One of the top ten features new home buyers are looking for, a patio offers exciting and flexible additional living space for dining, cooking, entertainment and lounging. Adding an outdoor living area to an existing home is one of the most desired and least costly home improvements in the current real estate market. Depending on your budget and your home’s style, a patio can be as simple as a flagstone area with an outdoor dining set or as elaborate as a covered multi-purpose outdoor palace decked in stylish furnishings and fabrics.
Patios are the ideal venue for alfresco entertainment. Perfect for cooking, relaxing in the sun or dancing by dazzling designer illumination, there’s no place like a beautifully landscaped patio for summer festivities. If you’re adding a patio, be sure the door leads into the kitchen, as you or any future owners will want easy access for bringing out food and beverages. Many home owners install superior sound systems, glitzy lighting, flowing drapes and stylish furniture, transforming their yard into a lively lounge at the flick of a switch. Areas can be enhanced by fire pits, conversation areas, fireplaces, cabinets and even televisions.
Many families are incorporating play courts into their patio areas, providing a fun-filled recreational area for children adjacent to the main part of the house. A children’s area can consist of a simple picnic area or a wildly imaginative custom-built fort. Oversized cushions, sand boxes, giant board games and reading nooks can be incorporated into an inviting outdoor playroom, keeping kids happily engaged in an easily supervised area. Pool-side patio areas offer a stylish transition from the pool to the indoors. Often including Jacuzzis and fire pits, these water-side havens provide a comfy area for supervising little swimmers or enjoying a drink and a burger after a refreshing dip.
Whether lavishly decorated or coolly casual, patios offer a lush private oasis. Be sure to locate your patio in a private area of your property, either in a back or side part of the yard, so you won’t be providing a public view of your private time. Many patios are attached directly to homes, and providing overhead coverage gives even more of a feel of an actual outdoor room. Pergolas, shade sails, gazebos, patio umbrellas and retractable awnings give an airy indoor/outdoor feel while providing shelter from inclement weather or too much sun. To extend the season of your little at-home getaway, outdoor heaters provide a cozy option. High quality furniture, colorful throw cushions and pretty table accessories let you mirror the inside of your house in a pretty outdoor living area.
Citations:
- Image for use with article
Great Aussie Patios are experts at creating durable outdoor living spaces as well as steel carports to protect your car. Custom made and built to last, they can make a fantastic addition to your home.