One of the main reasons people live in Sarasota is for the freedom to spend much more time outdoors than our northern neighbors. If you have previously lived up north, you are determined to spend as much time as possible enjoying the lovely Sarasota weather. However, if your home lacks a well-designed outdoor living room, you can not be willing or motivated to spend as much time outdoors. We’ve compiled a list of ways to make a more comfortable outdoor living space to help you get enjoy your yard more and increase the equity in your Sarasota home.
Begin with a Well-Defined Strategy
Many of the photos of breathtaking outdoor rooms that you see on Pinterest, Instagram, and in magazines were not created by chance. All of them started with a well-thought-out strategy. If you’re working on a deck, porch, or patio, you can take a step back and decide what you want the room to be used for.
When planning their backyard, many people get caught up in a single detail, such as a deck or pool, and neglect to consider how those elements fit into the larger picture. You must also consider how each factor will communicate with the others, how much of your budget it will cost, and how it will affect the value of your house.
Speaking of budget, it is critical that you establish one from the start so that you can prioritize what improvements or changes you want to make to your outdoor living room. Even if you can’t afford, right now, to add all of your desired improvements right away, setting an overall project budget will keep you from getting carried away or overwhelmed by things that will distract you from your target.
TAKE UPKEEP AND Repairs INTO ACCOUNT.
If you’re like the majority people, you want to spend more time having fun and relaxing in your yard, so you’re looking to upgrade your outdoor living room. However, if you neglect to consider the requisite maintenance of these primary elements, you can end up doing the opposite.
Spas and Pools
That feeling of being able to jump into a beautiful sparkling clean pool on a steamy summer day or relax sore muscles after a hard workout is a wonderful feeling. The constant need to clean, chemical testing, and general maintenance
needed to keep your pool or spa enjoyable is not something most people want to do on a Saturday. Before you decide to install a pool or spa, make sure you are able to do the routine maintenance yourself or can afford to hire someone to do it for you.
Landscaping, Yards, and Gardens
Looking out your back door at a green, tropical landscape is a genuinely calming experience. Let’s face it: a dead, brown, dry yard isn’t exactly luxurious. A good garden often necessitates some forethought on your part. Be sure to choose specific plants that will work for your lifestyle. If you find peace and enjoyment in spending time in the garden, for example, choosing plants that need a lot of attention will be no problem. If you were not born with a green thumb, you may need to choose plants that grow without much care in a tropical environment or employ gardeners.
Screens and cages
Cages and screened-in porches have grown in popularity in Sarasota Florida because they allow you to spend time in your yard without being targeted by pesky bugs. However, if these handy enclosures are destroyed during hurricane season, they will cost you a pretty penny. Take the time, if at all necessary, to have your cage protected by your homeowner’s insurance. Otherwise, adding a cage or screened porch to your outdoor area is a great way to get more fun out of it when the bugs start to bite.
DO YOU INTENTION TO ENTERTAIN?
Do you enjoy entertaining friends, throwing barbecues, and hosting pool parties whenever you get the chance? Don’t forget to consider having an outdoor dining room, as well as an outdoor kitchen and bar, in your yard. Don’t stop at building a grill if you want to have a truly luxurious experience. To make it even simpler, some people want to add a door or window that leads directly from their kitchen to an outdoor bar or outdoor kitchen. Another common alternative is to install an outdoor wood-burning pizza oven.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE Winter MONTHS
While the weather in Florida is hot and sunny most of the year, there are a many weeks or even a few of months during the winter when temperatures drop significantly. Temperatures in the 40s have been recorded in the state’s southern half during this time. With this in mind, you should also think about adding a few luxury elements to your outdoor space that will help you to enjoy the cooler months. Two common choices are a fireplace or a fire pit with built-in seating.
CONSIDER THE FUTURE
When you are in the exciting process of upgrading or improving your house, it is easy to get caught up in the present. You may be so focused on your current yard’s needs and priorities that you fail to realize how they may alter. If you have small children, for example, you may want plenty of space in your backyard for them to run around without shoes and play, or you may want to add a playground area. However, when they get older and are no longer able to do those things, the interests are likely to change. The more effort you put in in now to making your yard adaptable to various periods of life, the more fun and equity you will be able to reap in the long run.
HOW TO PURCHASE A NEW BACKYARD
Adding a new pool, spa, screened porch, and amenities such as an outdoor kitchen can quickly add up in cost. While these things would most likely increase the resale value of your house, you may not have enough spare cash to make these improvements right now. Many people want to pay for their lavish new yard by taking out a home equity line of credit. Before making this step, check with your local real estate agent and financial advisor to ensure that you are not impersonating yourself.
If going through the hassle of having a loan just to build your backyard doesn’t make sense, you may want to rethink upgrading your current home entirely. In certain instances, it would be more cost-effective for you to move into a new home that has all or most of the amazing features you want in your backyard. Many of the features discussed in this article can be discussed with The Vision Group and Mike Padgett.
