Apartment living can sometimes seem a little cramped. Having a welcoming outdoor patio or balcony can add a lot of space to your apartment and let you enjoy the beautiful spring and summer weather from the comfort of your own home.
Plan: First things first. Plan what you want to do with this part of your apartment. Living peacefully? Make a tranquil sanctuary for meditation. Want to make apartment living a little more social? Set up a great party space to grill out with your friends.
Clean: Start by cleaning your patio or balcony by sweeping it and rinsing it off with plain water. Look for any damage that needs to be repaired and report it immediately to your landlord. One of the benefits of apartment living is having experienced maintenance staff on hand to help keep your space in shape.
Furnish: Next, pull out your patio furniture. Make sure furniture is appropriately sized so as not to take up the whole space and that it is meant for outdoor use. Rinse vinyl, wood, and metal furniture with mild soap and water. Machine or hand wash canvas cushions and let dry in the sun. Treat fabrics with a waterproofing spray and wood with wax or oil. This will keep your furniture in top shape for years of outdoor apartment living.
Grills can really add to apartment living by expanding your cooking and entertaining space outdoors. Just make sure your lease allows them. Then roll your grill out, wipe the outside with a grease-cutting soap, and give the inside a good scraping with a stiff wire brush before the first use.
Decorate: Outdoor area rugs are a great way to add color and soften your patio. Carry common colors throughout décor with matching cushions, pillows, and planters. Lanterns and candles make patios more welcoming and can do double duty to repel unwanted guests like mosquitoes. In peaceful spaces, wind chimes or a small fountain can add to the atmosphere of your outdoor apartment living space.
Outdoor plants can really brighten up your apartment. Living with plants is easy if you choose varieties that do well in your lighting conditions (full sun? shade?) and that don’t require much water or other maintenance. Your local garden store will be able to help you. If you’re low on space, hanging baskets can work well for your apartment. Living plants are delicate and it is still possible to experience frost during spring, so don’t forget to bring plants inside or cover them up if it’s supposed to be cold.
Don’t have a patio or balcony to call your own? Use ApartmentSearch.com to find Austin apartments, Dallas apartments, Phoenix apartments, and Seattle apartments with awesome outdoor apartment living spaces.
