Adding extra living space to your house is a very good way to increase the value of your home when you are preparing your home for sale. Prospective buyers pay attention to amenities that give them more entertainment space and yet another way to enjoy their home. Wringing all the extra possibilities out of your space is a sure way to generate attention when it comes to styling properties. Often, though, our creativity with outdoor spaces stops with a deck or a patio.
There are new and exciting ways to make your entire backyard function as additional living space. Consider adding a fire pit to extend enjoyment of the out-of-doors well beyond summer into cool seasons. A fire feature, flanked by a few pieces of fitting furniture, can work wonders in adding value and useable entertaining space to your home. And, often, you can do it yourself.
When you’re planning to add a fire pit, there are several requirements to deal with. Naturally, you don’t want to locate your fire pit over a septic tank or under a tree. Local building codes will also require that you don’t put your fire feature too close to your neighbour’s yard or fence. Be sure to check these building codes first.
Going rustic, if that style is appropriate for your home’s architecture, can make this project as simple as digging a hole, adding concrete footings, perhaps some stone, then placing your fire bowl for maximum enjoyment. There is a sensational DIY step-by-step plan at the website of Popular Mechanics (http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/g119/build-this-masonry-fire-pit/ ). You can even build half-log benches using their plan.
If you’d rather go with a more sophisticated style using gas logs, kits are available that include everything you’ll need from the fire ring to the fittings for the gas log installation. Some of these even have remote controls so that you can light the fire for romantic evenings with the push of a button. The trick is to select just one model from the thousands and thousands available online. There are also many sleek designs for outdoor bioethanol fireplaces.
Do you want to use gas logs or real ones? Should the pit be set in stone and concrete or be portable enough to move as the mood strikes you? The possibilities are seemingly endless. (This is why you want to check out any restrictions ahead of time.) Do you want one big feature, or are you looking to light up your pool or water feature in a spectacular way? Manufacturers have come up with literally thousands of applications, from residential to commercial, in just about every shape and size, with price tags to match.
Depending on the shape and size of your fire feature, you can select – as mentioned above – rustic log benches, or cushy furnishings in a more contemporary style. If you’re installing a round feature, perhaps a seating arrangement featuring curves will set it off beautifully. We’re informed by those who specialise in styling properties that curved furniture is a bit tricky to find, so be aware that if you want a curved bench, you may have to have it custom built to fit your feature.
For the most part, a portable fire bowl could meet the needs of many families. It can be moved as necessary to create a marshmallow-roasting spot for casual backyard camp outs with the neighbourhood kids, or placed in a more intimate configuration for romantic evenings alone. In either case, a fire feature is sure to spark interest in your backyard living space when your house is listed for sale.
As always, we suggest discussing the fire pit at length with the professionals you’ve chosen to stage your home for sale. When it comes to choosing the amenities that will help to sell your home, those who make their bread and butter styling properties have all the information you’ll need to make your choice a good one. If, for example, your home is moderately priced, going to the expense of building in a huge fire pit feature may not be a good idea. Your stager can help you find a beautiful, but more modest, concept that won’t drive the price of your house up to an unaffordable level. Keeping your investment at a level where it will improve value is yet another way the home styling professionals at Urban Chic Property Styling can maximise your selling success.
