Rand Country Blog March 30, 2016

Outdoor Home-Projects for the Spring

nightime-patio-1419782It’s the end of March and thankfully the winter wasn’t too bad in the tristate area, being hit with only one snowstorm. Spring is officially here, but given how unseasonably warm the winter was, it felt like spring had arrived early. Now, with spring having started last week, we can focus on seasonal activities. At this point in the year, you’re probably thinking about ways you can add some features to your home that will bring more fun in the gorgeous weather. There are many things you can do to your house when the weather is more agreeable, so here are a few we suggest.

If you have young children and a tree in your backyard that’s strong enough, you may want to consider building a treehouse. Not only will it be a constructive outdoor activity, but it will also give you a chance to spend time with your children if they’re able to help you build. Before you start constructing it, make sure the tree can securely hold the house within it’s branches. Even if the tree is perfectly stable, don’t build the house too high, but rather a height you know your child will be able to climb safely and easily. In the end, this will not only be a great bonding opportunity for you and your child, but will also act as a chance for the latter to earn some experience with tools, if they’re old enough to use them.

Spring has sprung, and so has the barbecue and outdoor-party season. For this, a great thing to include on a back patio is a serving station mounted to the wall. You can use it to provide drinks and/or food, and it will add to the party atmosphere of your backyard by subtly letting the guests know this is a house that’s always ready to have a get-together. This project won’t take up much time and will come in handy for when you have guests over. If you don’t want to have too many food and drink tables taking up much space when throwing a party, a serving station may eliminate the need for a table or two.

Speaking of parties, if you have a few that go into the evening, this will be a wonderful excuse to add some lighting. You don’t want to have to bring your guests inside on a beautiful night when it gets dark out, so having some outside lighting for your patio and backyard will allow your guests to stay outdoors and enjoy your parties late into the night. Adding the right outside lighting can provide your house with an enchanting appearance, and will keep your guests coming back for your late-night get-togethers. Whether you want to drape string lights around your patio, position battery-operated candles throughout your backyard, or go exotic and use tiki torches, lighting up the back area of your house will enhance the party atmosphere and allow your guests to stay until midnight or later!

If you anticipate throwing several parties during the spring and summer, you may want to think about building an outside kitchen. Although a regular charcoal or gas grill may have served you well in the past, having an outdoor kitchen will offer a lot more features with which to cook and offer plenty of food that will keep your guests happy and filled. There are so many different kinds of food you can grill, so having an outdoor kitchen with many cooking tools at your disposal will certainly help in providing unforgettable meals for your fun- and food-loving guests.

Do you have a covered patio and/or porch? If so, you may wish to add a hanging daybed. You can lay on it and take a tap, get lost in a book, or just look out on your backyard and take in the springtime scenery. Imagine yourself sitting outside and listening to the crickets and enjoying those tranquil spring evenings as you gently swing back and forth on your daybed. Once this project is finished, you will have a whole new way to relax outside.

Do you have a green thumb? If so, you may want to start gardening. If you plan on potting some plants, you may want to construct a potting bench for yourself where you can keep everything in order. Seeing as you’ll probably be working with multiple gardening tools and several plants at once, you’ll want to have a place where you can keep all of the necessary materials together. Instead of having your tools and potted plants all over the place as you’re working, you’ll have this station to let you stay organized.

Just as the flowers grow in spring, you can let your creativity do the same when constructing new outdoor features for your home, as there is so much you can do to your house in the spring, in between the biking, barbecuing, and sports. Take advantage of the wonderful weather and use as much time as you can outside to provide your home with new touches that will get it ready for a fun spring season. All you have to do is pick out a project(s), grab some tools, and get to work!

To learn more about Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.

 

Sources

www.huffingtonpost.com

www.addicted2decorating.com

www.ksl.com

www.houzz.com

www.homedepot.com