A no-frills patio or deck is likely to get used intermittently. However, if you incorporate some key comforts of home, these outdoor spaces become more like another room— a very special room: a place where you can temporarily escape the everyday stresses of family life and enjoy some solitude in the sunshine … a place where you can entertain friends and family, while the kids play in the yard … a place where your brood can gather, relax and, yes, talk.

Of course, adding these extras can be costly. And if you don’t choose well, any accompaniments can become weathered, unsightly and in need of replacement in just a season or two. So consider your options carefully. My top-�ve recommendations are included below.

Hard-wired lightingHiring an electrician to incorporate a permanent, hard-wired 120-volt lighting system throughout your patio/deck can be expensive. But doing so can double the fun by allowing you to extend your outdoor entertaining well past

continued on page 2

Creating a Backyard Oasis: Five Great Improvements

650 • v35i 07

Jane Agent & Joe AgentReal Estate ProfessionalsREALTORS®Jane: 206/527-3801JaneAgent@windermere.comJoe: 206/527-3801JoeAgent@windermere.comJaneandJoe.myWindermere.com

At this time of year, most people want to be outside enjoying all the nice weather—even when they’re at home. My suggestion: Consider your yard an extension of your home, and implement some improvement projects to it this summer. Great ideas are included in this month’s issue of Home Update.

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With an outdoor kitchen, you’ll be able to do almost all your cooking on the deck or patio, while interacting with your guests in the fresh air. Here’s what you’ll need:

Barbecue and/or outdoor ovenBarbecue grills use direct heat (an open �ame) to cook, while outdoor ovens use indirect heat, which cooks from above and below for a more uniform result. The best outdoor kitchens feature both.

Side burnerSome barbecue grills have a side burner attached, but they’re also available as a standalone unit. Use it to boil water, cook sauces, keep foods warm and more.

Stainless steel mini fridgeIf you don’t have a way to enclose a standard mini refrigerator in a weather-tight cabinet, you’ll need to spend signi�cantly more for a stainless steel version.

Outdoor sinkMost portable outdoor sinks simply connect to a garden hose. If you want hot water, you’ll need to run plumbing pipes from the house. u

Creating a Backyard Oasis: Five Great Improvements continued from page 1

sunset, and continue using the space even after Daylight Saving Time ends. For safety reasons, some building codes actually require that decks and patios feature this kind of lighting.

Candles, rope lighting, lanterns, lamps and solar-powered �xtures are less-expensive options, but these can be a hassle, are best suited for creating ambience, and usually don’t weather well over time.

A stylish sun shadeProviding overhead cover for your patio/deck ensures you can enjoy the space even in the blazing sun, or a slight drizzle. A slatted or lattice wood roof can provide this protection and blend nicely with the rest of your structure, but that approach can also be costly. Umbrellas are nice but usually too small to make a real di�erence. Instead, consider a stylish sun shade (also known as a sun sail or sun canopy). Available in a variety of fun shapes, colors and sizes, these fabric panels are inexpensive, festive, highly adaptable and temporary. Held

aloft by ropes tied to mounts, sun shades can be easily installed/removed to match the weather—and securely stored at the end of the outdoor season.

Outdoor soundIncorporating a series of small, inconspicuous outdoor speakers into your deck/patio design is a great way to bring music into the mix without making it di�cult for people to hear or be heard. For the best results, connect those outdoor speakers to your indoor sound system to create a uni�ed experience.

The perfect barbecue spotMany homeowners place their deck/patio barbecue in an inconvenient spot because they let the utilities dictate the situation. Remember, a natural gas supply line can be safely and inexpensively routed just about anywhere in the yard or on your deck.

The barbecue plays a starring role in most outdoor gatherings, so locate it somewhere where people can see it

tips The Outdoor Kitchen

Home Pricing Guide: Following are average three-bedroom home sale prices for some of the

neighborhoods served by Windermere. Figures are based on multiple listing data for homes sold

November 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015. For information on other market areas, please call me.

and gather around it without blocking an entryway. Consider also facing the backside towards the main patio/deck space so the chef can be facing his public while tending to the meal.

A � ery centerpieceOnce the barbecue is extinguished for the night, it can sometimes feel like the party is over … unless you have a � re pit for people to gather around. Instead of building a traditional wood-burning � re pit, consider instead purchasing a portable, clean-burning, quick-lighting gas version.

The hidden valueIn addition to making your home more enjoyable, these deck and patio investments can also make your property more valuable when it comes time to sell. The latest Remodeling Magazine “Cost vs. Value” report shows that the typical homeowner recoups an incredible 80.5 percent of their expenses for a recently built wood deck at the time of sale (68 percent for a deck constructed of composite materials).

