Tips on maximising your living space (hint: use your concrete patio)

Tips on maximising your living space (hint: use your concrete patio)


Are you desperate for more living space? Are the kids taking over the home and garage space with their toys, bicycles, and the rest of the kit that comes with family life? Perhaps you’re not able to afford the kitchen / dining room extension at the moment but want to do a bit more entertaining without having to cram everyone into a small area. If all this sounds familiar, then do not despair because you may have overlooked one area of your property that is being underused.

Rediscover your concrete patio
Your concrete patio is custom made for outdoor living. A well-designed and well-maintained area will not only enhance the look of your house but will increase its value as well. Don’t just use your concrete patio as a base to walk across to the other side of your garden or to stand discarded toys or garden implements on.
Concrete is a very durable material and one that is easy to maintain and clean. A concrete patio can come with a range of stamped patterns and designs, and also have coloured aggregates embedded to give some colour and sparkle. So use it to bring your indoor and outdoor living area together.

An extension of the living room
If you have wide French windows or patio doors that lead out onto the concrete area, you can use indoor and outdoor plants to link the two. Use complementary seating (one that withstands the elements for the outside and furniture with matching colours or designs inside) and you immediately create the impression of one large living room. If you cover the patio area with a gazebo or use awnings for shade and weather proofing, you can live outdoors nearly all year round.

Open up the kitchen area
It is a lot cheaper to design and build an outdoor catering area than to have your kitchen extended and rebuilt. Create a cooking area with a barbeque set, include possible storage cupboards for cushions or tableware, seating options and a table, and you have a mini kitchen / dining area that can be used time and again. If food or liquids drop on the floor, it is so much easier to clean. Plus, unlike other flooring materials, concrete will not stain.

Hot tub heaven
Do you have a small bathroom that seems to be dominated by the teenagers? Screen off your concrete patio area, install a hot tub with an area for towels, add an outdoor potted palm or two, and you have the perfect private bathroom area for two.

Party heaven
If you enjoy getting people around for some music and a few drinks but live in a house the size of a shoebox, your concrete patio is a godsend. Install suitable outdoor music systems, some lighting and a small bar, and then dance the night away! (Don’t forget to invite the neighbours and keep the noise to a minimum.)

Child-friendly space
Last but not least, maximise the opportunities for the kids to play outside by using your concrete patio. Install a sandpit and water area for your children to play in and suitable storage containers for their toys. Then sit back with a cuppa and enjoy the benefits that your concrete patio brings.