Feel good outdoor spaces the new heart of the home

Long summer days and balmy nights are made for alfresco entertaining and contemporary home design now reflects our obsession with the great outdoors.

Jason Roses of Luton Properties Gungahlin says times have changed and architects and builders are continuing to develop the potential of the outdoor space.

“Many homes are still designed with formal living and dining, but there’s no doubt that the key emphasis for home owners and buyers is how well the indoor and outdoor spaces integrate,” Roses says.

“People are definitely looking for ‘wow’ factor and undercover areas with outdoor kitchens and room to relax and dine tick all the boxes.”

36 Roebuck Street in Red Hill provides first class living spaces with a choice of alfresco areas. Auction: February 10, 10am.

Roses says buyers are playing close attention to how well the outdoor space has been planned and how well it works.

“The size of the block doesn’t make any difference if the outdoor space has been thought through and provides zones of living,” he says.

Madeleine Sanfrancesco of LJ Hooker Gungahlin says the kitchen is at the heart of the indoor-outdoor connection.

“It provides a vantage point to keep an eye on the kids and to also be at the centre of entertaining when guests are around,” Sanfrancesco  says.

“Buyers are certainly placing a premium on well-designed outdoor spaces and the quality of the fit-out and other inclusions like kitchen, heating and cooling systems and so on.”

3 Melbourne Avenue in Forrest features super-sized open-plan living and dining, perfect for entertaining on any chosen scale. Auction: February 10, 1pm.

Sanfrancesco says another trend she is noticing is the incorporation of more than one outdoor space.

“People like the idea of one area for the children and another for the adults,” she says.

Romancing the outdoors

Identify your needs.  What are your priorities for a planned outdoor area? Is it for family/guest entertaining or do you need a space for children’s play? Maybe you need both?

Plan and design. Does your existing space meet your needs? If not, it might be time to consult a professional to understand all the available options in an ever-developing sector.

Invite and enjoy.  Get the design flow right between indoors and outdoors and you can effectively double (or more) the entertaining potential of your home. That’s a big value add as block sizes reduce.