Maximizing small backyard spaces — especially when adding a hot tub — requires thoughtful planning and a strategic approach. Even with limited space, you can create a functional and beautiful oasis.
David Kasten, operations manager of Creative Energy in Northern California, has firsthand experience with this. His backyard is only about 600 square feet, yet he has a hot tub, two fire features, a barbecue and a dining area.
Kasten says to create a dream outdoor space in a small backyard, every section must be used efficiently and large items should be scaled down.
“Everything should be small because your backyard is small,” Kasten says. “Get a reasonable hot tub for your backyard. Get a reasonable fire pit. You don’t want a giant thing.”
When designing a backyard with a hot tub, Ryan Landwehr, president of A&B Outdoor Furniture and Accessories in Arkansas, stresses that it’s not just about the tub itself.
“People are looking for more completeness in their backyard,” he says. “One of the things we try to educate retail sellers on is going above and beyond the hot tub in the backyard. What’s going to make that investment the most practical, useful tool in their backyard?”
Accessibility
Homeowners need the hot tub to be easily accessible in all weather conditions, especially in places with intense winter weather, Landwehr says.
“We know when people have to make a considerable effort to get in their hot tub in those northern climates in the middle of winter, they’ll simply choose not to do it,” he says.
Ensuring safe access for all ages and sizes is also crucial.
A&B Outdoor Furniture has designed a platform step with an extra-wide top tread to improve safety, especially in wet and dark conditions. Wider steps offer more stability, helping people enter and exit the hot tub easily.
In addition to allowing room for quality steps, Mark Falango, owner of Knight Tubs in Ludlow, Vermont, recommends adding lighting around the tub to increase visibility at night.
Placing the hot tub in a private, unused corner of the yard can also maximize space without sacrificing convenience, Kasten says.
“I wouldn’t put it in the center of a small backyard,” he says. “I always recommend you put the hot tub in the dead space because you want to utilize everything.”
Homeowners should ensure they can modify the surface where the hot tub will be placed. The ground will need to be leveled and covered with stone, concrete or another substance that allows better drainage, Falango says.
“You don’t want to put a hot tub on raw earth,” Falango says. “It’s healthier for the tub to sit on something that can drain.”
Additionally, Falango says his team tries to help homeowners find a location where the hot tub or its cover won’t block a window, which could make for an unfavorable view or block natural sunlight.
Convenience
Accessories might seem like they take up space, but they can enhance usability without crowding the backyard. Landwehr suggests hot tub owners think about convenience accessories, such as side tables for drinks or towels, early in the planning process.
You have to be very strategic and make sure you’re putting in the right accessories and finishing touches to make the hot-tubbing experience simple, convenient, safe and easy.”
Ryan Landwehr, A&B Outdoor Furniture and
Accessories
“They’re [often] not considering that when pouring concrete or putting the tub next to their house,” he says. “You have to be very strategic and make sure you’re putting in the right accessories and finishing touches to make the hot-tubbing experience simple, convenient, safe and easy.”
A&B builds tables customized to fit around all the major hot tub brands and styles. These tables provide a place to set drinks, cellphones, towels and other items. While some hot tubs have a little space to store items, many do not offer enough, Landwehr says.
“And it’s always wet, so you’re gambling a little bit with drinks, the phone slipping and things like that,” he adds. “Everything we do, we want to complement what you’re trying to achieve with your backyard visual.”
By listening to the buyers’ needs and desires, retailers can recommend additional accessories and products to help them create the hot tub experience of their dreams, even in a small backyard.
Beyond the tub
While the hot tub is often the focal point, incorporating other elements such as fire features, comfortable seating and dining areas can transform the backyard into a true outdoor living space. Kasten recommends using low-profile fire pits and ensuring that all seating and furniture is proportionate to the space. A fire pit with a solid cover can double as a coffee table, providing additional functionality in smaller backyards. To extend the use of the space, electric heaters can add extra warmth during the winter months.
“If you’re going to bring the indoors outdoors, make it look like the indoors,” Kasten says.
Plants and landscaping work best along the perimeter, where they won’t encroach on usable space, he adds. Landscape lighting along the perimeter can enhance the aesthetic, as well. Kasten recommends low-voltage lighting on a timer or controlled by a phone app.
Because all the elements of a backyard space must work together, Kasten suggests hot tub retailers build relationships with landscapers and other professionals who can help create a cohesive outdoor living space.
“If you don’t have that referral base, you’re doing your customers a disservice,” he says.