For tips about other home-improvement projects that can deliver a big return on investment, feel free to contact me directly. u

ALASKA Anchorage $322,000

ARIZONA Phoenix $202,000Prescott $345,000Scottsdale $477,000

CALIFORNIA Palm Springs $539,000San Diego $470,000

COLORADO Fort Collins $313,000Denver $352,000

HAWAII Hilo $299,000Kahului/Wailuku $469,000Kihei $652,000Kona $463,000Wailea/Makena $2,529,000

IDAHO Boise $205,000Caldwell $135,000Coeur d’Alene $237,000Eagle $345,000Hayden $271,000Lewiston $181,000Meridian $242,000Moscow $210,000Nampa $140,000Post Falls $220,000Sun Valley Hailey $294,000 Ketchum $806,000

MONTANA Bozeman $297,000Hamilton $159,000Helena $219,000Missoula $255,000Ronan $193,000

NEVADA Las Vegas $198,000

OREGONAshland $582,000Astoria $213,000Beaverton/Sunset Corridor $295,000Bend $291,000Canby $279,000Cannon Beach $782,000Clatskanie $173,000Coos Bay $178,000Corvallis $324,000Creswell $227,000Dallas $191,000Eagle Point $129,000Eugene $255,000Florence $236,000Gearhart $431,000Grants Pass $243,000Hillsboro $280,000Hood River $386,000Jacksonville $431,000Klamath Falls $167,000Lake Oswego $413,000Lincoln City $260,000McMinnville $225,000

OREGON, continued Medford $190,000Milton-Freewater $145,000Molalla $241,000Monmouth $213,000Newport/Seal Rock $234,000Portland North $307,000 Northeast $339,000 Southeast $304,000 West $399,000Prineville $195,000Redmond $259,000St. Helens $206,000Salem $210,000Salishan/Gleneden Beach $385,000Sandy $252,000Scappoose $261,000The Dalles $216,000West Linn $392,000Wilsonville $367,000

UTAH Coalville $342,000Orem $225,000Park City $830,000Provo $202,000Salt Lake City $219,000

WASHINGTON Aberdeen $104,000Allyn $217,000Anacortes $385,000Arlington $277,000Auburn $273,000Bainbridge Island $720,000Belfair $180,000Bellevue $711,000Bellingham $296,000Bingen/White Salmon $303,000Birch Bay/Blaine $267,000Bonney Lake $244,000Bothell $387,000Bremerton $210,000Brinnon $120,000Burien $348,000Camano Island $336,000Camas $342,000Cathlamet $299,000Centralia $167,000Chelan $435,000Chewelah $138,000Clarkston $159,000Cle Elum $362,000Colville $120,000Deer Park $226,000DuPont $266,000Edmonds $436,000Ellensburg $142,000Entiat $215,000Enumclaw $297,000Ephrata $158,000Everett $288,000Federal Way $250,000Gig Harbor $351,000Goldendale $162,000Granite Falls $231,000Issaquah $530,000Kent $266,000Kettle Falls $185,000Kingston $301,000Kirkland $544,000

WASHINGTON, continuedLake Forest Park $464,000Lake Stevens $281,000Lake Tapps $342,000Lakewood $202,000Leavenworth $327,000Liberty Lake $261,000Long Beach $182,000Longview $191,000Lopez Island $501,000Lynden $273,000Lynnwood $320,000Maple Valley $313,000Marysville $251,000Mazama $354,000Mercer Island $1,173,000Mill Creek $385,000Monroe $293,000Moses Lake $182,000Mount Vernon $260,000Mukilteo $477,000Newcastle $505,000Ocean Shores $176,000Olympia $270,000Omak/Okanogan $148,000Orcas Island $539,000Oroville $181,000Packwood $141,000Port Angeles $211,000Port Hadlock $144,000Port Ludlow $353,000Port Orchard $228,000Port Townsend $314,000Poulsbo $303,000Pullman $209,000Puyallup $231,000Quincy $164,000Redmond $515,000Renton $341,000Republic $163,000Sammamish $607,000Seattle Mid-City $558,000 Northeast $572,000 Northwest $796,000 Southeast $418,000 West $466,000Sequim $299,000Shelton $172,000Shoreline $380,000Silverdale $281,000Snohomish $359,000Spokane $181,000Stanwood $314,000Stevenson $218,000Sumner $197,000Tacoma $191,000Tri-Cities $204,000Twisp $333,000Vancouver $258,000Vashon Island $448,000Walla Walla $202,000Wenatchee $252,000Westport $151,000Whidbey Island $307,000Woodinville $501,000Yakima $149,000Yelm $177,000

MEXICOCabo San Lucas $323,000La Paz $129,000San José del Cabo $510,000

If you want your deck or patio to be surrounded by a beautiful green lawn, these are the �ve keys:

1. Test the soil underneathThere are all kinds of fertilizers and amendments available for your lawn. But until you sample the soil (kits are available at most hardware stores) and analyze the results, you won’t know what it is your lawn is really yearning for.

2. Rake regularlyAs simple as it sounds, raking is key to lawn health. It stimulates new growth, allows water to more easily penetrate, and improves the chances for grass seed.

3. AerateUsing an aerator to remove plugs of soil from your lawn allows water, nutrients and oxygen to gain better access to the root system, plus helps loosen the soil.

4. Be proactive with weedsPlucking weeds as soon as they sprout is far more e�ective than trying to eliminate them once they’ve gained a foothold.

5. Don’t cut it too shortThe shortest you want to cut your lawn in a single mowing is one-third its current height. If you want it shorter than that, mow more often. u

The Five Keys to a Beautiful Green Lawn

650 BKT UPD • Volume 35, Issue 07 This is not meant to solicit your business if you are already working with an agent. 2014© Windermere Services Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Windermere Services Company5424 Sand Point Way NESeattle, WA 98105

Jane Agent & Joe AgentReal Estate ProfessionalsREALTORS®Jane: 206/527-3801JaneAgent@windermere.comJoe: 206/527-3801JoeAgent@windermere.comJaneandJoe.myWindermere.com