Our Dec 30, 2009 blog article, "Small Projects, Big Bang," said that adding a deck gives the biggest bang for your buck with the average cost being $10,000 and having up to 100% return on investment. 
We decided to add a covered patio and a hot tub with a pergola. We could have kept going, but ran out of money. We plan to extend the patio and add a door out of the master onto the patio later.
