If you’re like many people stuck at home right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably taking a look around your property to see what work you can do to get it looking better and more relaxing to spend time in.

While your thoughts may first focus on the inside of your house, with summer coming up soon, now is also the perfect time to consider how you might enjoy spending more time outside. Consider giving an outdoor area a makeover, so it becomes somewhere you want to be even after the virus lockdowns lift. Follow a few strategies to create an area you love now and into the future.

Know What You Want to Achieve in the Space

Start by getting clear about what you want to achieve. Do you know how you and your family want to utilize the outdoor room, and is this functionality something that will stay constant over the coming years? Does the area need to be flexible for different seasons or people’s needs?

Think about how you relax and entertain outdoors, and what activities you most want to do in the space. Consider the look and feel you’re going for, too, such as calming, energetic, inclusive, etc. By asking questions, you’ll be more likely to end up with an outdoor zone that makes you happy.

Budget

Budget

The next step is to put a budget in place for the entire project, so you know how much you can afford to spend. Some people have unlimited funds for this kind of work, but most people only have a certain amount of spare money they can feasibly put into various home improvements.

By setting yourself a budget, you’ll ensure you don’t go overboard as the project progresses. Budgets help you to stay realistic and to work out what’s important to you. With a limited cash pool to draw from, you must be discerning about your spending and invest in elements you truly value.

Planning

Planning is essential, too. Before you start removing old fencing, paving, or current gardens or buying new items for your outdoor space, plan out exactly what you want to include, where everything needs to go, and the order in which different jobs need completing. For instance, you may need a plumber to come in and turn off or move pipes before you can install an outdoor kitchen or lay a foundation for a new patio covering.

When completing your plan, consider things such as the level of privacy you want, and how you might achieve this. Think about your requirements for gardens and other landscaping, and if you need to increase or decrease sunlight to an area during different times of the year. Plan out if you need any heating or cooling options, too, such as portable heaters or a fire pit, or overhead fans.

If entertaining is a key reason why you’re revamping the yard, plan the type of kitchen amenities you want on hand, such as a mini-fridge, grill, sink, etc. Alternatively, you might simply want to put in servery windows leading from your current kitchen to the outdoor zone. The more planning you do upfront, the easier it is to ensure nothing gets forgotten and that you stay within budget.

Choose Products

Choose Products

One of the best aspects of putting together an outdoor space is choosing the materials, furniture, and various accessories for it. When you pick items, keep not only costs in mind but also factors such as how suitable materials are for the outdoors and how durable products will be over time. You don’t want to have to keep replacing covers or cleaning daily, so investigate options carefully.

Plus, keep in mind that it pays to spend a little more money on quality items that last well, look lovely, and operate efficiently. For example, the user-friendly Weber charcoal grills might not be the cheapest option on the market, but they’re still affordable and are known for giving excellent results and standing the test of time.

Consider the space you have to play with, too. Measure up the available area where you want to place larger furniture or equipment, so you know if the pieces you see online or in stores will fit properly. Remember to allow enough room for people to walk around each item.

There are many factors involved in creating the perfect outdoor zone. However, if you take your time, follow the steps above, and remain true to yourself rather than following trends, you should soon have the kind of space you’ll want to hang out in for hours daily.