Pools, Patios, and Gardens to Die For

Summer is upon us, which means backyard barbecues and dips in the pool. For home buyers with a few million to plunk down, some high-end homes offer a lot more in the backyard than a patch of grass and a kiddie pool.

Perusing dozens of impressive properties, we compiled a list of for sale homes with amazing pools, gardens and patios. Pools are amenities particularly sought out in areas of the U.S. where the weather is warm year-round. Given the scarcity of land in California's posh ZIP codes, a multimillion-dollar price tag does not guarantee a backyard, let alone a lavish pool. "It's like the idea of a million-dollar view--everyone wants one, but they can be hard to come by," says Ginger Glass, a listing agent for Coldwell Banker Previews International in Beverly Hills. An amazing pool area "can significantly increase the value."

In Pictures: Top Homes with Pools, Patios

Glass, who represents a pool-touting $4.8 million Paul Williams abode in Beverly Hills, notes that many buyers do not want to have to invest the additional work--let alone the $100,000 a lavish pool area in 90210 can cost--if they don't have to. "Most people that buy these types of properties will pass entirely if it doesn't have a pool area ... [and] I've seen people buy homes of lesser quality just because they do have one," states Glass. The 1930s Williams estate boasts a pool with arcing water fountains, red brick patio areas, a built-in fire pit and English garden landscaping on the borders.

A tiered infinity pool, which creates a visual effect of water running to the horizon, can really glitz up a view. Despite the chilly mountain air, Aspen's $25 million Larson Drive estate comes with an outdoor infinity-edge pool that creates the illusion of water meeting mountains. It's heated, so tired skiers can soak while staring out at Aspen and the nearby snow-capped peaks.

For $7.5 million or a monthly rental of $75,000, Miami Beach's Temple House offers 13,000 square feet of sound-proofed living space, but the real draw comes from the roof, where fountains pump water into the infinity pool.

Pools aside, some of the party-perfect properties open onto lush gardens that resemble parks more than yards. The $3 million Malibu mansion on Kanan Dume Road proffers a pool area gazing out over the Pacific Ocean. Lavender fields and hundreds of rose bushes are just a few of the green-thumb draws to the yard.

New York City is notorious for a lack of space, yet wealthy home buyers can still finagle a slice of opulent outdoor space if they're willing to part with some cash. Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, two miles from the southeast tip of Manhattan, has a penthouse apartment on the market with a plush, private rooftop garden. More than 70 species of flora inhabit the garden, watered by a built-in irrigation system. There's a vegetable garden, potted fruit trees and arbors teeming with vines. The 1,000-square-foot space can accommodate 100 guests and host them with a wet bar and mini fridge.

"It's hard to quantify what a garden like this is worth," says Heather McMaster, the Corcoran Group listing agent for the Brooklyn penthouse apartment on Saint Johns Place. She usually calculates the value of outdoor space in Brooklyn at roughly one-third of the value of interior space. In the case of a property like this, however, the outdoor space's value shoots up.

Like other unique amenities, unusual pools and extravagant gardens can differentiate an estate from others on the market. Manhattan's One Jackson Square, a luxe condo building in the ritzy West Village, just sold its priciest penthouse apartment for $18.95 million. Included in the price tag is a wrap-around roof deck with private pool.

If the amenities are too customized and taste-specific, they can mean a prolonged stay on the sale block until the right buyer manifests. Two homes we have featured in the past could run the risk of experiencing this scenario: Las Vegas' $10 million Wood Creek Court listing (reduced from $13.5 million last May) and Dallas' $9.75 million Northaven Road listing (reduced from $11.5 million in January). The Vegas abode boasts a resort-style water park with lazy river, while the round Texas house hugs an interior, circular moat.

Here are five homes on sale in America with the coolest pools, patios and gardens:

189 Larson Drive, Aspen, Colo.
List price: $25 million