What’s the Best Bang for Your Buck in Columbus, Ohio?
Is your backyard ready for an update? Are you looking to create a functional space for spending time with family or entertaining friends? Outdoor living is the ultimate dream for many of us! The Remodel-Design-Build Team at The Cleary Company loves discussing outdoor living options with our clients. Everyone’s bang for their buck can be a bit different, which is why our Team collaborates with you. Helping to guide your vision and create a plan that works best for your wants and needs.
It’s important to choose the upgrades that will enhance your property’s value as well as function for your lifestyle while relaxing or entertaining. After all, outdoor living is fun! Read on to find out the things you can do to create a plan for your new backyard.
Elements for Creating an Outdoor Living Space
Landscaping
Starting with the basics! A yard filled with trees, bushes, green grass, rock gardens, or hardscape areas not only looks great and creates serenity but also adds value to your home. We don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the look of nature at its best. The beauty of the landscape—the options are endless, depending on what you want. Some of us like to work in the yard and tend to plants and flowers during spring, summer, and fall. Some of us want the beauty with a low-maintenance approach. Permanent hardscapes such as patios, stone walkways, landscape rocks, and native perennial plants are one way to achieve a low-maintenance look.
For low maintenance color, add annual flowers in window boxes or planters. Bushes and trees that flower during different seasons of the year will also give your yard visual interest. Our Remodel-Design-Build Team doesn’t do the landscaping but we do work closely with the following companies, and love what they design for our clients!
- GreenScapes Landscape Co – An employee-owned full-service design-build landscape company with over 40 years of experience in central Ohio.
- A & M Landscaping & Lawncare – Offers a full range of landscape installation and lawn care services. A family-owned company established in 1984.
- Hidden Creek Landscaping – Serving central Ohio since 1998. Landscape design, landscape construction and maintenance for both residential and commercial clients.
Patio or Deck Addition
Do you currently walk out of your back door directly onto grass or a small concrete slab? Adding a patio or a deck immediately gives your backyard more usable gathering space. It also creates a better indoor/outdoor connection with your home.
A well-designed and functional patio or deck will allow plenty of space for these essentials:
- Seating can be built-in or moveable pieces for flexibility.
- Tables for dining along with a few side and coffee-style options.
- Prepping and/or serving food with built-in countertops or flexible furniture pieces.
Lighting
We recommend layers of light sources. Lighting serves multiple purposes in a good outdoor living space design plan. Number one is safety but it is also needed for ambiance, tasks and highlighting the different zones in your yard. Landscape lighting illuminates the plants, trees and walkways you add during the remodel—so show them off!
- Spotlights or lanterns to brighten stairways and paths allows for easy movement around the yard.
- String lights create a bit of magic when strung over a patio or wrapped around a tree.
- Sconces and coach lights are both functional and beautiful.
- An outdoor chandelier over a table creates a bit of elegance in the space.
Fireplace or Fire Pit
Make the nights last longer! Plan a designated area for a fire pit. Whether on the patio or in an area of the yard that has been cleared, it’s the spot for making s’mores, late-night conversations, and chilly night warmth.
- What type of fire pit is best for you? There are many options available; here are a few of our favorites.
- Installing a gas line to a built-in fireplace or free-standing masonry pit.
- Building a wood-burning pit made of brick, stone or metal.
- Purchasing a freestanding unit that uses a propane tank.
- Where is the best location? Placing a fire pit on the patio allows for easy access inside and out. While creating a zone farther from the house in a secluded area with lots of seating can also be beneficial.
You’ll get the bang for your buck with family time, socializing with friends and being in the yard where everyone wants to hang out around a cozy fire almost year round.
Creating a Luxurious Outdoor Living Space
Outdoor Kitchens & Bars
Nothing says “luxury” like an outdoor kitchen! We’ve done it all, from a simple area for a grill and table to finished outdoor kitchens complete with refrigerator, sink, storage, and built-in cooktop and oven. An outdoor kitchen takes meals to another level and provides for entertaining fun.
Building a Pergola or Pavilion
A semi or fully-covered conversation or dining area will give you protection from the sun and allow you to enjoy your backyard even when the weather is less than ideal. They create an outdoor conversation area you can fill with comfy chairs, pillows, rug, and small tables. Your new outdoor room for chatting with the kids after school, reading a book on a lazy afternoon, hanging out with neighbors while the kids play, or a spot for a late-night glass of wine and conversation. It’s the backyard zone that says, “sit, relax, and stay for a while”.
Privacy
If your yard is already blessed with a great deal of privacy, you’re one of the lucky ones. Many suburban and urban yards can be fully seen by the neighbors. While that isn’t always a bad thing, designing areas with some privacy is a request most homeowners want when remodeling outdoor spaces. A privacy wall (wood or a living wall), plants in large pots, trees, shrubs, and grasses, a pergola, a trellis with flowering vines, or all-weather curtains are all great options for creating privacy in your backyard.
Ready to Get Started on Your New Outdoor Living Space?
Still have the question…What’s going to be the best bang for the buck for your needs? Start the conversation with our Remodel-Design-Build Team and we will help you navigate the best way to remodel your outdoor living spaces. Contact our Client Relations Coordinator today @ 614-459-4000! Or we can call you, schedule a phone conversation on our website.
