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Add an Outdoor Kitchen to Your Chesterfield Home

By
Real Estate Agent with REMAX Gold

Your new Chesterfield home has everything you'd ever want .  Four spacious bedrooms. A great room that works as game room and av room for your family.  A large, beautiful lot with a view to die for.  Amenities galore.  What more could you want to increase you enjoyment of your home and keep it fresh for later resale?  If you love to entertain, imagine this: an outdoor kitchen.  This trendy new amenity will offer al fresco dining in a naturally beautiful setting, plus add to your home's value.

outdoor kitchenAn outdoor kitchen offers you a convenient outdoor space for eating, serving, and storing food for you and your guests.  You can have a built in grill, burners, an elegant wine bar, a sink, granite countertops, functional flooring, storage cabinets, a fireplace, a beautiful stone fireplace, and numerous other add ons to make your space match your vision.  In terms of design, the sky's the limit!  In fact, that's the important word: DESIGN.  An outdoor kitchen is a whole lot more than a grill and a picnic table out pulled onto the patio. 

The outdoor kitchen will take up yard space, so you want to plan your space into the overall design of your yard.  Because the kitchen will be outside and exposed to the elements, you want it to be able to withstand weather without damage.  This means that you will probably need to incorporate the professional wisdom of an experienced contractor and a landscape architect.  You may have great ideas for how you want the finished area to look, but you may need licensed insured contractors to make sure that the plumbing and electrical connections are done right.

You also need to pick appliances and materials for your outdoor kitchen with care.  Refrigerators and other appliances designed for outdoor use can withstand the elements, though extreme temperatures changes, sea salt of dessert conditions can affect the life expectancy and the price.  A UL approved refrigerator for outdoor use has a larger compressor and has wiring/electronics designed for wet, tough outdoor environments, and will set you back around $1000.  Your cabinets should be marine-grade wood, set on corrosion-resistant bases.  Materials for counter tops should be able to resist chips, scratches, sun bleaching, and corrosion.  If you plan on outdoor TV, you need consider covering for at least part of the area. 

As with any home improvement, planning is essential. For the past 10 years, outdoor kitchens have been among the most popular home upgrades.  As a result, you have loads of internet sources to look to for design inspiration, plans, and practical tips.  Doityourself.com has many topics devoted to the "living room out back," as they refer to outside kitchens.  If you think that outdoor kitchens are popular only in Florida or California, think again.  They are rage in Missouri too; the area boosts a number of contractors with experience.  If you want to do the project yourself, experts say to anticipate spending a minimum of $3,000 for a very basic layout, but the project can cost upwards of $50,000.  

An outdoor kitchen while enhance your Chesterfield home now and later.  The National Association of Home Builders estimates that an outdoor kitchen can bring up to a 130% return when you sell your home.  Until that time, you can sear steak the way restaurants do and enjoy your guests as you prepare the rest of the meal. 

Sound inviting?  The Becky O'Neill POWER Team can find you a property with the perfect yard for an outdoor kitchen.  We promise a Positive Outcome With Exceptional Results.  We will help you narrow down the home that is right for you.  We specialize in fine properties in Clayton, Wildwood, Chesterfield, Manchester, Glencoe, Ballwin, Ellisville, Ladue, Fenton, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clarkson Valley, St. Charles, St, Peters, O'Fallon, Town & Country, and the surrounding area in St. Louis or St. Charles Counties.  Check out www.thestlhomefinder.com today.

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