Expanding outdoor living space adds value to your home

(BPT) - Even during a challenging economy, the outdoor living trend remains popular as homeowners seek to add lasting value and functional living space under the sky and stars. Whether its a do-it-yourself patio or a professionally installed outdoor kitchen, the beauty, usefulness, value and ease of maintenance in outdoor living space is limitless.

Extending living space outdoors is as old as time itself. Creating an outdoor room is a natural extension of your indoor living space, says landscape architect John Johnson of Burnsville, Minn. By creating a space in the open air and adding elements like fireplaces, pergolas, water features and greenery, you get a very different feel. People want and need that connection to the outdoors.

Adding value

Without erecting the traditional four walls and roof, outdoor living space can be easily added to large, small, twin or town homes. Enhancing an outdoor space with hardscapes adds value and can be adapted for multiple uses.

Homeowners continue to embrace the trend of maximizing outdoor living space, whether its an outdoor kitchen or patio living room with a fire pit, says Lonny Sekeres, a landscape designer with Villa Landscapes in Oakdale, Minn. Real estate experts say that for every dollar you invest in landscaping projects, you could see up to a $2 return when you sell your home.

Do-it-yourselfers will find easy-to-install, maintenance-free pavers and segmental retaining wall systems are budget-friendly for patios, walkways, courtyards, raised gardens, fire features and wall projects. New construction should include plans for exterior hardscapes, and remodels can benefit from the advice of design-build professionals or experts from a landscape supplies retailer, says Sekeres.

There are so many solutions to fit any budget and need, says Sekeres. Products like Willow Creek permeable pavers allow rainwater drainage if needed, and retaining walls come in colors that complement any environment.

Al fresco living

As a natural extension of the homes ground floor, a patio expands a family's living and entertaining space significantly. It provides a perfect gathering spot for guests and family who will be drawn from indoor dining areas to this enticing space.

A popular trend is to expand kitchen space with outdoor grilling areas, stone fireplaces for cooking wood-fired pizza, or stone counters around a grill for food preparation. Because the kitchen is typically the customary gathering place in the home, its a natural extension for family and entertaining guests, Sekeres says.

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Expanding outdoor living space adds value to your home