• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer

backyardvision.com

Outdoor Living Spaces for the Carolina Coast.

  • Outdoor Living 101
    • Backyard Design
    • Outdoor Kitchens
    • Screened In Porch
    • Fire Features
    • Pergolas
    • Landscaping
    • Tiki Bars
    • Pavilions/Pool House
  • Swimming Pools
    • Fiberglass Pools
      • River Fiberglass Pools
      • Watertite Fiberglass Pools
    • Concrete Pools
    • Vinyl Liner Pools
    • Pool Service
    • River Pools Warranty
  • Blog
  • Video Library
  • Portfolio
    • Swimming Pools
    • Outdoor Kitchen
    • Water Features
    • Fire Features
    • Screened Porch
    • Tiki Bar
  • About
    • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Concrete Pool Design – Hampstead, NC

January 9, 2018 by Jim Oliver

Concrete Pool Design – Hampstead, NC

If you are like most people you have trouble visualizing what your current backyard will look like after whatever project you have planned is completed. You might try your hand at drawing it out on a piece of paper or just staring for hours on end and let your imagination paint a picture in your mind.

At Backyard Vision we bring your imagination to life so that you can see what your backyard project will look like when it’s done. Our process gives you the chance to make changes before any work begins. Imagine realizing after installation that your brand new fire pit and patio would have worked much better on the other side of your yard away from your neighbors barking dog. Take all the guess work out of your new outdoor living space before any work has begun!

Below is an example of a recently completed project in Hampstead, NC. You’ll see before photos showing a blank canvas of a backyard with plenty of possibilities. Then you will see a rendering of our design, showing the client what they can expect their new backyard to look like. And finally photos of the completed project.

cantrell backyardconcrete pool 3-d designconcrete pool installedinground pool / fireplace

Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Benefits Of Owning An Outdoor Kitchen

March 18, 2017 by Jim Oliver

10 Benefits Of Owning An Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor kitchens have become one  of the most popular home additions across the country over the last five years. The feeling of having a more upscale lifestyle while spending more time outdoors hits home with family’s of all ages.

Much in the same way that the traditional indoor kitchen is always the most popular room in the house, the outdoor kitchen has become the heart and centerpiece of the modern backyard. People are no longer satisfied with throwing a few burgers & ‘dogs on a stainless steel grill on a Sunday afternoon. Today they want to entertain guests outside in comfortable dining and cooking environments while grilling vegetables, smoking ribs and boiling lobster.

The outdoor living movement has homeowners turning their decks,  patios and other unused outdoor spaces into an extension of, and in some cases a duplication of the rooms inside their homes; making it easier and more enjoyable to spend more time outdoors.

With cooking and eating outdoors becoming a priority, outdoor kitchens are more and more in demand. In new home construction they are the most requested feature by prospective buyers. Lets take a look at ten benefits of owning an outdoor kitchen.

money in hand

1. Add Value To Your Home

Your ROI, also known as Return On Investment on adding an outdoor kitchen is quite significant. The National Association of Realtors has reported that outdoor entertainment areas in general increase the value of your home and that outdoor kitchens specifically increase your homes value by 26%.

2. Less Expensive Than House Additions

In the past when homeowners wanted or needed more space they would increase the size of their house by adding an addition in the form of a dormer or by finishing the basement. The average cost of a dormer is $50,000 and averages about $125 per sq. ft. Although the price will vary based on the scope of the project, outdoor living space additions average closer to $45 per sq. ft.

3. Increase Your Well Being

By spending more time outdoors you will increase your vitamin D levels, get more exercise and feel more relaxed.

eat healthy sign

4. Eat Healthier

By grilling your food outside you will eat less fat, meats will retain more nutrients, grilled vegetables are better for you and you will use less butter.

5. Flexible Cooking Styles

The options you have in setting up your outdoor kitchen provide you with several different styles of cooking outdoors. Besides the option of a charcoal grill,  gas grill or hybrid grill which lets you have both, you can also smoke your food, deep fry, boil or saute’.

6. Eat Home More, Eat Out Less

By having an outdoor kitchen in your backyard you will want to eat at home more resulting in saving money by not eating out as much. Think about what it costs to eat out for a family of four as opposed to eating at home.

7. Entertain Family & Friends

That birthday or graduation party you were dreading because your guests would all be crammed in the house has just become a more relaxed event without the pressure of cooking meals indoors. Family, friends and host are all relaxed and enjoying their time outdoors.

social dining

8. The Ultimate Social Space

Having an outdoor kitchen and an outdoor gathering space makes for the perfect chance for human connection. In these days when everybody is buried in their smart phones and laptops, one on one communication has decreased. Cooking and eating together outside creates the perfect social atmosphere for talking and relaxing.

9. Safe Haven For The Kids

When you have created this special space in your backyard where the kids know their parents are spending time outside on a nice summer evening, it encourages them to feel comfortable hanging out in the yard as opposed to running around the neighborhood. Technology has made it easier then ever to bring TV and music to the outdoors.

10. Make Use Of Unused Space… Tax Free!

One of the most obvious benefits of adding an outdoor kitchen and other outdoor living spaces is that you can make use of space you already own. So many backyards go unused because homeowners are not sure what to do with them.

