As the holiday decorations are stowed, we start looking beyond our home’s windows to its outdoor space. This has been a cold weather season of extremes for certain, where a four-hour plane from Fargo, North Dakota to Miami, Florida saw a 100° difference in temperature. This is the time of year when thoughts turn to planning how to improve your home’s worth; or at least how to make the extension of your living area just a little bit cozier. Even more functional! It’s also a time to consider financing options to make those improvements possible. Planning in January affords the time to achieve your vision by Memorial Day or July 4th depending on what you’d like to do.
Today, there are tons of backyard improvements from defining space for an herb garden, adding a splash of color with vibrant shrubbery, to installing an outdoor kitchen. If you had the financing you needed to realize your vision, there’s a world of updates to shower your outdoor oasis with sunshine!
1. A built-in grill makes for easy clean-up and the opportunity to cook healthier alternatives. From the simple grate to sleek gas appliances set in stonework, a grill will make the ideal addition to your patio area.
2. If you have the space, financing solutions for outdoor kitchens are possible to really deck this exterior room in state-of-the art wine fridges, sinks, stoves, and wet bars. While we make loans that work with your budget, take careful consideration if an outdoor kitchen is something you will utilize enough to justify the expense. If you love to entertain poolside and like to keep your home and kitchen as neat as possible, cooking and dining alfresco is the way to go!
3. Fire bowls certainly create drama when placed around a pool’s perimeter. Their unique finishes look stunning by day and offer their unique brand of lighting effects after dark. If your pool is already accented by lighting, a fire pit surrounded by a graceful circular walkway sets a stage and adds that special touch of community to your backyard.
4. Installing a hot tub will be a gift that keeps on giving as you’ll be able to indulge well into the colder months with a wonderful spa setting to submerge yourself in after a long day.
5. For some Zen-like elegance, you’ll find an exceptional array of fountain options from which to choose. Embrace the outline of that beautiful cascade with a terrarium assortment, some Lucky Bamboo, and spiked yucca plants.
6. Install a new pool or refurbish an existing one! If you want to elevate your backyard to a family-oriented zone, there’s nothing like a shimmering pool to fit the bill. For relaxing or swimming yourself into shape, a pool is probably the best present you can give to your home. While it may seem a herculean task, our pool financing pros work with you to determine the loan that best suits, and then offer you a list of stellar pool contractors to design that little piece of paradise to your specifications. On the other hand, if you’ve been enjoying your pool for many years, there is a long list of updates you can opt for from refurbishing the pool’s interior surface to the newer trend in lagoon-shaded hues, to adding a splash of technology to control things like the pool cover and temperature from an app on your phone. Whether a major overhaul or some nuanced updates, you can infuse your pool with some style.
7. Like a fire pit, sometimes defining a new seating/lounging area is all the facelift you need. How about a smaller deck off the master bedroom to create a private retreat, or a side deck off the one main one to add architectural interest to your home? Whether it is to serve as a outside dining room or a sun deck, outfitting your new deck with furniture to define its purpose is a good spend of your home improvement loan.
8. Perhaps clutter is an issue for your yard. Between the inflatable rafts and the pool cleaning tools, you are feeling a bit disorganized. Sheds come in all shapes and styles today, and they can be painted to match your home and be adorned with similar accents. You can even stow some of the overflow from interior closets by using it to house outdoor Christmas lights and decorations.
9. Need to define a quiet area for meditation/reading? How about a gazebo with ceiling fan and a comfy swing surrounded by aromatic blooms? Dress it up with cushions covered in prints of greens and blues and creams to lend a soothing quality.
10. Perhaps you want to pry your kids from their phones and tablets and TVs? There are wonderful kits to build a fort, or a treehouse, or even a swing set. Getting your children out into the fresh air is also a great way for them to interact with their siblings and neighborhood friends. If not a little playground, floats and pool games will get them into the water and some exercise.
Besides conforming to safety standards and pulling the appropriate permits, there are no limits to what you can carve into the appearance of your back or front yards.
Often real estate that is overlooked, the potential for changes that you can effect are limitless. If you were contemplating adding a family room or another addition to your home, consider first what unique living spaces you can have constructed outdoors that are generally lower maintenance. Bringing the “inside out” is a trend that has taken off over the past few years.
With days spent in front of computers and many of us working within the confines of an office, it is a wonderful reprieve to take in the fresh air and enjoy a backyard pool or spa with your friends and family.
We love the difference we can make for your family by providing something that puts years of memories within reach. Call 877-754-5966 for more information.
