Add Living Space with an Outdoor Room

One of the hottest current home trends has redefined the boundaries between our interiors and the Great Outdoors. Our need for more casual living space and a place to escape the stresses of everyday life has spawned the outdoor room.  Gone are the days of the concrete pad with picnic table and charcoal grill.  The outdoor living space has become an extension of our lifestyle.  Clearly,  some homeowners have taken the concept to its next level, building outdoor great rooms - complete with full-use outdoor kitchens, dining areas and living spaces for entertaining family and friends. Whether it be expensive and elaborate, or small and simple, an outdoor retreat can provide all the best that the indoors and outdoors have to offer - sun, fresh air, nature, comfort and convenience.

Creating an Outdoor Room

What to do if your resale home doesn’t have an outdoor escape?  Consider adding it to your list of home improvements!  Homeowners who add a deck, patio or porch addition can expect to recoup anywhere from 83  to 100 percent of the investment, depending on their location. 

What about the outdoor kitchen, built-in barbecue, fireplace or swimming pool?  If it wasn’t initially in your home improvement plan, and you plan to move in the near future, best skip it.  Potential buyers may have their own ideas about how to best utilize the outdoor spaces of your home.  And some outdoor hardscape features, like the pool, may end up deterring some groups of buyers due to safety or maintenance issues.

The Outdoor Room on a Tight Budget

What to do if your budget for outdoor improvements is tight?   Here are some suggestions to make your money stretch as far as possible while still providing potential home buyers with the essence of a relaxing outdoor retreat:

• Play up the connection to the outdoors.  Concentrate on outdoor areas with direct access from the inside via French doors or patio sliders, and spaces viewed through picture windows in public spaces or the master suite.
• Make the most of what you already have.  Better to create one lush, inviting outdoor space than spread your resources too thin and miss the mark.
• Lay a patio with dry-fit pavers.  If your backyard currently has no surface suitable to support outdoor dining or relaxing, consider installing a small patio.   A dry-fit patio is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways for the do-it-yourselfer to create a stable floor for an outdoor room.
• Scrub the deck.  If you have an outdoor deck, make sure it’s in tip-top shape.  Thoroughly clean and renew the wood surfaces.  If you installed a maintenance-free decking, a good scrub will do.
• Transform the concrete.  Dress up a plain, boring, gray concrete pad with concrete stain.  Measure and tape off large tile shapes with some narrow painter’s tape.  For a natural, stone-like effect, cover your hands with latex gloves, then rag the concrete stain onto the concrete.  Pull off the tape and paint in or seal the “grout lines.”
• Create a garden retreat.  Scope out an area of your backyard to create a garden retreat.  It should be secluded from open view, or tucked under the shade of a tree.  If you don’t have such a place, pick the corner with the best view and create a private retreat there.  Build or buy a simple structure, like an arbor or pergola, plant some quick-growing vines at the base, then tuck in a garden bench cozied up with some outdoor pillows.  Create a curved garden path from your back door or patio to your retreat with some stepping stones or pavers.  Rest.  Relax.  Enjoy.
• Add a water feature.  Nothing is more soothing and relaxing than the sound of gurgling water.  Create your own fountain and add a water element next to your patio, deck or garden retreat.  All you need is a large pot, fountain kit or pump, some river rocks and foam sealant to make the pot watertight around the pump cord.  (Keep in mind that you’ll need electricity).  For simple instructions for an outdoor fountain, check out the Home Depot web site under Outdoor Living projects.
• Keep some of  the lawn.  If you do plan to add some outdoor hardscaping like a patio or deck, don’t dig up the lawn.  A small swath of lush, green lawn will help cool down the backyard on hot days, and it will be attractive to potential buyers with young children and pets.
• Plant for low maintenance.  Don’t overwhelm potential home buyers with gardens and planting beds that require a lot of attention and up-keep.  As a rule of thumb, the grounds shouldn’t take more than two to three hours a week to maintain.  Visit the local nursery or contact the county extension service for information on plants that are native to your area.
• Furnish your outdoor living room.  Manufacturers have stepped up to fill the demand for durable, easy-care furnishings and outdoor fabrics made to withstand the elements and resist mildew.  Define your living space with an outdoor rug; they come in all patterns, colors and sizes, and cleaning them is as easy as spraying them off with the garden hose.  Invest in some new lounge seating if yours is looking shabby.  Check out the new all weather “wicker” furniture woven from resin over aluminum frames.  Add cushions and throw pillows to make your lounge comfy and cushy!  Don’t forget to add potted trees and plants to your patio or deck area.  If you plant in fiberglass pots, your patio plants will be light enough to pack up and transport when you move on to your new home.
• Stage your outdoor room to sell.  Before an open house or showing, deck out your outdoor dining room table with colorful outdoor tableware and linens.  In the cooler months, group seating around a fire bowl or chiminea and light a fire.  Show potential buyers your beautiful outdoor room can be used almost year round.

With an outdoor room, your home will gain more living space and attract potential buyers looking for a strong connection between inside and outside.  Show them a place where they can relax, entertain family and friends, and get away from it all, and potential buyers will be sold on your home and the lifestyle it can offer.   For more suggestions on creating transitional spaces in your home for sale, check back for the next post.

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