Have you recently moved into your new property? Or perhaps you’ve been living in your house for a while, and you want to spruce things up and add some life and character to the whole place. There are a few key ways that you can do this. One of the very best ways is by upgrading your outdoor living space.
Knowing how to freshen up your yard can make a world of difference to your home. According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, doing a spot of landscaping in your outdoor living space can boost the value of your home by at least 15%. The idea of giving your yard a facelift can seem daunting, but keep reading, and you’ll see how simple a job it is once you learn how to freshen up an outdoor space.
If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next home improvement project, then here are our top tips for turning a dull outdoor living space into a vibrant and attractive one.
Design The Space
Before you can even begin to think about the finished project, you need to have a solid picture in your mind of what you want. The best work around the home is done with a careful plan in place. There is no use in just heading out into the yard with a spade and randomly making changes here and there. You need the overall project to look and feel cohesive. What’s the best way to achieve this? Well, you try to design the space yourself if you feel confident, but most people opt to defer this task to the professionals.
Hiring a landscape designer to oversee the design element of the project will help you immensely. First, they will be able to take a look at your outdoor living space and give it a full analysis before deciding on which design elements would work best. If you choose a reputable designer, they will be able to work to any brief you give them and help turn your dream yard into a reality.
Beyond just vision, landscape designers will have practical knowledge of how to freshen up a dull outdoor living space. They will also have lots of handy contacts within the wider landscaping industry. These contacts will include architects, landscape contractors, bespoke suppliers, and craftspeople. All of this will ensure that the improvements to your outdoor living space are bespoke, well-thought-out, and exactly what you asked for.
Create Some Custom Tiling
One great way to spruce up your yard is to consider putting in some outdoor tiling. Take a look around some ceramic tile stores and see if you can find any designs that you like. Most people tend to focus on plants, grass, or wooden structures in their yard. Tiles often get overlooked as a choice, but there are several key reasons that you should try them out.
First, outdoor tiling is a very durable and versatile option. Ceramic tiles are designed to withstand a range of adverse weather conditions, and they should be able to hold up throughout all four seasons. It doesn’t matter what climate you’re living in, they can do the job. Second, they are super easy to clean and present a very low maintenance option when it comes to outdoor flooring.
Thinking about aesthetics, especially in terms of how to freshen up your yard, can be hard. But ceramic tiles present a versatile option when you’re thinking about how to make your new outdoor living space look perfect. They come in a wide range of styles and colors. This differs from more traditional flooring options like grass, gravel, or wood. You can find some unique tiling patterns out there that can elevate your outdoor living space into something worthy of conversation.
Finally, ceramic tiles have a versatile range of applications. You can pick a stunning design and use it for a patio, or perhaps you can opt for some slip-resistant tiles and use them for a pool deck. Keeping your options open is always a good thing when you’re trying to design any space around the house.
Refresh Your Gutters
Here’s the part of the guide where we divert from the luxurious or glamorous elements of learning how to freshen up your yard. We need to talk about the gutters. Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not an integral part of your yard. Gutter cleaning is something you’re going to need to get done before you can call your outdoor renovation project complete.
A clogged gutter will eventually cause rainwater to spill over the edge of your gutter and start running down your walls. Over time, this will become a creeping problem that will eventually get serious. It can lead to water damage both inside and outside your home, not something that you want to take lightly. According to This Old House, water damage affects up to 14,000 Americans every single day. Don’t let your gutters make you a part of this number.
Get Fencing Installed
Sometimes, good landscaping design is about correctly doing the little things that most people don’t notice. A fence is never going to steal the show when you’re walking around a stunning outdoor living space, but it plays a vital role in the overall design, security, and function of your space. If you want to know some of the best techniques for how to freshen up your outdoor space, then you need to understand the benefits of a good fence.
If you’re still not convinced about why you should reach out to a fence installation service, then maybe reading through some benefits of fence installation will help. First and foremost, fences are about privacy and security. If your outdoor space has no fence, then there is nothing stopping anyone from just waltzing in, and nobody wants that. A fence can also provide a physical barrier that lets you enjoy your space in peace and privacy. It’s your home, and after all, you should be able to use your yard how you wish.