Besides the heavy cost of adding an addition to your home, that space now will increase the amount of taxes you pay on your home. This is not so with outdoor living spaces. You can add kitchens, dining areas, living areas, pergolas, screened porches, water features & fire features all in space you already own without increasing your tax burden.

 

It’s your backyard…Use it. Live it. Love it!

Backyard Vision Logo

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Outdoor Kitchens: Custom vs Prefab & What Do They Cost?

December 1, 2016 by Jim Oliver

Outdoor Kitchens: Custom vs Prefab & What Do They Cost?

Outdoor Kitchens have become one the most requested features over the last five years when building a new home. In the next 10 years outdoor kitchens will become commonplace in newly built houses and are the most requested outdoor living space addition to existing homes today.

So, how much does it cost to build or buy an outdoor kitchen? What kind of outdoor kitchen should you get? Like any outdoor living space (or most anything else for that matter) there are many factors that determine what you choose and what it will cost.

What Are You’re Outdoor Kitchen Options?

boy with questions

There are several options when deciding on an outdoor kitchen. Should you hire a contractor to build a custom kitchen to ensure you get exactly what you want? Should you buy a prefab kitchen from a big box store or online company? Or should you buy a modular kitchen and build it yourself. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these options. For purposes today we will compare a standard 8′ long straight kitchen:

Option #1 – DIY Frame Kit Outdoor Kitchen

DIY Outdoor Kitchen

These are kitchens or grill islands that can be ordered online. They come shipped as modules, in this case one 4′ module and two 2′ modules plus an appliance package. The appliance package includes a 32″ grill, a 33′ double access door, a trash container and a paper towel holder. This kitchen will cost approximately $3,900.

The problem is you need to screw the modules together and install the appliances yourself, thus the DIY aspect. But wait, you’re not done. The package does not include the faux stone veneer needed to finish the outside of the kitchen or a counter top.

So after you assemble the cabinets, install the appliances and apply the stone veneer, you will need to contact a granite company to come and template, cut to size and install a granite, quartz or whatever style counter top you decide on.

At first this seems like an acceptable cost for a kitchen but besides the time this will take to build, you have the added expense of the stone veneer and counter top which could take you over the $6,000 mark.

Option #2 – Prefab Outdoor Kitchen

Prefab Outdoor Kitchen

Prefab outdoor kitchens like the one pictured above are sold in big box stores or online and come complete as shown, delivered to your curbside. It is up to you to get it into your backyard and at almost 1,000 pounds that can be a challenge and could require hiring a contractor with the proper equipment to move it.

This 7′ kitchen with a 4 burner 60,000 BTU grill, double access door, side burner and 4.6 cu. ft. fridge would go for a more than $5,000.

Option #3 – Traditional Custom Built Outdoor Kitchen

Standard Outdoor Kitchen

The traditional custom built outdoor kitchen is the most popular of all the kitchens because of the word custom. You can customize it to add any appliances, make it any size or shape, add any kind of counter top, add a sitting bar. Pretty much anything you can think of or afford.

This kitchen requires no work from the homeowner. It is built on site and takes about 2-3 weeks depending on the size. Like the modular kitchen, after the base or cabinet structure is completed you then have to make a template for the counter top and wait for it to be cut to size and installed. Only then is your kitchen complete.

The average cost for a kitchen this size is between $5,000 – $6,000 and like all outdoor kitchens that cost will vary depending on the size and quality of the grill and other appliances.

Option #4 – ClifRock Outdoor Kitchen

ClifRock Outdoor Kitchen

ClifRock outdoor kitchens are a concrete panel system where the base structure is built off site. It is then brought to the home owners yard and assembled on site including appliances and counter top in less than two days which makes for a very clean job site and a happy home owner who has a new kitchen in two days.

Another advantage is that you have the choice 4 different concrete exteriors, Random Rock, Ledge Stack, Dry Stack & Cliff Stone (as shown below) and an endless array of color schemes.

Random Rock PanelLedge Stack PanelDry Stack PanelCliff Stone

Pouring concrete panels are a very cost effective way of building outdoor kitchens and also gives the home owner the added option of having a matching concrete counter top which is less costly than granite, quartz or tile.  An 8′ kitchen w/ concrete counter top, grill, double access door, double drawer and trash drawer built in this manner usually costs out below $5,000 depending on choice of grill.

What Now?

Most outdoor kitchens can be customized to any shape and size and incorporate an endless amount of appliances from ice makers to TV’s. Declare your outdoor kitchen space by covering your kitchen with a pergola.

If you are thinking of adding an outdoor kitchen or other outdoor living spaces contact us for a free consultation & design.

It’s Your Backyard…Use it. Live it. Love it!

cropped-HeaderDesignREVISED21.png

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Outdoor Living, Uncategorized Tagged With: Outdoor Kitchens, Outdoor Living

Before Footer

Recent Posts

  • Concrete Pool Design – Hampstead, NC
  • 10 Benefits Of Owning An Outdoor Kitchen
  • Concrete Pool Design & Construction: What You Need To Know
  • The Backyard Fire Pit & The Oyster Roast. A Perfect Match!
  • Outdoor Kitchens: Custom vs Prefab & What Do They Cost?
  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Install A Pool While Building Your House.

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Outdoor Living 101
  • Swimming Pools
  • Blog
  • Video Library
  • Portfolio
  • About

© 2023 backyardvision.com · Rainmaker Platform