When Building – Take a Look at Your Backside!

Have you ever shopped for a home design by looking around back? We didn’t think so. But we bet you can recall the last time you had backyard envy, whether inspired in person or through media by amazing outdoor living spaces. There are entire TV programs dedicated to outdoor projects, which are often massive undertakings because the homeowners are starting from scratch.

So, we got to thinking. Perhaps we’d give you some food for thought when planning your new home – to ensure you have the backyard setting you want (even if it’s not priority one) without breaking the bank later on. The back of your house doesn’t need to start off looking like an afterthought! You can make your home stand out aesthetically, from day one, and boost your resale value down the road.

What’s the secret? It’s very simple. Continue your brick treatment, or a portion of it, around the back of your home. It’s a small incremental cost over your mortgage term and a sound investment. Keep in mind that we offer a very broad range of brick and stone options, as well as thin stone and thin rock. So you can create a distinct space for your backyard area by choosing a different, yet complimentary, brick or stone product.

Taking a Lesson from Interior Design

A good real estate professional will give it to you straight: think about resale and not personal preference. A common mistake in interior design is taking a trend too far that will take work to undo. For example, too much wallpaper becomes flashing dollar signs to prospective buyers. If you keep simple fundamentals in place, the décor can be switched according to personal taste and at little cost.

This rule of thumb – keep it neutral – applies to outdoor design as well. We don’t mean neutral boring! Let’s focus on good fundamentals and functionality, and the rest can fall into place.

Lay the Groundwork by Planning Ahead

1. Product Selection – Choose a product for your back that complements the brick or stone and color palette on the rest of the house. Think about what product color and finish would work best as a backdrop for the outdoor space you want; consider the style of furniture, the color of wood, etc.
2. Plan Access – Plan for backyard access and privacy while creating your floor plan. You may not want a bathroom window overlooking your outdoor dining. Safe, easy-to-navigate doorways are important for the whole family, but especially for little ones and seniors. Plan ahead. Doors are hard to add.
3. Hook-ups – The time is pre-build to specify gas, water and electrical needs. You’ll save considerable money and possibly renovation by having the plumbing and wiring roughed in at the time of your build.

Brick and Stone: the Perfect Backdrop

One of the things we love (of course) is using brick as a backdrop for living spaces. With your outdoor area, you instantly have a gorgeous wall to get that exposed brick look. Regardless of the color, brick and stone naturally pair well with any wood finish that you choose for furniture or decking. Have fun with your lighting and décor options too!

Set a Multi-year Plan

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Such wise words for homeowners! Planning in phases is easier to budget and schedule. It’s also nice to know that you’re building sweat equity.

As we’ve talked about before in our blog, a well landscaped home will generally get you a 10% higher resale value (or more). Outdoor rooms, backyard kitchens, and backyard sanctuaries have been trending as very desirable for almost a decade. We offer products for many of these projects, including the following:

Outdoor Kitchens

Enjoy having all the amenities right outdoors with a well-planned outdoor kitchen. Regardless of the configuration you want, we have countless brick and paver products to choose from. We love the custom look of an outdoor kitchen that’s co-ordinated with your house brick.

Tommy Daspit is an Architectural, Commercial, Real Estate, and Google Trusted Photographer in Birmingham AL. See more of his work on his website: http://tommydaspit.com #alabama #birmingham #ArchitecturalPhotography

Decks and Patio

You might want to think about your deck color when you are selecting your brick or stone for the back of your home. Some people like to pull out an accent color, while others prefer a real contrast. It’s something to consider. We also have paving stones – add a swatch to your vision board!

 Fire Pits and Fireplaces

We sell fire pit and fireplace kits that are easy, DIY weekend projects. We also like this paver option that we found on Pinterest. Choose from our General Shale paver selection!

We realize we’re talking about the great outdoors as the weather is cooling off. But, planning is so critical for your new home build. Fall days spent collecting inspiration and planning your dream house sound pretty great to us. Once you have some ideas together, visit your General Shale dealer to discover all of the products we have to make your dreams a reality.

Photo right: Ideas2Live4