The pandemic crashing into our lives turned renovating homes to include seamless indoor-outdoor living as a top priority.

“People now spend more time at home and want to enjoy it as much as they can,” says valuer Belinda Botzolis, the founder of renovation advice company Add Valuer. “Outdoor entertaining areas have now become the second or third living areas of houses, and a true extension of the home.

“It used to be about having an old table and a few chairs in the backyard, but now it’s about how that space interacts with the indoors, and smart dining sets, loungers, coffee tables, built-in barbecues, pizza ovens, fire pits, pull-down electric blinds so you can enclose and warm the space for the winter.”

Award-winning architect Shaun Carter of Carter Williamson says just about every project he’s currently working on now involves great outdoor spaces. One home in Newport he’s named LA Cool has a cabana, an infinity pool looking out to the ocean, and generous decking for both lounge and dining settings.

One other recent smaller project in Lilyfield also involved a pool and deck. “It’s always another room for the house, effectively,” he says. “An easy transition from indoors to the outdoor space is very important.

“We try to make those spaces double height if possible and, in many cases, it’s the cheapest new room to create as you don’t have to make it waterproof.”

There are also always homes on the market already with great outdoor entertaining areas. In Kenthurst, in Sydney’s north-west, for instance, there’s a five-bedroom house for sale with bifold stackers leading out to the al fresco area, a pool, a spacious sheltered verandah and a fire pit amid the landscaped gardens.

“The beautiful thing is its multiple outdoor spaces so you can have a lot of people enjoying the outside at the same time,” said agent Joel McSeveny of Wiseberry Dural. “We’re seeing these resort-style facilities becoming more and more popular.”

In the east, there’s a two-storey, three-bedroom townhouse in Bronte up for auction with a shady al fresco dining area and a large outdoor lounge in a private tropical garden flanked by a lush green wall.

“That’s such a great feature,” says PPD Real Estate agent David Tyrrell. “The owners have just done a renovation and it has an electric awning now, too. This kind of set-up with a townhouse is quite rare.”

Down south, a new four-bedroom house on offer in Caringbah South has a covered outdoor area with a built-in barbecue kitchen, fridge and pool.

“All the best-selling properties now have great outdoor entertaining spaces, especially with in-built kitchens, dining and lounging areas,” says John Schwarzer of Highland Sutherland Shire and St George.

“It’s probably now the most important part of a home. It creates so much ease of living without too much maintenance.”

Added extras can also make a huge difference to the feel of that outdoor space, believes property strategist Werine Erasmus, of The Happy Renovator. Downlights that can be dimmed can help create atmosphere, while a ceiling fan for the hotter days can make it even more useable.

“At the moment, we’re seeing wider blackbutt quality timber being used for decking rather than the old favourite pine,” she says. “It makes it look more sophisticated. People should also consider putting in an outdoor kitchenette and plumbing as well as a gas point for a barbecue.

“It’s important, too, to have an insulated roof so, in winter, you’re not dripped on by condensation.”

Outdoor spaces leapt in value through COVID, where those who had them revelled in the sense of freedom they imparted. But even today, when we’re much more able to enjoy the great outdoors, many people still like to cocoon themselves – more than they used to – at home.

“We’re even now seeing teenagers spending more time at home and inviting their friends over instead of going out,” says Botzolis. “Then those outdoor spaces can be wonderful as they can hang out without disturbing everyone else.”

By Sue Williams
Originally published by Domain