Add Convenience and Luxury with an Outdoor Kitchen

Here’s an idea you may have never thought of: an outdoor kitchen. Looking to add onto your home? Do you entertain a lot, and do many of those gatherings end up outside, such as barbecues and patio dinners? Maybe you live in a year-round warm climate area, and would love to not be tied down inside when cooking? With all the options to add on to your house to make the space bigger and new all over again, an outdoor kitchen is a good idea for many.

What is an Outdoor Kitchen?

If you want to shake things up a little on the homefront, an outdoor kitchen is a fantastic option. This may seem easy – and it is, with a general contractor. While it may seem like it could be DIY, since it is outdoors and no technical “building” is involved, you need the expertise of a general contractor to plan out the space. Remember, electricity is involved. With their experience and skill, they can easily map out the most effective way to get electricity and power going into your outdoor kitchen, all while keeping in mind convenience and aesthetic appeal. Just think, with an easy meeting with a contractor, he’ll evaluate the space you have and work can begin. And this won’t be the kind of renovation that drags on forever, thanks to the simplicity of the task. Once the power connections are established and the appliances can be installed, you’ve got yourself an outdoor kitchen.

This Old House prices the average outdoor kitchen with grill, storage cabinets, and patio at about $3,000, which when you think of the supplies, planning, and installation, isn’t bad. If you’re planning on making any sort of renovations to your home, this is most likely well within your budget. Still easily within budget is the deluxe, full-use kitchen, coming in at about $15,000. This kitchen includes the grill, storage, and patio, plus a refrigerator and sink. The decision to go basic or deluxe is totally up to you. If your space proves difficult to run power through, and you’re on a tighter budget, even the basic version will add convenience and luxury to your space. But, if you can run power and plumbing and your budget is a bit roomier, go deluxe for the ultimate luxury – why not? It all still falls under the umbrella of basic work for your contractor, who will have all the answers to your “How we do this…?” and “What if we did this…” questions.

Who should add on an Outdoor Kitchen?

The answer to this is simple. If you never eat outside, hardly ever barbecue, don’t really entertain, live in an area with a less than desirable climate…any or all of the above, and this is a waste for you. Not to mention, it’s not worth the money. However, if you barbecue often and love eating outside, especially if you often find yourself entertaining guests, an outdoor kitchen will not only make your life easier, but it will make all of your friends jealous.

What are the benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen?

All the results of your outdoor kitchen should be beneficial, or there’s no point. You will experience exponentially increased convenience. You will be able to store food outside by your grill, you will be able to cook outside. If you opt for the fully stocked kitchen with refrigerator and sink, you’ll never have to go inside again. Just kidding, sort of. Besides the convenience, there will also be a sort of aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space. An outdoor kitchen adds a sense of rich luxury to a backyard. For a relatively low cost, you can make your home look like it’s worth a million bucks. The best thing about meeting with your contractor is choices. There are so many combinations you can create, based on need and budget.

What are the risks of an Outdoor Kitchen?

There are two major risks of creating an outdoor kitchen. One is that you’ll never use it, and it will be a constant reminder of how much time and money you wasted. The other is that you will get a general contractor who runs up the bill or doesn’t deliver the sort of kitchen you wanted. To avoid the first risk, just make sure you think your idea through. Take a month in warm weather and really pay attention to how often you eat outside. This will help you determine how worth it this idea is for you. As far as contractors go, remember your two best friends: research and references. Research the contractor and past projects. Then get some reviews from past clients. If there are some doubts or negative reviews, keep moving, you don’t need the stress. If everyone seems happy, go for it.

Bottom Line?

If you find yourself eating outside a lot, then this is a wonderful idea for you. You’ll probably never be able to imagine life without it.