Do you want to give your outdoor space a makeover?

If you’re like me, you worry that this will cost you a lot. Renovating your backyard could probably empty your savings account. You don’t earn as much as Victoria Beckham so having an immaculate backyard is totally impossible.

But guess what? You are mistaken. You don’t need to rob a bank to be able to afford an outdoor space makeover. After all, upgrading your outdoor space on a budget is indeed possible.

Here are some of the tips that you can apply to have a fantastic backyard on a budget.

DIY As Much As Possible

Outdoor projects can get quite expensive. If you’re looking on hiring someone, the price that they will quote may be jaw-dropping. It’s fine if you have the resources to pay someone; however DIY projects can save you tons of money.

Upgrading your backyard won’t require you a degree in design. Thanks to technology, you have plenty of sources to get your Do-It-Yourself ideas. You can also utilize video tutorials or online articles to get instructions.

You will not only save money if you do the projects by yourself. Who knows, you might discover your talent in landscaping and make a living out of it.

Add Inexpensive Lighting

If you want to instantly transform your backyard, adding illuminating fixtures will do the trick. You won’t even need to hire an electrician or have expensive rewiring. Adding layers of light transforms your backyard into a welcoming and romantic space.

One of the easiest yet most attractive lighting pieces that you can add to your outdoor space is decorative lanterns. You have plenty of options on how to decorate your lanterns. You can either cluster them or group them together.

If you want some gorgeous glow, try adding café lights on your outdoor living space. They look perfect if you hang them on trees or other tall objects. These lights are affordable and easy to decorate.

Plant More Flowers And Greenery

Flowers and plants have magic ways of boosting up your mood.

Create a beautiful garden in your backyard and you would instantly feel delighted. Plant beautiful flowers with vibrant colors and add majestic greenery. You won’t have to worry if you don’t have a green thumb. There are plenty of flowers and greenery that are easy to plant and maintain.

Taming the bushes and replacing them with beautiful garden does not only solve your problem on how to get rid of snakes. Gardening is also a good form of exercise – mentally and physically.

Add A Deck Or Patio

We are all social animals. Most of us enjoy having an intimate dinner with friends. A cold beer and a nice barbeque sound like a perfect weekend.

Be a generous host and invite some friends over. Worried that you don’t have enough space? Adding a deck or a patio is the solution to your problem.

Below are some of the tips that you can use if you’re planning to make your own deck:

• Invest in high-quality screws and fasteners. Use coated screws or stainless-steel screws since they are made specifically for pressure-treated wood. They will extend the life of your deck because of their resistance to corrosion.
• Research your choices for decking materials. Traditional choices are redwood or pressure-treated cedar. Hardwoods are also becoming a popular choice because of its longevity.
• Use beautiful railings to surround your deck. You can use metal, glass, composite or vinyl to make your deck stand out.
• Add small touches. Transform your deck into a desirable destination by adding small touches such as planters, lighting or a sound system.

Create A Relaxing Space

Stress can certainly take a toll on our health.

Isn’t it nice to have a personal space in your house where you can de-stress? Your backyard is a perfect space where you can find your sanctuary. Make it into a relaxing space where you can just lay down and listen to the chirping of the birds. Nothing sounds ideal than sitting down and reading a good book.

You don’t really need to turn your entire backyard into a relaxing space. You just need a small section to find your solitude. Add some comfy chairs, benches or hammock. Marvel the quiet and lazy afternoon while having a glass of cold lemonade.

Add A Fire Pit

Who says you can only have some bonfire when you are camping? Enjoy the warmth that fire pit brings in the comfort of your own backyard.

What’s even better is that you can DIY the fire pit. Building one is not complicated at all. There are a lot of instructional videos and articles that you can refer to. Make sure that you have your supplies ready – bricks for the fire pit wall, twine or string, gravel, stake, tape measure, trowel, large shovel, level and a tamp.

Spend your Saturday nights cuddling up in the fire and making s’mores.

Create more wonderful memories in your backyard. With a little creativity and lots of determination, you can surely transform your outdoor space into one of the most hang-out places in your house.

Use what you already have.

The key to a new extension that works is one that uses features the room already has. As well as adding new space, it’s always a bonus when the room makes the best use of natural light, has stunning views, and maybe access to the garden, or even improves your parking situation.

There are many things to consider when redesigning a room. Walls and doorways can always be removed and added to give you the space you need or to accommodate a new extension, but to make sure you get the most out of a room it’s important to consider positionings of new features. Where are you going to place your entrances to give you the most efficient access to main rooms, or hallways, kitchens and bathrooms? For a balanced room, it’s important to think of practicality as well as beauty.

Onwards and Upwards.

One way to get the maximum value for your money when it comes to your extension is by building up. The average cost per square meter (m²) is drastically reduced by stretching more pricey building materials, for roofs and foundations, over a larger surface area. If you’re looking for an extra room, consider building it on an existing single-storey building like a garage.

Style Strengths.

If you’re choosing to extend your house, then it’s important to consider the overall ‘look’ of the new extension. You’re going to want it to look like it belongs in your home, and so it’s worth considering what options you have. Realistically, you have two ways to go about this. You could either make the new building a complete contrast, a complementary style that highlights the fact that it isn’t part of the original build, or you could try to blend it in seamlessly by using the same design. Roof pitch, materials, colours etc…

The Conservatory.

Small sunrooms are one of the most popular home extension projects and are often fairly cheap. One of the benefits of adding a conservatory to your home is that they don’t require planning permission because they’re excluded from the Building Regulations.

One of the drawbacks to having a conservatory is keeping it not only insulated in the winter, but cool in the summer. A handy alternative is to build the conservatory with an insulated roof, with one insulated wall, (it helps if the insulated wall faces the outside edge). And if you have large areas of glazing then you’ll still get the sunroom effect and you’ll be able to maintain a fairly constant temperature.

Glazing.

Finding the right design for extending a period home can feel like an impossible task. One way to get around it is to add an entirely new space, separate from the original build and to link it with a glass walkway. The new building can then be whatever you want it to be, contemporary or traditional, as long as it complements the original ₋ the glazed walkway will do the rest.

The great benefit of using structural glazing is that it reduces the visual impact and doesn’t overshadow your original building’s character. This method is greatly favoured by conservationist and has also been used to link existing period buildings.

Building Outside.

Outdoor rooms are a great way to provide your home with an outdoor living area ₋ somewhere to sit in the summer months, or a place to relax in the colder months that’s protected from the elements. This outdoor space could be a veranda or a loggia, or it could even be a more contemporary area, something set under a projecting flat roof, supported by steel poles, perhaps even with slatted sun louvres. When it comes to the outdoors the possibilities are endless!

The Annex.

If your garden is big enough, an annex could be a better option than adding an extension to your house. A garden build has the potential to become an additional games room, but it equally has potential to become a self-catered living space if you’re thinking of adding a kitchen, bedrooms and a bathroom.

Transformative Spaces.

Think bigger! Instead of just adding an extension to your existing home, the project could become a way to redesign your whole house. This is a good way of injecting character to bland, utilitarian and maybe unfashionable spaces. It could even increase the value of your home! And one of the great benefits of this house redesign is that a lot of it can be done without planning permissions because it falls under the Permitted Development Rights.

Lighting.

For a quality extension with layers of light and shade, increase the lighting by bringing it in from more than one direction. This can be achieved not only through windows and glazed doors, but though roof-lights or roof lanterns. If you want something grand you could even incorporate a clerestory! If you’re concerned for your privacy by all these windows, then you could always have a row of them set below ceiling level, but just above eye level ₋ that way your extension gets its natural light, and you maintain your privacy.