From the food the you eat to the way that you spend your time and money, you are in charge of your life.
Maybe this excites you.
Maybe it scares you.
Either way, it is the truth!
Your actions have created both your past and your present. You do not have control over how other people act, but you do have control over the the way you respond and react, and that has created your current situation.
Perhaps even more important, however, is how your current actions will affect your life tomorrow. This should not be a cause for stress, but a feeling of liberation! You can choose to be happy, successful, full of love, and healthy. Today you are focusing on healthy.
Outdoor Kitchens Can Help You be Your Best Self
The decision to take control of your diet and health is not always an easy one, but if you surround yourself with opportunities for success you are more likely to reach your goals. For example, by designing outdoor living spaces, including a full scale outdoor kitchen you can encourage and create healthy meals for yourself, your family, and your friends.
Custom outdoor kitchens and the latest landscape design ideas can help you create a space that will encourage the whole family to contribute to healthy living and eating. An herb garden perfectly positioned in raised beds near the cooking area, for instance, allow you to grab the fresh ingredients you need to make the tastiest of dishes. A large outdoor grill offers a way to cook the freshest of meats and vegetables instead of relying on fatty fast foods and and processed options from a box, can, or freezer.
Fortunately, while you are investing your time and money to create a healthy way for you to cook and entertain outside, you are also creating a new living space that will add value to your property. In fact, the latest research indicates that spending as little as 5% of your home’s value on landscaping may bring a return on investment (ROI) of as much as 150%. A dedicated outdoor living space with a well equipped outdoor kitchen can bring even more value to a home.
With these facts in mind, it is no wonder that early t 90% of real estate agents encourage home owners to invest in landscaping prior to selling. And while you do not need to go full scale and create an outdoor cooking and eating space, many families are finding that this is one of the best ways to encourage healthy cooking and an invitation for long conversations with family and friends.
Consider some of these other facts and figures about the many ways that landscaping and outdoor living spaces can add to the value of any property:
- Reducing summer energy bills by as much as 20%, tall shade trees block light very effectively in the summer.
- Approximately 90% of real estate agents encourage home owners to invest in landscaping before listing a home for sale.
- The average home owner spends nearly four hours a week caring for their lawn. Depending on where that home owner lives that is approximately 150 hours in cooler climates to 208 hours in warmer climates every year.
- Bouncing back from a five-year low in 2014, lawn and garden spending reached a reported $36.1 billion in 2015, according to recently released results of the annual National Gardening Survey.
- 83% of Americans think having a yard is important, and 90% of those with a yard think it is important that the yard is also well-maintained.
- Of those owners adding plants to their yards, 92% are selecting plants that are native to their region.
From outdoor refrigerators to entire outdoor kitchen and dining areas, there are many ways you can create a new living space in your home. And with the help of professional landscaping companies you can make the selections that will work well in the climate where you live, adding value to your property. In addition to adding value to your property, however, there are many times when creating a new cooking space can inspire you to eat ore meals at home and create a menu of items that will help both you and your family be your best selves.
