My Piedmont and Oakland Real Estate Adventures. History, Architecture and Homes

When homes are for sale, the listing will state that there are a certain number rooms in the home, and itemizes the number of bedrooms and baths.  One of the most overlooked ways to add appeal to the house, and make it appear larger, it to devote time to developing and expanding the backyard patio.  With a little planning and effort, it can become, in essence, an additional room for use by the family, especially with the moderate weather of Alameda homes and Alameda Bay Farm Island homes.  Most home developers have recognized this concept, and have designed a means of bringing the outdoors in, and by the use of large sliding glass doors to the outside patio or seating area, plus the other clever techniques listed below.

Here Are Some Ideas to Expand Your Patio or Outside Space:

1. The most obvious is to consider installing large glass windows and a spacious sliding glass door to open up access to your backyard, if they are not already in place.  This will brighten up the whole home, and add a sense of space to your adjacent kitchen or living area.

2. Develop some sort of comfortable seating area and an adjacent dining area.  Most home improvement stores have a huge assortment of outdoor cushioned chairs, sofas and dining tables and chair sets. The good news is that now, most all are suited to being outside, and need not be dragged in each evening to protect them from the night fog or dew.  To be certain, check the labels for this feature before purchase.

3. Make the area appealing as an additional room for the family.  Add lots of comfortable and cushy weather protected pillows of all kinds of color that compliment the furniture fabrics and invite relaxation. In planning this, develop a theme to bring everything together.  Perhaps a quiet, restful theme could be created, or if better suited to the family, a party area with a number of serving areas and large barbecue. 

4. Protect yourself from the sun.  There are so many options now to create a sun shield.  There are wooden slatted screens many of which can be adjusted to direct away the sun, there are all weather fabrics that can be draped or attached to keep the sun out, and there are new pergola concepts that are inviting. 

5. Use plants of all sizes and shapes to enhance and compliment the area.  Large planters with multicolored plants installed can be placed strategically, as can hanging planters to compliment smaller corners of the patio.  Your local nursery can suggest those that will last a while and fit your container needs. 

6. Consider lighting for night activities.  Again, the variety of lighting available now is amazing, especially with smaller solar lights that can be placed along paths and garden beds. As with everything listed above, visit online to any of the larger home improvement websites will make you aware of the many lighting resources available. 

If you have a patio or backyard area, use it.  Most improvement costs are small compared to indoor furniture and lighting fees, and will add a great deal to your home's appeal when in competition with other houses on the market. Additionally, for many buyers, it is a job they just won't have to do, and that is appealing as well.

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• tips for expanding your patio and backyard (1)
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