5 Ways To Upgrade Your Backyard This Summer

Date: 30 November 2018

Whether it’s at home or the bach, having a backyard set up to entertain and make the most of the weather is essential to making the most of the warmer months. There are plenty of ways you can make yours the place everyone wants to be these holidays, here are five of our favourites.

1 – Make sure your cooking equipment is up to scratch

Whether it’s a charcoal or gas BBQ, a clay oven or even a fire pit with a grill, there’s a certain appeal to cooking outside over a flame that has been around since man first discovered fire. Chances are that you didn’t get much use of the BBQ over winter so if it needs a clean, there are a few tried and true methods to get it back in shape.

Wire brushes do a great job at getting all those gnarly bits off the grill, and if you get the hot plate up to temperature and pour a cheap can of beer over it you should be able to scrape it clean while it’s bubbling. Replace the kitty litter or rock salt on the drip tray and give everything a good wipe down and you’re good to go.

2 – Build the deck of your dreams

Let’s face it, nothing beats a good deck. With room to sit around the table, stand over the BBQ and look out over your garden, they provide awesome indoor-outdoor flow as well. If you have one you’re proud of, a simple stain can spruce it up again, or you could look at adding a bench seat to sit more people comfortably.

If you don’t have one, however, now is the perfect time to get one. And if you’re not a professional or haven’t done it before, it’s well worth your time and money to get it taken care of for you. Here at Renovate It, we offer decking options to suit any lifestyle or budget, and work is always undertaken by qualified master builders. Take a look at our options to see which might be perfect for you.

3 – Make sure everyone has enough shade

One of the best and worst things about God’s Own is that our summers are hot, sometimes too hot. Making sure you’re protected outside is sometimes easier said than done, so if your umbrella isn’t cutting it then it’s worth considering a sail or an awning you can control at your leisure.

Depending on the layout of our deck or backyard, you may be able to connect a sail from two points on the house to a post concreted into the ground. Awnings are a simple fix that attache straight to your house, or if you have a bigger budget then louvres are the ultimate at controlling the amount of light you want, keeping you shaded in summer and sheltered in winter.

4 – Build a planter box

If you already have a vege patch in your garden then a planter box is perfect for smaller things like herbs, but the best thing about planters is that you can put them just about anywhere and build them as big as you want. You can find everything you need at your local hardware store, and with a few pegs, some timber, nails and screws it’s possible to build one in an afternoon. Add some good soil and you’re set to plant whatever you want.

5 – Give your table a once over

A table and chairs are essential to any outdoor area, but over winter they can take a beating from the elements. If your table is made from wood, you may only need to repaint or stain the timber to get it back up to scratch. Glass tables with metal legs, however, are notorious for flaky paint after a winter outside. Should you choose to repaint it, simply get all the old paint off and give it a coast of primer before respraying it however you want. You’ll be able to get everything you need at the same time you’re picking up planter box materials.

As well as decks and outdoor areas that stand up to our weather, we offer the ability to renovate your entire home to your liking. Feel free to view our previous projects or learn more about how we can help turn your house into a home.