Americans will be Eager to Spend Time Outdoors this Summer
This May be the Year to add an Outdoor Kitchen and Bar to your Back Yard!
Most of us have been cooped up inside our homes for the last several weeks while first responders and medical professionals have been battling COVID-19 on our behalves. Once the difficulty of this pandemic is behind us, many people will want to be outdoors as much as possible!
I can’t think of a better way to spend time outside of your home this summer than in a customized pool house, cabana, pergola, four-season room or outdoor patio/deck equipped with a gourmet kitchen and bar.
Long gone will be the days of hauling out a wet, rusty barbecue grill after a thunderstorm or lugging and toting supplies outside and back inside when picnicking. The outdoor kitchens of today’s designs are state of the art and can be used year-round even in northern climates like ours.
Entertaining friends and family along with holding graduation and birthday parties will become a welcomed pleasure! The best part is that the traffic, messes, spills and other hazards of entertaining will be contained outside. When you combine the outdoor area with a pool, lakefront or river access you essentially have the landscape to create a virtual paradise on your own property. You will also be adding value to your home or camp that is beneficial for home equity calculations.
So where should you begin?
The first step is to organize your thoughts and ideas about the size of the space you have to work with and what kind of cooking and entertaining you want to do most often. Jot down your “must haves” and a few dream items. Then you can reach out to a design and construction firm to begin sketching out some designs.
The designers will be able to give you the best estimate of costs for materials, appliances and labor. Once you have your design and cost estimate you can secure funds or financing. The next step is to coordinate with a construction firm who can handle implementing the installation from hardscaping to cabinet and appliance installations.
Ideally if you can work with a company that offers design to finish services you have the best chance of getting the exact outcome you desire. Keep in mind that there may be other upgrades needed. For example: you may need to augment your electricity routing as stoves and refrigerators need to use 220 V electrical outlets.
So start googling out door kitchen and bar designs now while you have time with social distancing from home. Take the time to get a feel for what you want in yours by comparing designs you find online. Then find your design and construction firm to get scheduled for a consultation and estimate.
Now you can look forward to having a great summer of entertaining friends and family in your beautiful new outdoor space!
