Extreme Home Staging: Designing the Deck of a Homebuyer’s Dreams
Increasingly, a home for sale’s outdoor living potential is almost as important to some home buyers as its indoor potential, especially, according to a number of recent studies in the case millennials. So if you are beginning to think about listing your home for sale and yours is the only house in the neighbourhood without a formal deck then you may very well be at a disadvantage.
So you have decided to have a deck built. Great idea, but exactly what do you want it to look like? With so many deck design options available, how do you go about designing the deck that will best suit the overall architecture of your home and meet all of your potential buyers needs and wants?
Before you get down to the nitty gritty of the actual architectural details there are a few things you need to consider:
Climate
How is the general climate in the area where you live? This is especially important if you are intending to have a wooden deck built as certain woods are better suited to certain climates than others. For instance a redwood deck is a popular and spectacular looking choice, but in wetter areas the wood may blacken quickly since redwood does not deal with moisture as well as some of the other decking options.
Landscaping
Review the current landscaping around your home. Do you intend for your deck to be the new focal point of the exterior of the home or would you prefer that it blend into its surroundings a little for a more continuous flow?
You may also want to take a close look at your neighbor’s yards if they are close by. Choosing to build your ultimate party deck too close to an elderly neighbor’s bedroom window will probably not make anyone very happy and if your home gets some great afternoon sun and a deck would be the perfect place for a spot of sunbathing building a raised and exposed one is probably not the best idea either.
Alternatives to the Obvious
You might also want to consider the idea of a “floating deck”. There is no rule that says a deck must be attached to the house. Decks can be built as freestanding structures, tucked away under trees or on a secluded area of your property to allow for some very private relaxation (or to keep that party noise away from neighbors ears)
Some homeowners whose property spans several stories elect to have a multi level deck constructed, obviously a more expensive and complicated project, but one that if well designed and executed can really rev up the wow factor of your home.
Once you have addressed all of these issues you can begin designing and planning your new deck. Your chosen deck construction contractor may have an architect on staff to help you turn that dream into a practical reality but even if that is not the case they will certainly be able to help you devise a solid plan for a deck that is both attractive and functional and could even potentially raise its monetary and perceived value.