Building a custom home in South Carolina involves more than choosing countertop finishes or deciding between a brick or siding exterior. You’ll also want to take into account the size and usefulness of the homesite you’ve picked out, and what type of outdoor living space might suit your lifestyle and family.

While some people are content with a small front porch, others enjoy elaborate backyard gardens or landscaping, love to host cookouts for friends and family, or need plenty of space for workshops.

We have a few ideas for outdoor living that make the most of any size yard or activity level.

1. Love Cooking Out? Consider an Outdoor Kitchen.

Adding on an outdoor kitchen space may not work for every custom home design, but for some homebuyers, it’s the missing piece of the perfect home puzzle.

With an outdoor kitchen, you’ll have cooking space (with a stovetop range or grill built in), countertops, a functional sink, and likely some space for seating. Add a covering or roof to keep everything dry and you can still cook and eat outside even in less-than-perfect weather. We prefer building the outdoor kitchen just off the actual living space, where opening large glass doors creates a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor space.

2. Enjoy Cooler Nights Warming Up By the Outdoor Fireplace

Do you love the feeling of cozying up to a crackling fireplace? A fireplace on your patio or backyard firepit may give you the same feeling with the added benefit of fresh outdoor air.

Set apart from the rest of the house, a fire pit with chairs can make for great “campfire cooking” opportunities, or just wrapping up in a blanket and enjoying the fire on cooler winter nights. Firepits work best with large outdoor spaces, where they can be spaced a safe distance from the house itself. Built out of stone and with a safety cover, you’ll find yourself planning s’mores for dinner just for the chance to use it.

If you choose to build a fireplace on a patio where it’s attached to the rest of the house, take care to follow any and all safety measures to prevent your cozy fire from getting out of control.

3. Design a ‘Play Space’ for Younger Family Members

For homebuyers with younger children, part of the benefit of a large yard is plenty of space for the kids to roam. If you’re looking to install a large play space (such as a treehouse with attached swing set and slide), you may benefit from taking time before home construction is finished to plan out exactly where you’d like to put it, prioritizing that part of your backyard for ‘kid-friendly’ future add-ons like a trampoline or sandbox.

This way, younger family members have all the play space they need without it encroaching on grown-up spaces like gardens or workshop areas.

4. Make Your Patio a Backyard Focal Point

Looking for outdoor entertaining space with minimal upkeep required? A simple patio might just do the trick. That flat space gives you lots of room for creativity. We recommend a variety of outdoor seating, with a mix of chairs and other seating options in bright, coordinated colors.

Add plants in colorful planters and other decor to create an outdoor space that feels like an extension of your home’s indoors.

5. Plan a Garden That is as Well-Designed As Your House

Are you a devoted gardener looking to turn a large backyard into a beautiful garden space? Take time during home construction to plan your garden out right from the start. Even though your home isn’t move-in ready, yet, you’ll benefit from the extra time to find out where the sun rests at different times of day, and what spaces may work best for plants that require plenty of shade or direct sunlight.

Then, once you’ve moved in, you’ll be able to begin planting a garden that provides nourishment and an attractive focal point for your outdoor living space.

6. Create Private Spaces in Your Front Yard

For some homebuyers, their outdoor living space will face a street, especially in homes with smaller yards. If this is the case for you, there’s an easy way to create a sense of privacy — large potted plants and other decor.

Carefully place large-scale potted plants and bushes around the edges of your outdoor entertaining space, alongside partitions or “privacy screens” (we like this design from Home Depot). You’ll create the feel of a closed-off, private space even in smaller spaces that face a nearby street or busy neighborhood.

Building a Custom Home in Simpsonville, SC? Call Five Star Construction.

Five Star Construction has decades of experience in custom home construction in Simpsonville, SC, and throughout southern Greenville County. Our Design Team is happy to work with you to ensure your custom home design is perfectly suited to your essential must-haves and needs.

Get started building your custom home in Simpsonville today by calling (864) 303-9143, or contact us online at any time.