Here comes summer……when most homeowners would love to sit outside on their deck or patio.

If they had one, that is. If you’re on a tight budget, you may think that building a deck or patio can cost thousands of dollars to build, then landscape. Of course it can, since the sky’s the limit when it comes to customizing outdoor rooms.

But the good news is that are some budget stretchers that can help you realize your dream.

Outdoor rooms have become enormously popular in all climate zones around the country. In some areas people spend more time on their decks than they do indoors. That’s easy to understand since you can use a deck or patio for just about any purpose.

The point is to have a plan. Decide what you’ll use the outdoor room, then put in place a budget with an absolute ceiling. Then stick to it. Start by getting estimates based on the approximate size of the area you want to build. Talk to a builder, home improvement store, lumber yard or brick and stone center for advice. If the size you want isn’t feasible to build based on your budget, wait until you can get what you want. Or, cut the size down by a few feet. By the time you’re finished, and sitting out on the deck, that extra two feet all around isn’t going to make a great difference if the main purpose of your outdoor room is to sit and enjoy outdoors.

Do your homework

• Check local building codes, You may not realize it, but you may need a building permit for your deck. The width of the spindles on your deck railing may also be dictated by local building codes. This is a prevention measure so small children are not apt to get stuck between the spindles. There also may be height restriction for the top of the deck’s railing, and you may need to build the deck a specific distance from the nearest neighbor’s lot line. Make sure you and builder check these details out so that you’re not in violation of local building ordinances.
• Study your options. Before you decide what type of outdoor room you can afford, take a look at friends and neighbors’ decks and patios. Put together an idea file from magazine photos.
• Plan far ahead. Consider creating an outdoor space that you can add on when the budget may be bigger. If you put in a 12 by 12-foot brick patio now, because that’s what works for you budget, keep a couple extra bricks as samples so you enlarge the area later. Some brick colors, by the way, are often available in the same colors year after year. Ask the home improvement center about which are the most popular building choices. Sure, your currently installed patio will weather and the bricks will look older than the added bricks years later, but having an expansion plan is one way to get what you want without waiting.
• Build for maximum use. In order for your deck or patio to be most useful, it should ideally be situated adjacent to an entry door of your house. This will give you maximum efficiency if you plan on serving meals and entertaining outdoors. Don’t forget to have an electrician put an outdoor electrical outlet near the patio or deck. It will increase your options for having fun outdoors.
• Create a space that looks like an extension of your home. We’ve all seen them---a deck or patio that was added many years after the home was built. Sometimes that new addition looks like a bad afterthought. When you make your addition architecturally interesting, and compatible to the rest of the home, it will help add value when it comes time to sell.

Practical strategies

Once you have decided to go forward and build that outdoor room, here are some things that will help you stretch your budget.

• Find a design that works for your budget. Dennis Wilken, owner of Wilken Construction, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin says, “Make a general sketch and take it to your local lumber yard or brick and stone center. Ask if they have deck designs to purchase. It may be less expensive to buy them from your lumberyard than it might be to build to your specifications.”
• Decide what, if any, part of the work you want to do yourself. If you’re going to do the digging of your patio or deck, Wilken advises, “In Wisconsin, homeowners have to call ‘Diggers Hotline’ before they start digging in their yards as a safety precaution because of underground utilities. It may sound simplistic, but Wilken adds, “If you’re doing part of the work, don’t forget to use a level.”
• Look for recyclable material. Look for someone who is taking out a patio. “Offer to haul away the concrete or flagstone paver (blocks and bricks), and you may have gained most of the material for your patio for free,” says Wilken. Many homeowners have been successful doing the next steps. “Dig out the sod, lever the area with sand, set the stone, pour sand on top and spread it in the cracks.” The result? A brand new patio without breaking the bank.