If you feel like your backyard is a little boring, neglected, or just not a fun place to be, there are many ways to change that. Even if you’re on a budget, here are 7 things that can turn a drab backyard into your own little paradise.
- An outdoor kitchen
Whether you like to barbecue on the weekends with friends or eat regular meals outside, you’ll love having an outdoor kitchen. Not only will it give you far more space than your regular kitchen, but you can get modular units to piece together your perfect kitchen. For instance, you can get an ice maker, a pellet grill, and an island, if that’s all you need. Or, you can get a little fancier and add an outdoor bar and maybe even a little storage space.
When you’re able to cook and eat outside, meals just taste better. You can invite your friends over more often, and your backyard might end up being everyone’s new favorite weekend spot.
- A private movie theater
Everyone loves a good movie night, but it’s even better when you can watch a movie in your backyard when it’s warm. Thankfully, building a home movie theater isn’t as hard or costly as you might think. All you need at a basic level is a good projector, something to project the movie onto, and at least one good speaker.
The projector will be the most expensive item, but you don’t need anything fancy. Basic projectors can cost as little as $200 and still be good enough. However, if you have the budget, it’s worth spending a little more to get something that will last longer and project a higher-quality image.
The one thing you don’t want to skimp on is sound. Make sure you get some good speakers – surround sound is ideal. If it’s just you and a couple other people, you might be able to get by with a simple Bluetooth speaker. Or, you can connect Bluetooth headphones.
- A gazebo
Sometimes you just need a shaded, cool area to relax while you meditate, think, or eat a meal. A gazebo will serve this purpose well. There are options with four walls that are fully enclosed, but also with three walls and even just two. What you get will depend on the space you have available, but they do come in a variety of sizes, heights, and styles.
- Comfortable patio furniture
If you’re going to spend time in your backyard, you need comfortable furniture. When you add comfortable chairs and maybe even some lounge chairs to your back patio, you’ll be out there far more often.
Most of the furniture sold in department stores and home improvement stores is mediocre in terms of comfort. See if you can find a local patio furniture store to test items out before you buy them.
- A pool
Taking a dip in a cool pool on a hot summer day feels good. If you don’t have a pool already, and don’t want to get a traditional pool installed (they’re expensive), just get an inflatable pool. It doesn’t even need to be big to be enjoyable. Sometimes all you need is a small, shallow pool to float around on the surface.
- A fire pit
Fire pits go great with outdoor meals and are just plain awesome. It’s fun to build a fire in a fire pit, hang out with friends, and talk. You can even roast marshmallows and make s’mores, which is great if you have kids.
- A vegetable garden
Perhaps the best way to upgrade your backyard is to plant a vegetable garden. With fresh veggies in your yard, you can make tastier meals and enjoy the fruits of your labor – literally.
Spending time tending to a vegetable garden is a wonderful way to get in touch with nature, learn new skills, and get better at nourishing plants to produce bigger and sweeter yields. You can also learn how certain plants support one another, practice saving seeds for the next season, and learn how to rotate your crops. All of these skills will come in handy forever, so if you start now, you’ll be a better gardener in no time.
Transform your backyard into an enjoyable space
These are just some of the ways you can make your backyard more fun. If you want to spend more time outside, don’t hold back. Invest in transforming your backyard into the space of your dreams.
