- Investing in outdoor amenities can help reduce stress, improve immunity, and increase property value.
- Landscaping with native plants, raised beds, flowers, and lights can create a beautiful backyard.
- Livable spaces like decks, patios, and gazebos should include seating, tables, lighting, and fireplaces.
- Outdoor entertainment options such as swimming pools and outdoor kitchens provide fun activities and convenience for entertaining guests.
The home’s outdoor area is integral to a homeowner’s experience. In fact, according to the National Association of Home Builders, 85% of homeowners prioritize their outdoor space when making home improvement decisions. This statistic reflects that spending time outdoors has been proven to have many health benefits, such as reducing stress and improving immunity.
Furthermore, investing in the amenity of your outdoor space can also significantly increase your property value. A recent real estate expert Zillow’s study showed that homes with attractive outdoor features increased their overall market value by over 5%.
Fortunately, there are various choices for improving your outdoor space. Here are the top amenities to consider:
Landscaping
Landscaping is a great way to transform your outdoor space into a relaxing oasis. Landscaping can enhance the aesthetic of your property and help give it an inviting feel for family and friends. Additionally, landscaping can help insulate your home from extreme temperatures, reduce noise pollution, and support wildlife habitats with native plants.
Creating landscaping doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, either. Planting low-maintenance shrubs, trees, and flowers are all great ways to build a beautiful backyard. Additionally, installing raised flower beds or container gardens is a great way to add color without taking up too much space. Using perennials is another excellent way to bring life to the garden year-round since they are hardy plants that will come back each season without replanting them yearly.
Other features, such as walkways or retaining walls, can create structure in your garden and help define various areas of the space. It is also essential to consider adding seating for people who want to spend time outdoors while enjoying your landscape design. Finally, consider adding lighting fixtures such as path lights or solar lights that illuminate pathways at night or light up certain lawn areas with colored lights for special occasions.
Livable Spaces
Creating livable spaces outdoors is a great way to use outdoor space for everyday living and entertaining. Comfortable areas can include decks, patios, porches, gazebos, and other outdoor rooms that make your home feel more like an extension of indoor living. An outdoor room should be comfortable and inviting, with amenities that accommodate the homeowners’ lifestyle. Here are some essential amenities to consider when creating livable spaces:
Seating
Seating is essential for any livable space. It provides comfort and encourages people to relax outside while providing extra seating for dining or hosting events. There are many options for outdoor seating, such as sofas, chaises, lounges, chairs, benches, ottomans, hammocks, or swings. Consider the size of your space and how you plan on using it before deciding what type of seating is best for you.
Tables
Tables provide practicality and functionality to your livable space by providing a place to enjoy meals outside or entertain guests with board games or card games. When selecting outdoor tables, consider the design aesthetic you want to create and what materials will best withstand weather elements such as sun or rain. Popular materials include wood, metal, wicker, glass, or plastic, offering various table choices, from modern to traditional designs.
Lighting
Outdoor lighting adds ambiance and enhances safety when entertaining in the evening hours. Additionally, lighting fixtures are fantastic decorative pieces that transform any ordinary patio into an inviting gathering spot at night. Choose from various wall-mounted or hanging pendant lights, depending on what works best for your design theme and needs. Solar-powered path lights are also popular since they’re easy to install and require no electricity hookup.
Fireplace
Of course, temperature plays a vital role in outdoor entertaining. An outdoor fireplace installation is ideal for creating warmth and gathering on cool nights or brisk mornings. Consider a professionally installed masonry stone or brick fireplace or an easy-to-install gas fire pit that lets you enjoy the convenience of flame without any mess.
Outdoor Entertainment
Adding a swimming pool or an outdoor kitchen can be ideal amenities for entertaining. Swimming pools are an excellent way to cool off during the hot summer months and are great for hosting parties and get-togethers. They also provide physical and mental health benefits such as improved balance, flexibility, coordination, and stress relief. Additionally, they can significantly increase the value of your home by up to 15%.
Outdoor kitchens are also great for entertaining guests. With an outdoor kitchen, you can take advantage of the warm weather while preparing meals in a shaded area away from indoor heat and humidity. Outdoor kitchens allow socializing with family and friends by providing space to cook, grill, and share food together outside. Also, they make entertaining easier since they offer plenty of counter space for prepping food and extra refrigeration space for storing ingredients. Outdoor kitchens come in all shapes and sizes and come equipped with appliances like grills, pizza ovens, burners, sinks, drawers, cabinets, storage shelves, ice makers – anything you need to prepare a delicious meal outdoors!
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, many options exist to improve your home’s outdoor space. Consider what amenities best suit your lifestyle and budget when transforming the outdoors into a livable and entertaining area. You can create an inviting, functional, and beautiful oasis for years with creativity!
