composite decking is a great choice to further boost the resale value of your home," explains F. John Long, who is responsible for the sales and marketing for GeoDeck, a leading composite decking and railing manufacturer.

"While it might cost more up front, in reality composite decking costs less over time compared to pressure treated wood because it requires minimal maintenance. You don't have to stain or seal it every year, and the boards hold up over time unlike wood, so there is no need for spot replacements. As a result, composite decking is an even better investment for your home."

According to a recent survey in Fine Homebuilding magazine, the expected annual growth of composite decking from 2005 to 2009 is 23 percent while the expected growth of pressure-treated lumber during the same period is 0 percent.

"In addition to being an excellent investment, the rising popularity of composite decking is largely due to the fact that homeowners realize it allows them to make the most of their precious free time," continues Long. "They can enjoy their weekend on their deck rather than maintaining it."

David Mansfield, owner of Marblehead Landscape Company in Massachusetts, adds: "More and more people are becoming involved in the design of their deck. Since they're spending so much time enjoying their backyard, they really want the space to reflect their taste and lifestyle. They're asking for things like gazebos, trellises, and built-in benches and planters. And when you build all of those things with composite decking like GeoDeck, they'll get to enjoy their entire deck for years, instead of maintaining it."

If you'd like to improve the resale value of your home while also creating or improving your outdoor living experience with a deck, and would like some design tips, visit www.geodeck.com/tips to get started.

Courtesy of ARA Content