Having the perfect outdoor space where you can entertain family and friends is essential for living the Australian dream. And with year-round sunshine, Queensland couldn’t be a better place for creating your ideal garden retreat!

In fact, not only is having a great looking outdoors an excellent excuse for spending quality family time, improvements to your home’s exterior can increase the value of your property drastically, “[…] with the increase in value sometimes being as much as $50-$60,000”, according to experts at Domain.

Here are some of our top tips for improving the exterior of your family home, whatever your budget:

1. Create the Perfect Outdoor Living Space

Throwing a barbecue for family and friends? Or simply looking to put your feet up and relax?

Whatever your plans, creating a great outdoor space is a must.

Invest in some good quality outdoor furniture that you’ll want to spend plenty of time sitting on, like a comfy lounge chair or some low-slung seating.

Or why not try bringing the indoors outside by adding a cosy fire feature, outdoor kitchen, or pizza oven?

According to the experts at Bargain Bins who work across a variety of outdoor spaces, “We are seeing less distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces, if an outdoor space is done well, it creates an additional living space for your home. It’s a simple but highly effective design trend that is transforming living paces in 2019”.

2. Go Low Maintenance

Sick of spending all your time watering, mowing and pruning the garden?

This year is all about finding low maintenance solutions.

Filling rockeries with hardy plants like cacti and succulents that enhance your garden without needing much attention, swapping grass for paving and pebbles, or even installing artificial turf means you’ll have more time to put your feet up without the hassle!

3. Transform Your Lawn

Has all that glorious Queensland sunshine taken its toll on your lawn? Try reseeding, watering and feeding grass with a quality fertiliser to bring your lawn back to life and fill in any patches, or start afresh by laying some new turf for an instantly luscious lawn.

Alternatively, if you’ve always dreamt of having an enviable lawn without the hard work, why not try installing synthetic turf? The truth is that if your neighbour’s lawn is looking a bit too perfect, it’s probably not real!

According to the building and property experts at Driveway Doctor, a well manicured lawn can drive ROI, saying. “Depending on the type of lawn and landscaping present, the advantage can range from 5.5% to 12.7%. Even if you don’t fall into this category, it’s clear that taking care of your lawn also takes care of your property’s value.”

Synthetic turf is on the way up this year and is a great low maintenance solution, so we say if you can’t beat them, join them!

4. Get all ‘Hands-On’ Deck!

Winter is the perfect time to carry out maintenance on your existing decking or install a new deck. Whether it’s timber decking, composite material decking, stairs, balustrades, or feature steppers, choosing a quality material will guarantee your deck is long-lasting.

Adding a deck to your exterior or refreshing old decking is a great way to add extra living space to your home.

So why not get ahead and start planning now?

5. Add in a Retaining Wall

Retaining walls are no longer being used for their functionality to stop erosion and hold soil in place. Designers and homeowners alike are seeing a unique opportunity for using retaining walls as a design feature to boost the appeal of outdoor areas.

This is backed up by the home and specialists at Gary Hamer Interior who say, “retaining walls are functional and protect your walls and garden from natural degradation. We’re seeing more and more people plan their outdoor areas with as much care as interior areas. With retaining walls adding an aesthetic appeal that’s impossible to ignore as well as their normal function, they’re a real double threat!”

Try installing timber, concrete, steel post, rendered block, or sandstone retaining wall to maximise useable land space and create an appealing feature for your garden.

6. Get planting

Creating a garden bed with a range of flowers and plants is an easy way to add instant colour to your garden and mirror your lifestyle. What’s more, garden beds are easy to customise and come in a range of styles and sizes. If you’re looking to add some colour, late autumn/early winter in Queensland is the perfect time for planting bright, sweet smelling roses, and perennials also put on an outstanding display in the winter climate.

Aloe plants are another great option, as not only are they low maintenance, they provide an impressive display of flowers during the winter months.

7. Freshen Up Your Fence

Fences don’t just offer security and added privacy.

Having a standout fence can make a statement, whether it’s giving your existing fence some much needed TLC with a fresh paint job or installing a beautiful new one, a bespoke feature fence can make your property stand out.

Or if that’s not your style, why not try a Colourbond steel fence for added durability and kerb appeal? Try timber for a traditional look, or aluminium for a more modern effect.

8. Don’t Leave Sheds Behind!

A shed is no longer just about practicality and storage. Along with fences, sheds are becoming less of a peripheral feature and more of a focus point, rather than being an afterthought hidden away at the back of the garden.

Get on board with the latest trend by integrating your shed into your overall exterior scheme, or if it’s time for a new one, there are a range of styles to choose from.

9. Concrete Is In!

Love it or hate it, concrete paving and driveways are back and are a stylish way to add instant kerb appeal to your exterior. Revive your patio by removing, replacing or refinishing old or damaged concrete, add in a bespoke pathway, or give your driveway a full makeover.

The experts at KJ Concreting have this exclusive tip – “Try texturising to keep up with the latest trend or using exposed aggregate, or stencilled and brushed finishes to create a bespoke effect. It’s cost-effective, but stunning.”

10. Install an outdoor structure

There is a growing trend towards adult treehouses, summer houses and outdoor meeting spaces this year.

Not only is installing an outdoor structure a great way to create additional space, it means you can enjoy being in the garden in any weather. There are a variety of outdoor structures to choose from and tailored options if you want to add a more personal touch.

For more inspiration on how to improve the exterior of your family home, see our website for a full list of our services, or give us a call on 1300 878 753 to see how we can help you get more from your outdoor space!

Have you got any plans to improve your home exterior?

We’d love to hear them!