Having an outdoor living space that resembles the style inside your home is one of the most up and coming features when looking at a home to buy! Let’s face it we live in Southern California which means that buyers are going to be looking at “hefty” price tags when buying a home. We pay those “sunshine dollar” for our homes so it makes all the sense in the world to actually utilize the “outside” when purchasing your next property. I have many years of experience and yet still amazed when showing homes that perfectly nice people – with way more education than I have – many times just cannot visualize what can be done with a house. Time and time again the “strange” color of the children’s room is all they can focus on. I gently mention that with a few hundred dollars that color can magically turn into a soft “oatmeal” which matches just about any decorating theme. When it comes to the outdoors – forget about it. This is when a design “seeing eye dog” has to enter the picture.
Many homes in the San Diego area- in a somewhat affordable price range – do not have large outdoor spaces. Some of the newer areas basically are at “zero” lot line with tiny patios and maybe enough room for a bush! If a family has three kids and needs a swing set and trampoline – well these homes are not going to work. So we keep looking. However whether its a small patio or a larger space- these days there are endless choices on how to incorporate your outdoor space into extra living area! YES – on those 3 days of rain you have to make a quick adjustment – but for most days you will have an “entirely” extra room that you don’t have to pay for! The above photographs are samples of some “manipulating” the outdoors. The build in BBQ one is a bit “over the top” and obviously what you want to build depends on budget. A nice free standing BBQ can work just fine. First of all just notice what your inside design is like – modern, turn of the century, little of everything? That will make the way you design your outdoor living space easier.
Personally I would start at the Garden Center of Home Depot. It just sounds reasonable and they have amazing choices. You can actually look at the Brown Jordan catalog and literally create your “own” collection. From picking out a frame to colors, patterns, materials, cushy or not so comfy (who would pick that) basically whatever your wants and needs are. A great way to start is to decide on a focal point. Fire pit is popular — or maybe just a dining area. A couple of comfortable couches, a dining table and chairs, some end tables for drinks, a great outdoor carpet (so many fabulous choices these days) and a fire pit and you have an entirely extra room for entertaining. Open up the doors from the inside and you double the guests at Thanksgiving! For special hints look at the HOUZZ app– you can get amazing ideas and scale them to your budget!
We are lucky to live in a city with such great weather! Let your mind go wild and create a warm comfortable outdoor space!outdoor-living-spaces-34305-1900
