There are many ways you can improve and push up the value of your home, but in this article we are going to look at the addition of a summer house. This method will add an outdoor theme, while at the same time, increasing a feeling of homeliness, which could be very important to the right potential buyer. Thereby, increasing the property’s value and increasing its saleability. We spoke with property experts Zoom Property Buyers about ways to use your outdoor space to increase the property’s value.
Using your outdoor space is a great idea, while at the same time, you make your home’s garden a big and usable part of your home. For explanation purposes, I will use an example of a summer house I built with the images from the completed unit.
There are several steps, as illustrated here, that you will want to go through to get to the point where you can quantify what you want and mostly what you envisage the build to do for you. How you would like it to look, adding personal touches along the way.
Once you have the space constructed then you can add the inner decor, furniture and even cladding to the inside to make your dream outdoor living experience ideal for you and your family to enjoy in those long summer months while entertaining perhaps with a barbeque!
The very first step is to look at the space you have, and in this case, there was the old external decking which had been out there for many years. We decided this was the place to construct the build as it was the ideal position to catch the midday and afternoon and sun. Perfectly placed for what we wanted to do.
The primary idea is where it all starts, so you can imagine away with how you would like the look and feel of the build. Once you have this firmly decided the next step is to start your napkin type sketch.
First, we looked at the existing decking for size and usability and then set about doing some sketches of what we were looking for and came up with this as indicated below:-
This design ticked all of the right features we wanted and was perfect for us to use and enjoy our retirement. The next step was then to check the condition of the decking, as this was going to form the foundations to the build, so it had to be solid and reinforced, treated and fully checked out for long-lasting structural integrity. After ripping up some of the key boards, we found rot and beams that needed shoring up from the ground and some needed replacing.
Once this was done to our satisfaction, we set about putting the final touches to our design so we had the correctly specified look and feel we were aiming for while doing the practical aspect to locate the best method for the build. Because we knew exactly what we wanted and had a workable and calculable design we then had the bonus of being able to cost and order the right amount of materials for delivery.
This design ticked all of the right features we wanted and was perfect for use to enjoy our retirement in. The next step was then to look at the condition of the decking as this was going to form the foundations to the build so it had to be solid and reinforced, treated and fully checked out for long-lasting structural integrity. The first port of call was to do these repairs so we would be happy with it. After ripping up some of the keyboards we found rot and beams that needed shoring up from the ground and some needed replacing.
Once this was done we set about putting the final touches to our design to come up with the correctly specified look and feel we were aiming for while doing the practical aspects to achieve the best method for the build. We came up with a workable and calculable design with the bonus of being able to cost and order the right amount of materials for delivery.
All of the materials were then delivered to site and we set about building our very own dream summer house. Perfect.
The building then began and the whole design then came together for us right there and as we had planned and financed for with a secured loan. The frame and layout were put into place onto the repaired decking then we set about building step by step one stage at a time.
Once the basics were there, we then moved into the next position to put up the doors and set out hinges etc.
From this point, then moving through the steps, we finished the match boarding on the sides, the roof structure and fixing etc., ready for glazing, felting and putting in those hidden touches we needed.
Once we glazed, treated, and finished off our build then the fun began with the internal decoration of our very own luxury summer house.
At the end of the day with some work and a little cost for the basic materials, time and effort, we both improved the usability and of course, the value of our property.
With a good idea and a little imagination, you too can improve your home while enjoying your leisure to the fullest at the same time. We have now spent many a lovely evening in our back garden enjoying the sun and the company of our friends and family!
