TENNIS ANYONE? HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE

How A Home Tennis Court Can Add Value To Your Home Life

Tennis is a great recreational sport for adults and kids alike. It's a fun physical activity that strengthens both the upper and lower body. It's a great sport for the mind and builds concentration and focus. It's also a great sport to entertain around as an outdoor value-add to your outdoor space. Combining physical exercise and entertaining builds a sense of community around healthy living and the natural environment.

A standard tennis court is 60 feet in width by 120 feet in length, which is best be built on a property of at least one acre. Costs for building one court range drastically by the local price of labor and materials but one should be prepared to pay at least $20,000 for excavating, drainage, court construction, and a basic fence amenity. Additional amenities might include a pavilion or advanced lighting.

The life span of a court and its maintenance, will depend on its surface with concrete courts lasting the longest or up to 40 years. Concrete courts are also versatile and can be created into basketball and volleyball courts. Its surface is also very uniform for playing on.

Asphalt surfaces are also very durable and cheaper than concrete. Ball-play is also fast like on concrete.

Clay courts (Har-tru) are notable for their slow speed and high bounces but less consumers are aware that these kinds of courts are softer on the body and cause less injuries. Clay does require weekly maintenance (watering) and can stain clothes. In the US, most clay surfaces are built from a natural crushed stone found in Virginia, which is quite durable.

Grass tennis courts are less common in the US but they do exist and can be built for you. Like clay, grass absorbs weight and can reduce stress on your knees. Unlike clay surfaces, grass surfaces are fast and favor the serve and volley game. Grass courts do require daily care including mowing and water management. Due to its texture, grass courts are probably the most unpredictable with regard to ball bounces.

Building a tennis court takes approximately 60 days and the court should be positioned North-South to avoid glare to the eyes. Remember, most hard courts need to be resurfaced every 5-8 years to fill in cracks and add a top coat of paint and court lines.

Lisa Keshet is a real estate professional with Unlimited Sotheby's International Realty and works across the Boston area. She's an avid tennis fan and player and uses the pronouns, she.her.hers. She can be reached at: [email protected]