Having a deck, sunroom, patio or a yard you love can potentially increase your living space. Think about it: instead of dinner at your kitchen table, you can eat on the patio. Instead of hosting a cocktail party in your living room, you can celebrate outside on the lawn. If you have always wanted to have an outdoor living space that encourages family and friends to enjoy the fresh air, here are a few ideas for transforming your yard into an inviting and usable space.
Work Within Your Budget
Before beginning any project, it is a good idea to establish a budget. Once you know how much money you have to spend, you can determine how you want to spend it. Many yard makeovers can be accomplished for less money than you realize – especially if you incorporate a few do-it-yourself projects.
Develop a Plan and Prioritize Projects
You may have grandiose ideas about transforming your entire two-acre yard into a fabulous, favorite-yard-in-the-neighborhood space for kids and adults alike. This approach can become a bit overwhelming if you don’t prioritize your plan into manageable projects.
For example, if you want to have a space for a table and chairs and a grill outside your back door, focus on building a patio. Then, once the patio area is in place (after you and your significant other put the decorative stones in by hand, or hire a landscaper to do it for you), you can move on to planting bushes and flowerbeds around the patio. Completing one project at a time will help you stay focused and see your accomplishments more quickly than attempting to take on the entire yard all at once.
Keep Your Lawn Healthy
Having a fabulous patio on which to entertain friends is great, but if everyone is looking out at overgrown bushes and weeds, some of the ambiance will be lost. Companies like www.arbor-nomics.com can help keep your lawn healthy and weed-free and well pruned. You may want to consider hiring a professional landscaping and lawn service to get your yard into tip-top shape before you take over the maintenance long term.
Work within the Space You Have
Before you begin any type of yard transformation project, consider what you have to work with. If you have a small, fenced in space behind a townhouse, it is best to incorporate a few smaller shrubs or garden areas rather then planting large trees and bushes that encroach on living space. Just like you wouldn’t put an overstuffed sectional sofa into a small den inside your home, you will not want to plant bushes that will make your yard look crowded, either.
Whatever you decide to tackle first, remember that a yard is often a work in progress. Keeping your budget in mind with regard to the types of projects you can accomplish toward your overall goal will help you achieve optimal results. It may take some time, but with hard work and planning, you will be enjoying your new outdoor living space sooner than you think.
Writer Melanie Fleury enjoys spending time outside watching her husband tend to the lawn. She loves having usable space outside of her home for her kids to enjoy. She used www.arbor-nomics.com to learn more about how to properly weed and aerate her grass for the best lawn possible.
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