The first day of summer has officially landed – June 21st. It’s the longest day of the year, and by now the weather in Calgary is warm and the days seem to stretch on endlessly. If you’re wondering how to make the most of Alberta’s warm spring and summer months, doing renovations to your outdoor summer living spaces is definitely the way to go.
Planning a new patio, fireplace or outdoor kitchen is a big project that (we hope!) you likely starting thinking about mid-winter. Now the professional renovator and landscape designer are ready to proceed, but you’re still a bit unsure of precisely what you want. We’ve got some suggestions for you!
1) Make the most of your green space. Plant shrubs, trees, and lots of flowering plants that bring beauty and life to your property year-round. Naturally spring and summer are when the flowers bloom, but your outdoor areas should be appealing visually all year long. The right professional landscapers such as Kay2 Contracting can help with this, if you’re unsure of what grows well in Calgary, and what looks great 12 months of the year.
2) Build or expand your dream patio. This is the time of year no one wants to be indoors, even at meal time. You need a lot of space to accommodate family barbecues, particularly once friends can be invited over again. Consider adding an outdoor kitchen if you’ve already got the patio of your dreams – it makes life so much easier when you don’t have to constantly run in and out of the house! And don’t forget the wine fridge and wet bar – you’ll be all set for entertaining once all these elements are in place.
3) If you have a pool, add a cabana or guest house. Properties that can accommodate swimming pools usually have lots of room for a small guest house or at least an outdoor change room and towel storage spot. Guest quarters outside the main house make life easier for both guests and host. But if you don’t have quite enough room for that, go with a proper change room. No more dripping bathing suits on the hardwood floors inside!
If you spent February and March mulling over ways to increase your outdoor space or ways to make your property more livable year-round, you are not alone. Plenty of people in Calgary had exactly the same impulse, and it’s a smart one. Expanding the backyard patio or adding the features we’ve mentioned adds to the value of your home, and it gives everyone more room.
If we have learned anything during the last 18 months, it is that families need room at home to work, play, and do activities together, year-round. You don’t have to empty your savings doing some of these upgrades – just work with a renovator you trust like Kay2 Contracting, and soon your outdoor areas will be as beautiful, and as functional, as your indoor living areas.
