How long have you been cooped up indoors? A few days? A couple of weeks? Maybe even months? At this point, you might be tired of spending your days inside your house. You could take your leisure hours outdoors. But that can be challenging when your garden or patio is in disarray. Sprucing up these areas of your property can have a remarkable effect on many things. Learn why you should do so and how you can make it happen.
Why Spruce Up Your Outdoor Areas?
Spending your time outdoors has been recommended during this time, especially if you’re entertaining company. According to the Centers for Disease Control, if you plan on having a small gathering, it’s less risky to do them outdoors.
There are other health benefits involved when you spend more time out of the house. According to several health experts and studies, you get more vitamin D when you spend time outside. This vitamin is essential for improving your immunity and preventing health conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Being outdoors also improves your mood, making you feel happier.
Finally, improving the looks and utility of your outdoor areas can also increase the price of your real estate property. A lovely looking garden or patio can improve the curb appeal of your home and attract buyers should you attempt to sell. Real estate experts say that a nice exterior to your home can increase its perceived value by anything between 5 and 11 percent.
Fixing Up the Outdoors
So what are some basic guidelines for making your home’s outdoor areas more attractive and enjoyable to spend your time in? The following tips will help you achieve these goals and get you out of your home in no time.
Get Some Shade
Although vitamin D from the sun is essential in keeping you happy, healthy, and alive, too much sunlight can be very bad for you. That’s why you must employ some means to get some shade in your outdoor areas. A couple of beautiful motorized retractable awnings can transform any patio into an outdoor lounge. If you don’t have the resources for this type of installation, a few lawn umbrellas can also do the trick. Alternatively, you can build a hardscape project like a carport or a gazebo to improve your yard.
Put Out Some Seating
Unless you plan on sprawling on the bare ground or cement, getting a place to sit and lay about should be a priority. You can get creative with how you provide seating spaces in your outdoor areas. You can choose to go with the traditional reclining lawn chairs for a classic feel. Or you can opt for classy and durable wrought iron chairs and benches. For a more Bohemian appeal, why not make biodegradable pillows out of hemp cloth and sacks?
Set Up Lighting
If you want to make use of your outdoor spaces after the sun has set or during a gloomy day, you’ll need some light sources. Although you could go with an outdoor floodlight, this can be a little harsh and too bright for your enjoyment. Instead, you can use a variety of means to light up your outdoors. Large chili lights and bulbs on a string give your patios and gardens an excellent bistro-like appeal. Maybe you could put out a few large outdoor lamps with colored glass domes to shine some exciting light effects. Or you can suspend some colored mason jars in woven nets around the place and put tea candles and the like inside them for a rustic ambiance.
Ensure Your Privacy
No matter what you plan on doing in your outdoor area, whether that’s lying down with a good book or sunbathing, you’ll want some privacy from unwanted attention. The most obvious choice for increasing your privacy is to put up fences around your property. However, you can also try more creative methods. For example, screens of woven wooden frames have an excellent earthy appeal to them. Or you can find tough and heavy drapes and hang them around your patios. Bamboo slats and wooden blinds obscure the view into your property but also let in cooling breezes. Finally, why not use plants and vines to create natural screens? This will make your house more comfortable and add a touch of soothing greenery.
Civilization might have spent thousands of years perfecting the comforts of the indoors, but there’s nothing that compares to the comforting aura of the outdoors. Take some time to make your outdoor spaces more appealing, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can find staying at home more comfortable.
