Patio projects
Simple to elaborate, outdoor living spaces more popular than ever
While creating outdoor living spaces has been an ongoing trend in the southwest for some time that accelerated significantly over the past year as people spent more time than ever at home.
That can be as simple as building a crusher-fine patio with a few lawn chairs to as elaborate as adding a glass-enclosed space to the house as an extra room.
Most of it depends on budget and use, said Susan Kirkpatrick of Kirkpatrick & Associates.
“I think it would be important to know
how it’s going to be used,” she said. “Is it family space for a few people or for entertaining with a larger number of people going to be there?”
When going for a lower cost option, building a patio is one strong option, said Travis LaBarge, owner of ExtraScapes.
“Concrete is a pretty effective option for patios as far as budgets and longevity,” he said. “It’s one of our go-tos.”
While prices vary depending on the amount or prep work needed ahead of time, access to the site and complexity of design, a slab will generally run from $3 to $15 a square foot.
An even less-expensive option, LaBarge said, would be replacing concrete with a crusher fine patio.
“It’s a product that comes from when gravel is milled down to the correct size and you have tiny, little pieces of colored gravel,” he said. “Most crusher fine tends to be angular and compacts really well and people can make a nice living space out of it.”
That can run about $2.50 per square foot.
“If you want to step it up a bit, you can lay down some flagstone and use the crusher fine within the joints of a flagstones,” LaBarge said. “Those are all really nice options.”
Adding some patio furniture and propane-driven fire pits are relatively inexpensive options that can dress up a space very well.
And, of course, making the patio big enough to incorporate a grill is important, he said.
“That’s always a huge hit,” LaBarge said.
Finally, sprucing up the area with plants makes a big difference.
“What helps the budget is we install plantings that won’t need external watering sources, that thrive off the amount of rainwater we get each year,” LaBarge said. “Red yucca is pretty common … thread grass, agaves and yuccas … New Mexico Bird of Paradise or a larger shrub tree called desert willow. And Yucca Pendula, which is a nice, evergreen yucca but has a soft leaf so it doesn’t poke you too much.”
Giving shelter
Stepping up the projects a bit would include shade shelters, either permanent ones anchored onto the house or in the ground, or less expensive ones that can be put up or taken down depending on the weather forecasts, he said.
Moving it up farther, Kirkpatrick said creating a full ambiance of outdoor living that is nearly is comfortable as indoors is the goal.
“The qualities of outdoor furniture have improved greatly over the last few years as far as the comfort level and people able to use it and enjoy more,” she said.
Fabrics by Sunbrella are 100% acrylic to be able to withstand the sun and the inside is a special foam that rainwater flows right through, averting soggy cushions. The framework is made of metal, marine-grade plywood or heavyduty polymers, Kirkpatrick said, again to prevent weather damage.
A three-piece sectional can run more than $7,000. A bistro set with two chairs and a concrete-topped circular table goes for almost $800.
Having a well-lit exterior also extends the usefulness of outdoor areas by allowing its use past sunset.
“Lighting is going to be important if the area is used in the evening,” Kirkpatrick said. “The way we’re seeing outdoor spaces now, it’s almost becoming like they’re a living room.”
String lights above the patio work well and are a reasonable cost option at $30 for a 48-foot strand.
Building on the living room idea, Kirkpatrick also recommends rechargeable, battery-powered table lamps that hold a charge for up to nine hours, then are simply plugged back in to recharge. They can cost $500 and more.
Hot tubs, spas
One of the bigger splashes to outdoor living has been the addition of hot tubs, said Larry Chavez, owner of Dreamstyle Remodeling.
“There was a tremendous spike in demand for hot tubs,” he said. “A bit after the pandemic started, people started in coming in for spas. Cal Spa got backlogged six months. Hot tubs are a nice family activity.”
The hot tubs run from $5,000 to $12,000 and include stereos, lighting, decking. Some even have waterfalls.
Complete kitchens, with grill/stove and refrigerator also became a popular item. Those could cost as much as $15,000, including set up.
“It comes completely manufactured,” Chavez said. “It comes in a crate and we set up. It has stucco sides on it. These outdoor kitchens are really cool. You can cook every meal outside. It has storage space, stereo, sinks.”
Although not technically outdoors, sunrooms were a big addition.
“We’ve had a big spike in sunroom sales,” he said. “That market had been soft for many years. But people need home offices now so maybe they’re moving their exercise equipment into the sunroom.
Smaller ones run about $15,000 and an average size one of 12 by 24 goes for about $28,000.
“There are a lot of options,” Chavez said. “Glass roof, solid roof. In the sunroom, you can have a heating and cooling unit. You can do ceiling fans, outlets. Sunrooms are very much indoor comfort with outdoor ambiance.”