In a perfect world, every house dweller would have a nearly level backyard, allowing them to play, relax, plant gardens, and more. However, that's not what you always find when you look for a house. If you've moved into a home that has an uneven yard, be it due to poor grading, hills, or other issues, it's time to tame those lumps and create a beautiful, usable space. One of the simplest ways to do this is to add retaining walls, clearing the way for a patio.
Improve Drainage and Stability
Water will run along the path of least resistance, and in a hilly yard, that means into gullies and channels that could flood parts of the yard. The water could also make the soil more unstable and prone to mini-landslides.
If you clear out the lower portions of the yard, create terraces with retaining walls, and have the yard properly graded, water will run off toward storm drains and away from the house. You do want a slight grade in a yard, angled away from the house so that water doesn't run over the patio and into your house instead. But this grade is minimal.
Rain will then soak the (well-draining) soil in the terraces, and any extra water can be directed through French drains to the street. The walls will prevent loose soil from collapsing in storms, and the patio provides a non-muddy area to sit in once the rains are over.
Feng Shui Your Yard
Nature might abhor a vacuum, but feng shui abhors cluttered, unusable spaces. While it's true that some schools of feng shui advise against doing construction in certain areas that change yearly, not all do, and in general, having a lumpy yard with shifting soil and flooding is worse than doing a little digging.
If you want to make your environment as harmonious as possible, create a usable lawn and plant beds along with a clean, bright patio. Have the yard professionally designed and get new patio furniture for a clean, trim look. Stabilize the soil, and actually spend some time out on your new patio. With all the different awnings and pergolas to choose from, your patio could become a central social spot for the household. That's going to bring much more positive energy to your home.
Show You Care
Even if you don't have a fancy yard that looks like it could be in a home design magazine, just having a neat, usable yard with a clean patio shows you care. If you leave the yard in a state that makes it not very good for any planting or activity, and if you just have dirt or an old, cracked patio leading up to the house, it looks like you don't care about your environs. Clean things up, have a new patio put in, and make your house look loved.
You have your choice of patio and wall designs, so there's sure to be something you like. Some patio contractors can also custom-design a patio for you, so see what the companies in your area offer. Companies like Advanced Landscape Solutions can help with your renovation needs.
