3 Things To Think About When Designing An Outdoor Kitchen

If you really want to take advantage of your ample backyard space by putting in an outdoor kitchen, there are a few things that you’re going to want to consider about this addition to your home before you break ground and start purchasing equipment.

To help you know just what to consider as part of your planning and preparation, here are three things to think about when designing an outdoor kitchen.

What Appliances Will You Want Outdoors

An outdoor kitchen is a great way to make outdoor cooking easier. However, since you already have a kitchen in your home, you’re going to want to be sure that you include things in your outdoor kitchen that you don’t already have or can’t easily accomplish in your indoor kitchen. This will likely require a bit of thought about the kinds of cooking you want to do and what appliances and features will best be put to use in this space.

For most people, having something like a grill in their outdoor kitchen is a no-brainer. But do you also enjoy making your own pizza at home? Maybe you should also put in a wood-fired pizza oven as well. Or if you enjoy smoking your own meats, having a smoker in your outdoor kitchen space could make a lot of sense. These adjustments will help ensure that you get the perfect outdoor kitchen for you, not just some cookie cutter version.

Best Materials To Use

Once you’ve determined what you’d like to have in your outdoor kitchen, you then need to think about what materials would be best for you to create this space with.

The materials that you use in an outdoor kitchen will vary a bit from materials used in an indoor kitchen, as you’ll want to be sure that you’re choosing materials that will be able to weather the outdoor elements well. Knowing this, you should consider implementing materials such as stainless steel, cement, brick, stone, or HDPE. All of these materials are waterproof and relatively easy to maintain in an outdoor environment.

The Return On Your Investment

Thankfully, most people who put an outdoor kitchen onto their property can expect a good return on that investment when they go to sell their house. In fact, you can usually expect between a 55% and 200% return on the money that you invest in your outdoor kitchen when it comes to valuing this feature during a home sale. So while it makes sense to include things in your outdoor kitchen that you want and will work well with your lifestyle, keep in mind what future home buyers might also want from this space and how you can incorporate both to get the maximum return on your investment.

If you’re wanting to put an outdoor kitchen in your backyard, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you go about this the right way.