I'm in the process of purchasing a very good-boned but poorly cared-for home. It's a two-story traditional with a brick front with a walkout basement in the back that leads to a two level deck + patio.

My problem is the deck and the patio. The stairs that lead from the upper deck to the lower deck are positioned on the side of the deck closest to the patio (see the attached pictures - all the junk will be gone once its mine!). The result is a very unattractive area under the steps right next to the patio. Its essentially dead space that is too low to accommodate an extension of the patio but too high to just ignore. (the house sits on a steep lot, so the patio is actually about 3-4' below the level of the basement floor. There's a drop-off beyond the patio, so its enclosed by a small fence).

This house is going to need a lot of TLC on the inside, so I don't want to do anything too extensive (aka expen$ive) on the outside right here.

How would you recommend concealing this area (or at least making it a little more attractive) on a bit of a budget?

Thanks!