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Our large backyard has extensive landscaping, a pool, and a covered patio with an outdoor kitchen. It's pretty decked out and awesome to use but here in Central Texas, it's just too damn hot and/or humid for me to enjoy much of the day - even with a fan (that blows largely warm/hot air). I'm originally from the Northeast, so the heat gets to me after awhile. The best time for us to use our space is early spring, fall, and maybe winter. And then there's the mosquitos. The porch is not screened since the screen would obscure the nice view of the pool and gardens from our kitchen/living room.
So there you have it. But the outdoor space is beautiful to behold and even if we don't use it as much as we'd like, it's nice to have.
Presumably, everyone wants their home to feel warm, welcoming, and inviting. That curb appeal is important to lots of people returning home from a long, weary day. Just seeing the decorated outdoor spaces could provide an uplift rather than those same spaces being empty, characterless and dreary.
I agree with the thought as far as it goes. However, looking out at a pool, spa, outdoor kitchen and dining area that I rarely to never actually get to use would depress me. I'd rather just look out at beautiful trees and flowers, hopefully inhabited by birds and butterflies. As long as I have windows, I can enjoy those whether I go outside or not.
I'm sure some people who have all those expensive things find that the expense of installation and upkeep is worth it even if they only get used a couple of times a year. Other people don't; I've certainly known people who moved while stating they would never get a house with a pool again.
It's 95 degrees out, 90 percent humidity, all day every day. When it does cool off at night, the skeeters come out.
This is why I live in the Socialist Paradise of the City & County of Denver.
Moved here in 1980 from Massachusetts.
Everyone has a patio/deck and no one has screened-in porches.
I don't have great/any "landscaping" but I do have a screened porch in back off the house and I use it a lot (unless it's super hot and humid of course) - I keep my furnishings out there as early in the year and as late into fall/early winter as possible.
I feel for you all. I've got an outdoor kitchen with pool and hot tub. The island has outlets and I created a hood for my laptop. I'd much rather be outside except for the few odd days it gets over 80 or under 65.
I feel for you all. I've got an outdoor kitchen with pool and hot tub. The island has outlets and I created a hood for my laptop. I'd much rather be outside except for the few odd days it gets over 80 or under 65.
Those things make sense in SoCal (where I live too)...but what doesn't make sense is why so many people even here spring for lavish outdoor furnishings but still don't use them.
When we bought our current house, there was a concrete square in the back yard for a hot tub, complete with electricity and water hookups. Our new neighbors told us that the people who had owned our house had installed all of that, bought a hot tub and set it there, and then never even filled it with water. When they moved, nine years later, they gave the still-empty, unused hot tub to our these neighbors.
That's the kind of thing I mean. We eventually removed the concrete and put in raised beds.
I feel for you all. I've got an outdoor kitchen with pool and hot tub. The island has outlets and I created a hood for my laptop. I'd much rather be outside except for the few odd days it gets over 80 or under 65.
Well that's Southern California for you.
Here in Texas, no way.
But that wouldn't stop me from having an outdoor space because there are days when it isn't quite as hot, and even when it is hot, we still go outside because the porch is covered. A pool gets use especially in the heat...
We added decks to our last couple of houses, but didn't use them much. I love the idea of spending time out there, but it takes more work. You have to bring out your book or project or meal, arrange shade, put on sunscreen and bug spray, get out the cushions. You get all settled in, and realize you forgot something, then the sun moves and you have to rearrange, then the phone rings...
This made me laugh. You described how it goes just perfectly.
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Denver, dry, no bugs
