10 Things to Keep In Mind When Planning an Outdoor Kitchen Build: Part 1

When done right, an outdoor kitchen and living area can be like a resort in own backyard. However, like most home renovations project, proper planning is essential to minimize stress in the process and ensure a successful completion.

Parts 1 and 2 of this article cover 10 things you should keep in mind to ensure a successful outdoor kitchen building project.

1. Budget

As with any home remodeling project, you need to know how much you can afford to spend. At Reliant Construction, we can help you stay within that budget. When it comes to an outdoor kitchen, one of the most costly parts of your outdoor kitchen will be the grill. So make sure you carefully plan your budget ahead of time to make room for your grill first, and then all the other less costly items. Nothing brings more stress into a home remodeling project than going over budget, which can easily happen if you don’t properly plan ahead of time.

2. Consider exactly where outside your house to build

You should carefully select exactly where outside of your home to build. You’ll want your outdoor kitchen to have easy access to your interior kitchen, as you’ll likely be moving back and forth from one kitchen to the other when using the outdoor kitchen. You don’t want to have to hike halfway around the house to run and get the salt or pepper or garlic or whatever else you’ll inevitably forget to bring to your outside kitchen when using it. This will save you time and keep you from overcooking anything.

3. Coordinate with your back yard

You’ll want your outdoor kitchen and living area to blend well into your entire back yard area. You don’t want it to seem totally separate from the larger outdoor area of your home. So consider the placement of the grill, refrigerator, tables, chairs, bar, plants, decorative items and whatever else you’ll have out there. Remember, your backyard kitchen and living area is still part of your back yard. So just as you decorate the interior of  room to coordinate with itself, you coordinate  your outdoor kitchen space with you overall backyard.

4. Music

A sound system is generally a nice addition to an outdoor kitchen and living area. Not only can you play music for yourself and guests, but when you want to getaway and relax by yourself, you can turn on some wilderness sound effects, like a flowing stream, to compliment your normal backyard sounds.

5. Provide shade

You don’t want your outdoor kitchen and living area to feel like a picnic. You want protection from the hot sun, as well as rain and drizzle. So make sure you plan for some sort of overhead protection. It doesn’t have to be a massive single covering over the whole area, nor does it have to be a physical structure you build. While it could indeed be either of these, it could also simply be outdoor umbrellas over the areas where people will most often be relaxing.

For items 6-10 read Part 2 of this article.

Fore some more helpful tips on designing your outdoor kitchen, read this article from Better Homes and Gardens.

To learn more about Reliant Construction’s outdoor kitchen services, visit http://reliantconstruction.net/residential-contractor-services/outdoor-kitchens-houston/ or call us at  281-786-5199.