How to Plan Your New Backyard Patio
If you have an expanse of land outside your current home, you may want to make better use of it. After all, while it is nice to have a verdant grass lawn, it is not practical for many outdoor activities, and you may want to consider introducing a patio as well. Yet before you make snap decisions, what design and placement factors should you think about?
Fundamentals
If you're going to go to the effort of commissioning this work, you will need to make sure that it ticks all the right boxes. Fundamentally, you will want it to fit in with your lifestyle, complement the design and decor of your property and add value to your investment.
Placement
To begin with, decide where you will place the patio, and it may not always be in the most obvious location. You may want to think about shade so that it is not under the baking sun during those early evening cocktail hours, or you may want to ensure that it is away from a nearby slope so that it does not become a makeshift swimming pool.
Privacy
You might want to place your patio away from prying eyes as well, even if you get on quite well with your neighbours. Remember, this is a long-term investment, and you will need to ensure that any prospective buyer will be as happy with the patio design as you are.
Materials
Why not inject some colour and variety into the project by choosing non-standard materials? This choice might make the patio more attractive and enable you to add other features to spice up the design.
Practicality and Safety
Don't forget practicality and make sure that the patio is accessible from your key traffic areas. Try to avoid any obstacles or unnecessary steps, but if these are inevitable, then add lighting features so that you can avoid any potential accidents.
Furnishings
As you finalise your design, think about patio furniture as well. What items will you need to introduce, to make this a place that everyone wants to be? Can you get furniture items that will complement the look and feel of your proposed layout?
Two Heads Are Better Than One
Bring in an expert as you plan, and they'll be able to help you with those unanswered questions. An experienced patio contractor will also be able to suggest some solutions that you may never have considered.