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Creating An Idea
File
Planning an
outdoor kitchen is as much fun as planning an indoor room.
So while you're dreaming up the perfect outdoor kitchen plans, use these
tips to get started.
Start a clip file or use a notepad,
notebook, scrapbook, or shoebox to hold you ideas.
Look for images of decorative
accents, outdoor rooms, container plantings,
furniture, and water features in garden magazines.
Go on a house tour in your local area
and take pictures of features you especially like.
Use the web to download images and
articles.
Visit outdoor
living specialty stores and collect
images in their catalogs.
And start collecting stone, brick
and tile samples that move you.
Choosing A Design
Team

Outdoor kitchens are
relatively new.
And so are a lot of builders
and designers specializing in outdoor kitchen plans and
outdoor kitchen construction.
That's why
it's so important that you ask lots of questions,
talk to past clients, and see samples of their work.
Professionals who design and
build homes from scratch may not be masters in the
art of add-ons.
Residential landscape
architects and kitchen designers will have more
experience.
Specialty stores will
sell and install modular and manufactured outdoor
kitchen units.
Ask friends who have outdoor
kitchens to recommend someone. You may get lucky and
come across a craftsman who installs wood-burning
ovens or outdoor
kitchen islands.
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Selecting A
Pro
Choosing the right landscape
designer, architect, or contractor will have your outdoor kitchen plans running
smooth.
The experience will be more enjoyable and you'll get top-notch
results.
Ask friends and colleges who
they'd recommend.
Even better,
use these professional
organizations to help with local referrals.
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The American Institute of
Architects, 800-242-3837, aia.org.
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The National Kitchen
& Bath Association, 877-NKBA-PRO or 800-843-6522,
nkba.org
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The American Society of Landscape
Architects, 202-898-2444,
asla.org
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The Professional Landcare
Network, 800-395-2522,
landcarenetwork.org
Make sure to get references,
and call to find out what you can -- positive and
negative.
Ask
to tour any projects recently completed or currently underway
to see for yourself the quality of their
work.
Savvy professionals will zero in on your expectations and needs
by asking you lots
of questions. Don't trust your outdoor kitchen plans to any
that don't.
Give the working relationship
a test drive by asking for preliminary
drawings.
Get bids for
appliances or other features. Each bid should include detailed
materials lists, a schedule indicating what gets done
when, and a payment schedule.
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Choosing The Right
Location
Build an outdoor
kitchen anywhere you
like. But think about practical matters as your
outdoor kitchen plans develop.
Close to the house means less money
spent tapping into water, electricity and natural gas
utilities and fewer conveniences will
need to be installed.
And out of sight may
mean out of mind. So site your outdoor kitchen
so you'll be tempted to grill and entertain every time you
glance out the window.
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Dealing With
Mosquitoes
Here are a few common
sense and preventative tips for dealing with
mosquitoes.
-
Routinely check
for and remove sources of standing water
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Use repellents
sparingly on skin and clothing
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Use Ultra-Low
Volume (ULV) foggers
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Install devices
that lure and trap mosquitoes
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Use structural
barriers like screened or glass porches
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Install a good
ceiling fan
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Dealing With Changing
Weather
Climate control is
a major outdoor kitchen must-have. And designing
with weather in mind extends your outdoor season by weeks
or even months.
Consider building an
outdoor kitchen in a screen room and install fans near
the cook zone.
Fans not only keep it
breezy, but double as mosquito repellants.
Overhead shade
and misting systems keep things cool.
An outdoor
kitchen is fabulous poolside in hot climates.
A fire pit, hearth, or
patio heater is great where days cool fast
or nights are cool.
Natural
tree or shrub screens are very effective
at diverting wind.
Think about an arbor,
pergola, or gazebo
for overhead shelter if rain is
common.
All your outdoor
kitchen
appliances, storage pieces, furniture,
ceiling fans, and cushions should be weather-worthy
rugged.
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Controlling
Costs
Remodeling projects typically end up 10-15 percent
over budget. No matter how detailed your outdoor
kitchen plans, there's always some unexpected charge or
situation not accounted for.
And with all
the excitement and enthusiasm that comes with outdoor
kitchen construction, spur-of-the-moment upgrades make
their way in.
So avoid the hassle
and headache
by padding in overruns now. Whether your dream outdoor
kitchen plans are simple or elaborate, these tips save
money.
Finding The
Money
You've got your
heart set on your outdoor kitchen plans. Now let's find
the money.
No worries! There are several ways to
bankroll a new outdoor kitchen.
There's no waiting, no interesting
charges, and no payments, if you've squirreled away
enough to fund the project.
Another way to avoid interest charges is to
plan the construction stages to coincide with your paycheck.
This approach stretches out the project, gives you time to shop for bargains, pads in time to
pay for big-ticket items and you can do some or all
the work yourself.
The
trade off is you won't be cooking alfresco as soon as
you might like.
If you don't want to use
your savings, and you don't like waiting, then consider
a home equity loan. You may be able to finance the
entire project.
Home equity loans usually have lower rates and can also be
tax deductible.
What about a home equity
line of credit? It's like using a credit card, but
with a lower rate and a tax deduction.
You'll borrow
up to a preset amount
on a revolving credit account. The advantage is that you
only pay interest on the money you spend.
With a home equity loan, you'll pay
interest on the entire loan amount whether or
not you spend it.
If your outdoor kitchen plans are
for a home you're about to buy, consider
getting a mortgage that covers the price of the home, plus the outdoor
kitchen.
The interest is tax-deductible
and the cost is spread out over the life of the
loan.
Credit cards are a last resort.
They're only useful when you're taking advantage
of low teaser rates, or the amount you plan to borrow is
small, or you can pay off the balance quickly.
Why not mix and match
your funding.
You could use only a
portion of your savings, then pay some of the expenses as you
go, and take advantage of a retailer's
no-interest-for-one-year offer on appliances, and also
contribute sweat equity of your
own.
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