Whether you’re a homeowner with a large, sprawling garden or just a small balcony, putting some care and effort into improving your outdoor space can increase both your enjoyment of your home and the value and desirability of your property, which is especially important for homeowners looking to sell their homes as soon as possible.
With a few intelligent and budget-conscious changes, you can transform any outside area into a stylish, relaxing, and functional extension of your home.
Plan and measure the garden’s layout
You should begin by examining and measuring any outdoor spaces you have. Make a plan for the different ways in which you could use these spaces. – Would you like to use your garden to dine, unwind, entertain, or all of the above?
By making this decision early on, you can move on to planning the layout of any furniture and features you might need to incorporate. With some careful and intelligent planning, even a smaller outdoor space can function as a comfortable and practical dining area, but remember to measure any garden furniture and accessories before you commit to buying them.
Choose the right furniture
The right furniture can make or break your outdoor living space.
Choose items that are both comfortable and hard-wearing, keeping in mind that they will need to be able to survive a variety of weather conditions. Try to source furniture built out of weather-resistant materials such as aluminium or teak. You can also add cushions and blankets for some extra comfort and colour, but these must also be made out of weather-resistant textiles.
If you have limited room, you may want to invest in multifunctional furniture like storage benches or foldable tables and chairs. This can also help raise the value and desirability of your home if you are looking to sell as soon as possible. – If however, you’re short on time and are thinking to yourself “I want to sell my house fast”, then you’ll want to consider what you’re doing with furniture after you move and make sure that you’ll have space for it.
Add plants and greenery
If you want to foster a sense of beauty and tranquillity in your outdoor space, consider incorporating a variety of plants and greenery with the help of online resources. Flowering plants can add stimulating colours, textures, and life to your garden or balcony and be beneficial for your local ecosystem.
If you’re working with a smaller garden, you could instead try your hand at vertical gardening using wall planters or trellises. Similarly, potted plants are well-suited to smaller spaces as they can be easily rearranged according to need or preference.
Add functional mood lighting
Another important but often overlooked facet of a functional and beautiful outdoor space is lighting.
Intelligent light fixtures can help make your space more usable during dark evenings, while also creating a warm, cosy atmosphere. Depending on space and budget, you may want to consider lighting options such as string lights and lanterns.
Lighting can also be used to highlight eye-catching features, provide a sense of safety, and create a comfortable ambience when entertaining small or large groups.
Try some DIY and Upcycling
Another effective strategy if you’re a budget-conscious homeowner renovating an outdoor space is to reuse what you already have. Take inspiration from anything lying around your home and garden for items that could be upcycled or repurposed. As an example, you can turn old wooden pallets you may have into eco-friendly garden planters, or use clean metal cans to plant miniature herbs or flowers.
Upcycling is not only easy on the wallet, it also adds some individuality and personality to your garden and is more environmentally friendly than buying something off-the-shelf.
In a similar vein, there’s a lot of fun to be had and money to be saved by going the DIY route.
A lot of garden improvement or renovation jobs are not as tricky as they first seem, often requiring only basic household equipment and a little elbow grease. You may want to consider building a little deck or patio area, or laying a gravel path with the help of a loved one.
Before undertaking a DIY garden project, make sure you conduct thorough research into the materials and skills required and be realistic about your own limitations. This is especially true if a project requires any plumbing or electrical work, which can be both costly and dangerous if not completed to a high standard. Happy gardening!
