Do you dream of an outdoor living space such as a terrace, patio, or deck decorated with a group of nice lounge chairs and plants? Read our tips on how to go about fulfilling your dream.
Get The Outdoor Living Space Ready
The outdoor living space is often a gathering place where we spend a lot of time on our free days when the weather allows. Here we can grill, sunbathe, read books or just sit and talk with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Building a terrace, patio, or deck yourself can be a little tricky, to say the least, if you’ve never done it before. In order for it to be right from the start, it is always best to hire a contractor who builds the patio for you. It also goes much faster.
Choose The Right Contractor
If you choose to hire a contractor to build your patio, it is important that you choose the right one.
Remember to check reviews and feel free to take references if they have done similar jobs before. Compare quotes but remember that the cheapest may not always be the best.
Preparation Before Building Your Patio
To begin with, you should think about where you want your outdoor living space. The most common is the one located adjacent to the house.
However, there is nothing that says you could not have it in another place. What should it look like?
If it is an outdoor living space above ground level, it is nice to build a welcoming staircase. The staircase can also be used as extra seating if you have many guests to accommodate.
Prepare The Ground Under The Patio
Once you have decided where to have your patio, it is good to see what the ground looks like underneath. Is it rock or is it easy to dig?
If it is an outdoor living space at ground level, you need to fix the ground below before construction can begin.
Preparation is something you can do yourself without any major difficulties. But if you are not the handy person, it may be worthwhile to let the contractor do the job as well.
If you do it yourself, make sure that the ground below is solid, well-drained, and flat.
If you have topsoil, you need to remove it so that you get a solid surface. Then pour on a layer of gravel. Make sure to pack down the gravel.
You can rent a machine instead of buying your own if you do not have one at home to help with packing down the gravel. You can then add a layer of landscape fabric to make sure that no weeds can grow through.
Creating A Patio Space
Once the ground is prepared, the contractor can start creating a patio space. In the meantime, you can start thinking about ideas on how you want to decorate the patio.
How will you use the space? Do you want to use the space to host gatherings for friends and families or make it a smaller space for meditation?
Keep in mind that it is important to match the outdoor furniture with the size and use of the space.
How To Improve A Patio
Turn Your Patio Into A Green Oasis
Plants and flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but they also contribute to more life on the patio.
If you think butterflies are nice to look at, you can choose flowers that the butterflies like to fly to. Examples of this are lavender, which also smells very good, as well as steppe sage.
When decorating with plants and pots, it is good to think in the same way as decorating indoors. Choose a main theme and stick to it.
It often gives more harmony and then you can choose different heights and variety of plants. This way, you will be able to create a unique and exciting environment.
Do Not Forget The Stairs To Your Outdoor Living Space
If your outdoor living space is elevated, a welcoming staircase up to your outdoor space is always nice. It can also be decorated with beautiful plants or flowers.
If you have smaller children, it can be fun to have strawberry plants that grow along the stairs so they can then pick strawberries. Clover is also a fun plant for children, where they can sit and look for their own four-leaf clover.
Stylish bottles with water in them can also contribute to a nice decoration. This gives you the opportunity to water a little if you see that a flower looks a bit sad when you have water close at hand.
Light Up Your Patio
If you have not installed power for your outdoor space, it can be a good idea to do so when you are making these changes.
You can always hire an electrician to help you with it. Otherwise, there are many nice and good lamps that run on solar energy.
Feel free to choose both cozy lighting and spotlighting to get that extra “wow factor” for the evenings (check out the best patio umbrella lights).
The icing on the cake is also to invest in a patio heater so you do not freeze when it gets a little cooler (here is the best patio heater).
My uncle asked me for advice on boosting his property's curb appeal that can entice his neighbors and visitors. I like your idea of developing your exterior into a dedicated outdoor living space where he can relax and entertain guests! I believe that finding a store that sells landscape material supplies can get him started with this.
Yes, definitely so.