Tip 1: Don’t go cheap with your built-in grill

If you’re planning a built-in grill in your outdoor kitchen, make sure you get a grill that will last. Since a quality grill is an expensive item, it is very tempting to conserve your budget by selecting an inexpensive grill. Getting a less expensive grill isn’t a bad idea, but opt ​​for a cart model if you plan to cut your grill budget. If the grill on your model car fails, it’s easy to find a replacement. With a built-in grill, you may not be able to get replacement parts if the company changes models, discontinues their grill, alters the chassis, or even goes out of business. If you have built the grill into a custom outdoor kitchen flanked with granite or stone, it will be very expensive to modify your cabinet and countertop if your grill needs replacement. Be warned, many of the nice grills you see at big box retailers simply won’t last more than a few years. These grills are usually priced accordingly, so there’s nothing wrong with buying one, just don’t build it into a frame. Researching a good grill is not difficult. Look up reviews online, ask different outdoor kitchen companies for recommendations, or better yet, ask family and friends about their experience with different brands of grills. You’ll soon discover that some brands you’ve never heard of usually make the best built-in grills, while some very poor quality grills carry well-known brands.

Tip 2: Separate Your Seating From Your Grilling Area

Here’s an inside tip. Most outdoor kitchen companies make most of their money on grills and other appliances. While there’s nothing wrong with a business making a profit on its product, the natural byproduct of this fact is that outdoor living areas often feature outdoor kitchens that end up looking like a sanctuary for a grill. It’s true that food is often the focus of a backyard party, the actual kitchen appliance shouldn’t be the center of attention. It’s hard to resist the urge to display your expensive grill, but ask yourself how many times guests form a semi-circle around your oven or stove inside your home. Friends gather around comfortable seats, around the television, or around where food and drink is served, which is usually not where the food is cooked. If you look at pictures of many barbecue grill islands, you’ll often see bar seating directly behind the grill. That is the worst seat in the house. Most grills are designed to vent heat and smoke out the back of the grill, exactly where some designers like to build a bar! Consider building your grilling area away from the main “hang out” area. Plus, you may not even like to grill. There is no rule that your outdoor space has to include a grill!

Tip 3: Shadow, shadow and more shadow

If it’s hot, your guests simply won’t want to stay where there is no shade. This doesn’t mean you have to blow your budget with an expensive gazebo. You can get plenty of shade with inexpensive patio umbrellas available at home improvement centers. Also, umbrellas can usually be repositioned if the sun moves. Plan your seating around existing trees or plant new trees to cover sitting areas that get the afternoon sun.

Tip 4: Create sound, movement and visual interest

Adding lighting, water features, fire pits, and music will make your outdoor living area more inviting, especially for evening events. If you host a party at night, no one will want to sit in the quiet darkness of the night. The guests will feel more comfortable enjoying the sight of the lights, the sound of moving water with good music in the background. A little creativity in your planning will go a long way without costing you a lot of money. Tiki torches are available for less than $15. Inexpensive portable speakers attached to your mp3 player can take the music outdoors. Do-it-yourself garden lighting packages easily accentuate your landscape and create a pleasant ambient light. Even the dancing flames of strategically placed candles can help create the perfect atmosphere without breaking the bank. Regardless of what you select, don’t expect your guests to enjoy a featureless area listening to crickets chirp.

Tip 5: Consider maintenance

If you watch many of the popular home remodeling shows, you’ve probably seen the team of designers swoop in and transform an ordinary backyard into something fit for a magazine cover. Don’t be fooled by the wow factor alone. A new outdoor living room that looks great for your photo shoot may not hold up to the outdoor elements. At these makeover shows, you’ll often see an assortment of drapes, cushions, rugs, furniture, and other decorations that simply aren’t designed for outdoor use. No matter where you live, anything you place out in the open will get dirty and wet. Ask yourself how easy it will be to clean up everything you put out. Or how easy it will be to carry everything in and out of your house every time you want to enjoy your backyard. An easy solution to keep your outdoor area spotless is to plan proper storage for seat cushions and decorations. It will only take a few minutes to place cushions and other decorations in time for your guests if they are stowed nearby. Anything you bring into your outdoor area that is fabric or has been painted or stained will require regular maintenance. Teak, cypress, and redwood look beautiful, but will require regular maintenance. Don’t underestimate the amount of work it takes to clean, sand, and re-stain or paint wood. This can be a great project. Stainless steel is not invincible. It stains LESS than ordinary steel, but can still show its age. A variety of stainless steel cleaners are available, but don’t skip maintenance just because it’s ‘stainless steel’. After all, why do you think retailers have an entire aisle dedicated to stainless steel cleaners? Consult a professional landscaper with knowledge of your local climate to select low-maintenance plants. You want to spend your time enjoying your backyard, not working in it!

Tip 6: Save a ton of money by being your own project manager

Most companies that advertise themselves as turnkey outdoor living experts don’t actually do all the work themselves. It is common for a company to outsource work to a completely different company. For example, if you’re hiring a landscaping company that also builds outdoor kitchens, you can bet they don’t have granite countertop cutting equipment or in-house staff. That part of the project would surely be outsourced to a third party provider. You can certainly get quality work this way, but it’s typical for companies to increase outsourced parts of the project by 10 to 30 percent.

There is no “right way” to do an outdoor kitchen. Your living space should reflect your tastes and lifestyle. Be a smart shopper and spend time searching for products on the Internet. Your careful planning will not only save you money, but more importantly, help you create the outdoor space of your dreams.