Boundaries are very important when it comes to outdoor living spaces. In some neighborhoods, it’s not uncommon for backyards to blend into one another, creating the risk of confusion or even conflict about where one property line ends and another one starts. Hiring a fence installer to put a fence in can solve all of this potential confusion and conflict easily.
Hire an Arborist
Trees are a beautiful addition to any property. In fact, according to TabTrees aborists, having a tree or trees in your yard can improve the curb appeal of your property but as much as 20%. That being said, trees can be big, unwieldy, hard to maintain, or just in a bad place. There may come a point in your yard renovation where you need to get rid of a problem tree. If this situation does arise, then you should hire local tree removal services.
Trees can pose a safety risk to yourself and your house if they’re in the wrong place. For example, if they’re too close to power lines or the structure of the house itself, they can present a danger during stormy weather. As much as a tree is a great addition to a yard, sometimes you just have to get rid of it. It is generally not advisable to do this on your own, you should seek the help of a qualified tree service to come and remove the tree for you.
A certified arborist will be an expert. They will be able to advise you of the best way to deal with a problem tree, and they can work in a tidy, efficient, and, most importantly, safe way. They also offer a wide range of further tree-related services. You may well have hired them to cut one of your trees down, but they can also stay and help maintain other trees that you want to keep.
Install a Pool
This tip surely doesn’t require too much explanation, does it? Pools are a great all-round addition to any outside living space. If you’re still on a quest to find out how to freshen up your outdoor living space for good, then a pool is going to be one of your best options. Pools make the ideal place to host friends and family on a sunny afternoon. They’re also a fantastic way to entertain the kids, and you can use them to get your daily exercise.
Hiring a pool builder is a great idea if you live somewhere that gets a lot of warm and sunny weather. You’d be amazed how much time you will naturally end up spending around the pool on a warm day. It really is the perfect way to beat the heat during the scorching months. Pools also look fantastic, and they will add a visual element to your outdoor living space that you just wouldn’t be able to replicate without a pool.
The Importance of an Outdoor Living Space
Yards and outdoor living spaces can often be a bit of an afterthought when it comes to home buying or home renovation. There is a misconception that they are high maintenance and that only people with green fingers or an eye for design can have a relaxing and peaceful outdoor space in their homes. This could not be further from the truth.
One of the biggest benefits of a good outdoor living space is the sheer amount of space that it can add to your property. If you’ve ever spent time living in an apartment or a smaller house, you’ll know how boxed in you can start to feel when you don’t have access to a more open space. Even just the simple sensation of feeling the fresh air on your skin can be enough to greatly improve your mood.
Approaching it from a more fiscal standpoint, you can see that having a well-designed outdoor living space is a great way to add some value to your home. Outdoor living spaces are desirable among home buyers and if the day ever comes that you want to sell your property, you’ll be grateful for learning how to freshen up the outdoor living space.
Follow These Tips Today for a Happier Outdoor Living Space
If you’re reading this article and looking at your yard, you might be tempted to sigh at the amount of work that needs doing. You shouldn’t despair though. Even just making one or two of the renovation decisions in this guide will help you transform your outdoor space from something lifeless to something that you can’t wait to show off to friends and family alike.
Whether you decide to spruce up the outdoor space with beautiful tiles or build a brand-new pool that can host the most amazing parties, dedicating time and love to making your yard the best it could be is never a waste of time or energy. It’s an investment, yes, but it’s also a commitment to vastly improving your home. And, it can even boost your mental health. According to the mental health charity Mind, spending time in green spaces and nature can improve your overall mental well-being.
Your home is your castle, and your outdoor living space is a part of that. The flowerbeds, tiles, green spaces, pools, and fences are all your castle grounds. Treat them as you would the rest of your house, and you’ll be amazed how much you can improve both the value and the ambiance of your home.
