COURTESY PHOTO | An outdoor living space recently constructed by AquaFX, a Mount Sinai-based landscaping company.

Local landscapers agree: a sluggish economy over the past few years has more and more people foregoing vacations and instead spending that money to spruce up their backyards for a sort of home vacation they can get long term use of. Some call it a “staycation.”

“The economy has changed people’s lifestyles over the years,” said Jeffrey Ingrassia, owner of AquaFX, a landscaping company based out of Mount Sinai. “They’re staying home and improving their living, indoors and out. They’re vacationing at home.”

Some backyards closely resemble living rooms these days, he said, complete with couches, outdoor carpets and weather-proof TVs.

And people are constructing makeshift kitchens with bars, fire pits for cooking and outdoor brick ovens for pizza making.

When fall hits, some customers opt for outdoor fireplaces so they can spend cooler evenings outside.

Mr. Ingrassia said building an outdoor living room from scratch can cost $3,500 and up and an outdoor kitchen starts at $4,950.

Another backyard trend for the fall is a fire and water combination, he said. At this time of year, he installs many fountains and streams, and sets a fire pit nearby.

He called the water-fire combination “a tranquil, relaxing, mesmerizing aesthetic.”

“People want to walk out of their sliding door and feel like they’re taken away somewhere for a few hours,” he said.

This year has been the busiest Richard McCarrick, owner of Bella Fleur Landscape in Coram, has ever seen.

“I think a lot of people can’t sell their houses for what they’re worth, so they’re making them more enjoyable,” he said.

The biggest trend he’s seen is building a bar in an outdoor kitchen. Enhanced barbecue areas, fire pits and fireplaces are also popping up more than before, he said.

Beth Pranzo, marketing manager at Swim King Pools in Rocky Point, said the fall is a time of year many decide to renovate their pools and backyards. More customers are opting for safety covers for their pools, which are “neat-looking,” Ms. Pranzo said, as they’re perfectly sized to fit pools and have brass anchors.

A safety cover is a more attractive alternative to covering a pool with a tarp, which can sag, she said.

As summer winds down, hot tubs are also popular choices for the backyard, Mr. Ingrassia said. Some people who have them don’t even use them during the summer, and choose to open them up around now.

In addition to beautifying the backyard instead of shelling out for plane tickets and hotel rooms, Mr. Ingrassia said people are adding features and living spaces to their backyards at this time of year “to soak up the last bits of summer and be outside before it gets too cold.”

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