The sun is shining, and you want to be outside as well. We’ve got your back if your outdoor space doesn’t measure up to your ideal of the perfect backyard sanctuary, but you don’t have the funds or time to execute a total makeover. There are a variety of ways to rapidly transform your deck, patio, or backyard for $250 or less, as it turns out. Some of these necessitate a little ingenuity. However, none of the following ideas necessitate the use of specialized tools or abilities that the average homeowner already possesses.
We asked to design, gardening, and real estate experts for advice on how to make a great impression outside your house on a tight budget. Read on to learn about the goods and tweaks that will drastically improve your summer quality of life.
Bring in the Crowd With a Bar Cart
Adding outdoor space to your living area can be a wonderful way to enjoy the summer months. By using your cart to store items such as books, decks of cards, and board games, you can easily transport these items from indoors to outdoors and back again.
To create a cozy outdoor space, consider adding comfortable seating such as outdoor chairs, cushions, or even a hammock. You can also add lighting to create a warm and inviting atmosphere, such as string lights or lanterns. And don’t forget about plants! Adding some potted plants or flowers can help bring a touch of nature to your outdoor space.
Use Mirrors to Create a Sense of Space
A window mirror ($135, Wayfair) attached to or resting against a wall adds visual interest to the outdoors.
Make a Night of it With a Portable Fire Pit in Your Outdoor Space
Summer pastimes include roasting s’mores, telling ghost stories, and snuggling together by the fire. A custom-built fire pit might cost thousands of dollars, but there are several affordable portable ones ($175, Wayfair). Another benefit of this safe, swoon-worthy addition is that it keeps mosquitoes away. For $175, check out this one on Wayfair.
Turn Up the Heat With Creative Lighting
Make sure your lighting setup is custom-tailored for a bright family meal, a beautiful romantic date night, a swinging party, or whatever else you have in mind for a nighttime outdoor feel. Jensen suggests zhuzh up your space with “string lights or cute Mason jar lanterns with solar lights” in addition to (or instead of) investing in a portable fire pit. String lights ($34, Amazon) can be hung from trees, fences, or your home’s walls to create a romantic or festive atmosphere, depending on the brightness and number of strands used. For a quick atmosphere, place mason jars and lantern lights on tables, pillars, and posts, as well as around trees and gardens.
Install a Garden Gallery if You Haven’t Already
While birdbaths and little fountains are lovely, Gladys Connelly, a housekeeping expert at The House Connection in Las Vegas, Nevada, suggests instead setting up a yard art gallery.
Create Some Shadow in Your Outdoor Space
Up to a point, soaking up the sun is lovely. Install a shade sail when the summer heat has you panting for air. Sunshades start at $30 and may be found at Lowe’s and The Home Depot, as well as other home improvement stores and internet sellers. This useful 12-by-12-foot sail ($56.98, The Home Depot) is one of our favorites. We hope you’ve come up with at least one way to transform your outdoor space into a relaxing haven. Now go outside and have some fun.
