When most families decide to buy a home, they are often times on a strict budget and can’t afford all the “bells and whistles” right out of the gate. Instead, they buy a nice home that can be transformed into the perfect place to raise a family through a series of small projects, and the backyard is almost always the best place to start.
When you properly design and build an outdoor living space, you’re creating a platform for future renovations throughout your home. For instance, while you remodel your kitchen, you can still cook and entertain guests with your outdoor cooking and seating area. The same thing applies to your living room renovation because you can time it for during the summer so you can have a nice space in your backyard instead.
On top of all the flexibility an outdoor living space provides you for your future projects, it is also a great place to build memories for you and your family. There is no substitute for a great location where your family can directly interact without the distractions of computers, phones, and gadgets, and your new outdoor living space can be exactly that. Here are a few things to consider before you start renovating your backyard for family fun.
An Open Design
The most important thing to consider is having a nice open design that flows well with the rest of your backyard. If you are having a 4th of July party, for instance, you want your guests to be able to easily move between the food serving area, the seating area, and the standing space throughout the rest of your backyard. This is also means that if you want to let the kids go out in the yard with their 36 inch sparklers, you won’t need to worry about them running into anything or starting a fire. An open design will also keep you connected to the outdoors rather than creating a complete extension of your home.
A Cooking Area
Obviously, if you’re going to be entertaining guests on occasions such as the 4thof July, you’re going to need a nice barbecue area. Not only will you need a grill and some burners to prepare the food, you’ll also need counter or table space for serving the food and providing plates, utensils, and napkins; not to mention you’ll need a place people to sit to eat! Building a full outdoor kitchen attached to your patio is cost-effective and will provide you with years of backyard entertainment.
A Seating Area
It goes without saying that when you serve food in your backyard, you are going to need somewhere for everyone to sit. I still prefer the good old picnic table route, but there are many families remodeling their backyard with molded concrete furniture, lawn furniture made from recycled materials, and even something as simple as folding chairs. Whatever way you choose to set up your seating, it will probably be perfect as long as you offer enough seating and it matches your theme.
IF you are looking to remodel your backyard so you can host parties like the 4thof July, all you really need is a patio, a cooking area, some seating options, and an open design and you’ll soon be enjoying your new outdoor living space.