When you think about your dream backyard, what does it look like? Do you have a lot of space for lounging and enjoying the sun, or is it more like an extension of your kitchen and entertaining space?
Your dream home is within reach! Follow some of these tips and watch your yard become something incredible.
Define Your Purpose
Stop and plan before you start pulling up plants or putting in a deck. The three things you need to consider are your goal, your budget, and your timeline. Your goal will cover what changes are important to you. Set a list of required and wanted changes, with needed ones being things that must happen.
Setting a budget and a timeline are equally important tasks. Both should have a little wiggle room and a definite endpoint. If you let your timeline be too loose, this could be a project you spend years on, and if your budget isn’t tight, you might break the bank on it instead of making it something that will add value to your home.
Add Shade and Shelter
Summers are getting hotter, so keep your guests from burning up when you invite them over. Consider adding an awning, pagoda, or gazebo to help add shade to your property. When building this shade, remember to stop and add solid ground for the shade to stand on. Products like 12×12 deck tiles can make easy work of any space that needs a good base.
Create Zones
Making zones for your yard is one of the best things you can do to create a cohesive plan. This might mean a zone for an outdoor kitchen, a zone for a firepit, and a zone for lounging, or it could simply be the difference between a space for a good garden and a space for an aesthetic garden.
The best way to plan this out is to get a drone footage picture of your home from above or a screenshot from Google Maps of what your house looks like from above. From here, figure out the square foot scale and sketch out your preferred location. This doesn’t have to be a piece of art, but you should create a clear guide that’s possible to follow.
Choose Comfortable Seating
Seating will make a big difference in how much time you want to spend outside and how comfortable your guests will be when you have them over. Look for all-weather furniture, and consider whether or not you’d like to have cushions outside. Some people buy weatherproof cushions and still bring them inside when not in use, so they’ll last as long as possible without sun bleaching.
If you’re putting the furniture together yourself, consider researching how to use self-drilling screws to make your life easier. There’s no need to struggle!
Add Ambiance with Lighting
Lighting is the perfect way to keep the party going past sunset. You don’t have to have flashing or colored lights, but anything above flood lights is needed. Watch your placement so they don’t shine into your or your neighbor’s windows, and consider setting up a smart system so they’ll only turn on the moment the sun sets.
This is a great place to use solar power, so you don’t have to stress about adding a lot of lighting to your monthly energy bill.
Create Privacy
Nobody wants to be under a spotlight every moment they’re outside. Just like you should use the best cedar decking possible, it’s important to consider what materials and structures you use to create privacy. High-quality fencing or tall shrubbery that blocks the view of your yard can be great choices.
Incorporate Greenery and Landscaping
Greenery and landscaping should be a part of the dream backyard! Consider using plants that are native to your area so you don’t have to deal with as much maintenance or work when you’re creating this dream property.
If your lawn frequently has standing water, creating a rain garden is a good idea! These will pull all excess moisture down into the soil and lower your home’s risk of flooding.
Personalize with Décor and Accessories
Make your home stand out by adding touches of personality that suit you. If you need help with that, pull colors from the interior of your home into the exterior in the decor, furniture, or even plants.
Your siding should help your property stand out as unique and attractive! Eye-catching styles like dark vinyl siding colors will pull in far more buyers than something that blends in with every other home on the market.
Your Dream Yard Is Within Reach!
Whether you want your backyard to be an entertainment hub or an oasis away from the world’s stress, you can make your dream a reality. Follow these tips, and check out Wild Horse Estates for more inspiration!
Author Bio:
Sam Willis is a freelance writer that loves sharing his knowledge and expertise in residential and commercial real estate, as well as engineering and construction. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he enjoys spending time with his wife and researching real estate trends in his free time. Sam’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a construction industry resource site.