Time to spruce up your outdoors? Here's how

The weather is starting to turn a bit cooler and that means it’s the perfect time to start planning those autumn and winter projects. For some of us, it’s a good opportunity to give the house a top to bottom spring clean, but if you want to do something that will really get noticed, maybe it’s time to embrace outdoor living at your place. It doesn’t need to be complicated – here are our top 10 ideas that will create an effortless style: 

If you want to give your deck a style update, start with a thorough clean and re-stain – it’ll help it to stand up against the elements and make it look fresh and new. Your deck (or courtyard if you don’t have a deck) is the foundation of your outdoor space so it’s important to make sure it always looks inviting. 

Now that your deck is looking like new again it’s time to revamp the outdoor furniture. You don’t need to fork out your hard earned cash to buy new things – reinvigorate your existing outdoor furniture with some new cushions or save money and re-upholster your old ones. 

To amp up the appeal of walkways along the side of your house, fix some trellises to the external wall and plant some flowering vines to train up them. A great option for this is the versatile and hardy Clematis which will give you a dazzling display of colour to really brighten things up. 

If you’ve got a nice courtyard and want to spend more time in it, just grab some stone or masonry blocks, stack them in two columns and place a heavy wood plank on top to form a sturdy but comfy garden bench. Soften the industrial look by placing some pots or baskets of cottage plants such as Bizzy Lizzies on and around the bench. 

Lighting is an inexpensive way to instantly improve your outdoors. There’s a huge selection of outdoor lighting available and a dramatic statement piece in your entertaining area can really change the mood of your outdoor space. And it’s not just alfresco lighting that’s on-trend, an illuminated garden path, garden bed or water feature always adds some visual interest in the evenings.  

There’s nothing like the crackle and glow of a fire pit on a cool night. This little addition can encourage you to extend the use of your outdoor space during the colder months while also creating a beautiful feature in your yard. 

If you have a small property and you feel that your neighbours are just a little too close, a privacy screen will shut them out and add a luxe feel to your landscaping. Choose from lattice, bamboo, timber or designer screen panels -  there are loads of options on the market that will help you add some flair to your outdoors. 

A water feature is a great focal point for your garden, and it adds movement and excitement to your outdoor space. For smaller gardens and patio areas, choose a self-contained version, such as a water bowl or small fountain. This lets you add water to your garden but won’t take up much space, so it won’t be out of proportion with the rest of the area.  If space isn’t an issue, you can go all out with a centrepiece fountain in a pool surround. 

If you don’t have a covered patio, then a jumbo-sized umbrella is just the ticket to make a statement and keep you protected from the elements. The rules here are to make it big and make it bold! 

If you’ve got the space, a hammock will add a chic and relaxed vibe to your outdoor area. Gone are the days when you needed two sturdy trees to make it happen – these days you can buy relatively inexpensive hammocks that can stand independently, so you can move it around to the spot that suits you best. 

Want to do more? 

There’s no better time to start some outdoor space rejuvenation planning than right now! What’s more, if you want to aim a little higher than a few potted plants, some lighting and a water feature, we can help with a little financial assistance for that bigger project. 

So if you need a small personal loan to make it happen, just check out our mini-loans up to $5K to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually deposit the cash into your bank account within a few hours - so you can start planning your new outdoor project today!