Fair point! Expanding the patio isn’t in budget and most likely won’t be for a long time. Would the teak patio set go with the brick walls or is that too much of a contrast? A bistro spot for reading and tea is something I’ll be happy with for now.

The teak set will look just fine with your brick (teak pretty much goes with everything); it’s the style (specifically the chair) that’s the problem: The legs splay (for lack of a better word) out too much. I think you’d be better off with bistro-style chairs where the legs are more underneath (again, for lack of a better word!) the seat.

A lot, dare I say most, landscaping is a candidate for DIY. If you are young and industrious, you can certainly build a patio.

Get a book from the library and start studying. You could use sand and reclaimed brick. Be creative. Don't let a lack of funds leave you staring at a blank yard for years on end.

Sammy- Ah trying to avoid the dainty bistro sets as the men in the house need something to “kerplunk/throw” themselves down on and I don’t trust the underneath legs to support that kind of impact. Unfortunately barstool tables are a no go as well. I will keep searching with this in mind.

Latifolia-We’ll be moving in at least 2 years so not too concerned with the full greenery however I do love DIYs and never thought of a patio as one of them! Adding to the DIY list now.

You need a much larger patio and it will be a selling point when you sell.There is no way that teak set can work on that patio as is what you will get barely is the little table and the 2 chairs set on an angle so the chairs don’t fall off the edge.I think if you don’t want to enlarge the patio then get a picnic table on the grass and use the patio for the BBQ and cooking. Forget the flowy curtain there and add a nice umbrella on the picnic table.

Here's the thing: homes in your neighborhood are set very close together - you can't change that. What will improve that is good landscaping, and that is where you will see the return when you go to sell.

Look at houses in dense cities like New York, San Francisco, London. Few of them have big yards, but they often have cleverly designed spaces that provide both privacy and useable space. That is what you need.

There are all sorts of tricks to distract your eye or draw your attention elsewhere. Go to a big bookstore and pick up some magazines on small space gardens. That is where you need to focus your attention and efforts.

Buy yourself a couple of really nice pieces of outdoor chairs with cushions and a very small table between them. You are never going to put too much into that very small space so don't fret too much about it. A really good cushioned patio recliner or slider is going to cost you, but you will be so better served than some cheap stuff from Home Depot. There is never going to be space for more than two people out there anyway, so don't fight it.

Buy chairs with arm rests and not chaise lounges. Those are not very comfortable to sit.

If you wish to entertain, you are going to have to move it out to the lawn. For that, I suggest a picnic table and an umbrella. Of course you will have to move it to mow the grass.

Those houses are really close together. It looks like your using your grill is to blow it right onto the neighbors. Perhaps you should move it out to the lawn just for that reason, to be considerate neighbors.

The real problem is the size and the placement. This is not so much a patio as it is a covered entrance. It also has no privacy at all. You might as well be sitting at your neighbor's back door.

Those bistro tables are not comfortable.