Creating an outdoor living space is a great way to create more space in your home for living and entertaining and more and more folks are taking an interest in making it an extension of their home!

From an investment standpoint, it can actually INCREASE the value of your home if you do it right so here are 5 things to think about before building your space.

1.How will you use it?  Will you really use your outdoor space to host large parties, or is it more for your personal use? What activities need to be available? An outdoor kitchen is perfect for families who will cook outside, but it is unnecessary if you plan on using your outdoor space as a seating area. If you want to watch sports, you’ll need to figure out where you will install outlets and where to place the TV to minimize glare from the sun. Think about everything you will do in your new space before taking another step.

2.Now that you know what you want out of your outdoor living space, it’s time to look closely at your space and consider amy challenges like: does the sun hit certain areas throughout the day? Are there any drainage issues? How close are the neighbors, and do you need to install a fence or other barrier to maintain privacy?

3.What do you want guests and yourself to focus on in your new space? If you have a nice view, you’ll want to make sure to arrange your furniture to optimize that feature. In addition, you can consider if there are any landscaping issues blocking the view that need to be taken care of at this early stage.

4.Don’t forget about the necessary elements to make things work! You need to know where you will run gas lines, electrical wiring, and a water line and sewer if you are planning on including a sink. Plan ahead here. If you aren’t planning on installing a sink now but think you may want one in the future, you will need to plan ahead now to avoid headaches later on.

5. Choose a professional if you want awesome design.  This actually will SAVE you time and money later on to get the most creativity out of your outdoor space. A professional will be able to foresee any problems now and any that may arise in the future.

6. Stick to a schedule. You want to make decisions and plan out the different aspects in a timely manner that allows for you to access the situation, get the pros  in and then leave lots of time so that you can enjoy the summer months ahead!

SOURCE: decksouth

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