Outdoor living areas were a growing market long before we were all forced into lock-down. An unexpected and immediate need has brought to the forefront how important it is to have more private outdoor spaces at home. As a result, with homeowners putting vacations on hold, they opt to freshen up their backyard.
Here are some top trends to help your customers and homeowners make their deck, patio, or backyard a personal retreat:
- Lighting: Homeowners seeking more time outside can add lighting to their decking projects. It offers homeowners a way to extend their time outdoors, and after the workday is over, they can relax in a resort-like setting long after the sun has set. Many builders add lighting to stair risers, handrails, and the perimeter, and the installation is seamless. It is much easier for a new deck project to include lighting in the design process and install it in the framing stage to ensure correctly installed wiring.
- Outdoor kitchens: The grill is generally a given in any outdoor living space, and today outdoor kitchens are in high demand. Many homeowners add built-in propane, gas, charcoal, or wood-fired grill. Exterior-grade appliances like refrigerators, bar areas, and countertops are trendy. In many cases, the kitchen and grilling areas are separate spaces because they also require special accommodations like added plumbing and electrical.
- Covered areas: Whether it’s a pergola, gazebo, or an arbor, homeowners are seeking their outdoor space to include more entertainment areas like an enclosed media space to watch their favorite sporting event or evening movie nights.
- Furniture: All the additional space requires a need to fill it with comfortable and durable furniture like wood, metal, and even concrete to extend the life of the furniture to last more than a couple of seasons.
Industry associations and studies completed recently cite that 82 percent of homeowners are interested in expanding their outdoor living areas. It’s a great time to support your customers with design services and products to help homeowners extend the outdoor space they can use for years to come.
Don’t forget railings:
As homeowners add to and extend their outdoor living areas, upgrading or expanding their railings are an essential part of the overall aesthetics and completes the design. Offer cable railings to your customers’ next project for their deck, patio, and enclosed areas. There is no inventory required for our RailFX products as we will drop ship for our lumber dealers, making it a simple solution for our customers and their customers alike.
