Top 5 Ways to Renovate Your Land or Garden
It’s a rare occurrence in this day and age to have a haven of land around your home that you can call your own. If you’re lucky enough to have a sizeable outdoor space, you’ll want to ensure you’re making the absolute most of it. Here we take a look at our top 5 ways you can renovate your outdoor area, garden or land to truly get the most of every square foot.
Great Outdoor Cookouts in an Outdoor Kitchen
An outdoor kitchen allows you to host fantastic garden parties and family cookouts, all the while being with your guests and not running in and out of the house. A great outdoor cooking island would include a large grill, sink, small refrigerator, ice maker, counter space and drawers for utensils. Stainless steel appliances would be preferred by most people who usually do a lot of entertaining outdoors.
As with any indoor renovations, you can cut costs by deciding on the décor and appliances in your outdoor kitchen, but when it comes to the electrical, plumbing and gas lines a professional should be called in for the installation work. Also remember to check out the laws in your area, as sometimes outdoor kitchens will need to have permits or follow council regulations.
Dream Gardens and Walkways
If you’d rather turn your outdoor area into a private oasis for you and your family, consider hiring a landscape architect to design your dream hideout. A landscaper can transform your yard into a beautiful area for strolling through or sitting on a bench with a good book. Water ponds, bird baths and small cascading waterfalls can even help you turn your garden into your very own mini wildlife sanctuary.
Add a trellis topped with country cloths or vines to provide shade for a seated area for meals in the garden, and soft lighting and waterproofed furnishing to turn your yard into a relaxing entertainment area.
Poured Concrete Pools and Timber Decks
Pools are always a favourite for a growing family. The kids will get plenty of exercise, keep cool in the summer, and let’s face it – who hasn’t always dreamed of their very own pool in the yard?
Set off your pool area and provide a beautiful area for sunbathing by adding timber decking around the poolside. Wood is a popular choice for a deck and is easy to construct around all different shapes of pools. However, timber will require regular maintenance and varnishing, so a popular alternative is ‘smartwood’ – a wood-look aluminium material.
Extend the Heart of the Home: the Kitchen Extension
If you’re considering eating into some of your land by extending any room of your home, it should really be the kitchen. As the old saying goes, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the first port of call for everyone entering the home – family and friends alike; it’s where you sit down to a meal and talk about your day, and it’s where you entertain guests at a cocktail or dinner party. A larger kitchen will add great value to the home.
Working with a professional carpenter will help you stay on budget and bring your vision to reality. The best place to start is with a wish list of everything you want in your new kitchen. If your goals are more space, better access to the outdoors, an island with an extra sink or more cabinets and counter space, everything should be written down. This wish list will allow for the contractor to plan for the flooring, wiring, lighting, plumbing and everything else for the kitchen.
Your wish list should be evaluated and ranked by priority. Your contractor will be able to put together an estimate on the full cost of the extended kitchen. You will need to know how much you want to spend and how much you can give up if your wishes are way over your budget. Expanding your kitchen with more square footage will give your whole family room to enjoy the kitchen and perhaps enjoy the outdoor views more often.
Add a ‘Granny Flat’
When you have enough space to add an outbuilding, a great option is to add a little ‘granny flat’ to the back or side of your home. Elderly parents would have a place to stay and be near you or you could rent out the self-contained area for some extra income. A nice cottage with pretty landscaping will increase the value of your property.
Tony Palmer is Operations Manager at Living Environs, Landscape Architecture and Outdoor Renovations experts in Perth, Western Australia. Find Tony on Google+.
