Creating an Outdoor Retreat in North Texas

Creating the perfect backyard retreat is easier than you might think and is a way for you to carry over your personality from inside the home to the outdoors. The first step is to understand the layout and purpose of your outdoor space. Do you have a large space, small space, is it enclosed by a fence, or is it wide open. These are some initial questions that you will want to observe before you begin your project. There are 4 simple steps to creating that great backyard space that you desire:
1. Plan
2. Budget
3. Re-Plan
4. Execute

Plan
The first question you need to ask yourself is “What am I trying to accomplish with my backyard retreat?”. Do you want an outdoor area where you can relax and sip coffee, watch birds or do you want a space where you can play with the kid or maybe a cookout space where you can entertain? In the initial planning stage you will want to have a rough idea of the overall feel for your retreat. This step will help you better construct a budget for the overall project. Some of the items you will want to consider in the initial planning stage would be foliage, shade, outdoor furniture, heat source, cooling source, cooking fixtures, and privacy barriers.

Budget
As with many projects, creating an outdoor retreat can become as elaborate (and costly) as you want it to be so it is imperative that you set your budget before you begin the project. Now that you have the outline of components you would like to have included you can begin to put a dollar figure to those components. A great way to budget for a project is to take your and make a day out of budgeting by visiting home improvement and outdoor stores comparing prices. This will also allow you to view various options available to you for use in your unique space. If you are planning on buying a significant amount of product for your project from a home improvement store it is always a good idea to start at the Contractors Desk. The professionals in this area can help you through the process of finding all the materials you need and might even be able to offer a discount to you on the entire project.

Re-Plan
Now that you have identified what you want in your retreat and how much it is going to cost you will need to take a look at finalizing the plans for your project. This is the phase in which you will be able to know what components you plan to include and you can make a birds-eye sketch of the space with each element placed in the area you would like to have it.

Execute
With everything planned, budgeted, and re-planned it is now the time to put together your dream outdoor space. Before you break ground you will want to make sure that you contact utility companies to mark electrical, phone, and gas lines if you have to dig so that you don’t cause damage or an accident. Also, make sure that you secure proper municipal permits so that you do not incur a fine for work done without a permit.