Living in an apartment community certainly has its perks (i.e., not having to fix things when they break), but one thing I truly miss is having a backyard that I can enjoy—whenever and however I want to. While a quick look out the window may be enough to send you over the edge—Does the grass need cutting? Do the weeds need pulling? Have the flowers all wilted? Is the pool swarming with dead bugs?—having access to a yard is probably one of the greatest things about owning a home.
However, if the word ‘blah’ is the only thing that comes to mind when you think about your yard, it’s time to up the ante and consider what you can do to transform the space into your own private oasis. Bonus points if you can make your neighbors jealous!
While getting started may seem like a project in and of itself, the following ideas, courtesy of the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) may be just the motivation you need to get the wheels turning. Who knows, you may never want to set foot indoors again.
Get Cooking with an Outdoor Kitchen. Everything’s better when done outdoors, cooking included! If you don’t have a lot of space—or money—to dedicate to a full-blown outdoor kitchen that can accommodate 500 of your closest friends, don’t neglect the project altogether. Instead, get creative. Have a grill? What about a table and chairs? Boom. There’s your kitchen.
Set the Stage with Outdoor Lighting. While it’s probably best to stay away from lighting your backyard up like the Vegas strip, there are plenty of tasteful lighting options out there. If you’re not ready to fully commit, you’ll want to have some solar lights or tiki torches on hand for your friends who don’t quite understand that when the sun goes down, it’s time to leave.
Bring On the Fire. Have you literally driven to your local home improvement store, checked out all the fire pits in stock and walked away empty handed after telling yourself that you don’t really need a fire pit? Whether you need it or not, a fire pit is a great addition to any yard. Seriously, go get one today.
Water, Water Everywhere. If fire isn’t really your thing, perhaps a water feature will float your boat. Create a sense of peace and calm by incorporating a small fountain or two into the space. Even a birdbath will do. If you have your sights set on something bigger, a man-made pond could be the perfect addition. Just make sure you grab your friends and post a video to YouTube.
Plant a Garden. Have a green thumb? Great! Put it to good use and add some color and variety to your yard. And get the whole family involved while you’re at it. And for those of you who love to cook, but hate shelling out money for herbs at the grocery store, take a shot at growing your own. Next time you want some basil to go with that drool-worthy tomato and mozzarella salad you threw together for tonight’s potluck, you won’t have to go very far.
This post was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.
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Our focus is helping people find and exchange dream homes. We are seeking buyers and sellers that desire concierge level service including great communication, extraordinary representation and a continuing relationship for years to come.
You and your referrals will be provided with a great team of professionals to help with each step of the process. We are committed and passionate about negotiating the best possible terms and serving our clients at the highest level. Our goal is to create memorable real estate experiences where our clients become raving fans.
Our clients benefit by having a Certified Negotiation Expert on their side. This provides them with better results, a smoother process and greater satisfaction.
Whether a person is looking to buy or sell a starter home or a multi-million dollar estate, Debbie Woolard produces great results for her clients. She gives clients what they expect and deserve, an experienced realtor skilled in marketing and negotiations.
With Debbie Woolard, you will receive personal service as well as exceptional professionalism. She is well qualified for her work with her strong background of sales and marketing. Having been born here and continuously living in the area, she is familiar with the entire Hampton Roads region.
She has earned the professional designations of Certified Negotiation Expert, Certified Residential Specialist, and e-Pro. In addition she is also a Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource with extensive training in short sales and foreclosures. This uniquely positions her to help those in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. It has also proven to be beneficial to the buyers that are seeking to purchase a short sale or foreclosure.
She is well qualified to help professionals, business owners, military personnel and other clients with their real estate needs. She has been selected to work with both the Military Team and Relocation Team. She is consistently producing outstanding results in real estate.
Her first year in real estate she was awarded Listing Rookie of the Year as well as Sales Rookie of the Year. Her sales and loyal following of satisfied clients have grown each year she has been in business. She is in the top 1% of the agents in the area based on sales volume. Her practice continues to flourish thanks to clients recommending her to friends, family members and business associates.
Her clients state that her actions and attitude are best described with the word “integrity”.
Realtors with the Debbie Woolard Group service Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News & Portsmouth with specialist in seller representation, buyer representation, military relocation, first time home buyers, short sales and real estate investment.