Ideas for our back patio?

[Itai]

Hey All.

Looking for some ideas for our back patio.

We're in the process of getting a quote through Softwoods which we saw on Bunnings for a deck + verandah which we can then DIY. Unfortunately our council requires a building permit for any size of deck in Victoria, so it's quite a process to get this deck. I did find a company that will do the drafting and get the permit across in one service which is good.

But wondering if there's maybe any better ideas? Right now, it's just an ugly concrete slab! My wife also isn't a fan of pavers.

We're currently thinking of a 9m deck with a 6m verandah for the first bit. The deck will be in line with the sliding door at the end, around 31cm above the ground. At the 6m mark (end of the verandah), I'm think of doing a step down to around 17-20cm height just to break it up a bit and give it different levels. Or maybe at the 6.5m or 7m mark?

At the 9m mark, I'm thinking to put a few cm of coarse gravel

and putting a few logs as seating and a little firepit. 

Along the fence, around 50cm deep I'm looking at running raised garden beds and screens. The fence will be replaced with a colourbond fence.

This photo shows the 9m to the end of the sliding door

Newly installed sliding door, deck will butt up to door

Sand between concrete and fence

Am keen to put in a built in BBQ, where might I put that in this layout. The left side of the deck above, I'm planning to put some screening so at to block it off from the laundry area. I may just leave the last 0.9m of the deck and put a ramp there to get lawn mower through from the garage.

Thanks

Itai

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Itai,

Those sound like some exciting plans you have there. I can't think of any better ideas than to cover the area with a deck, and you are on the right track by adding terracing for interest.

I'd encourage you to have a think about the different textures you'll utilise. I'm a massive fan of what @ProjectPete has done with his Feature fences. My mother is about to move into a new property that has a long span of Colorbond fence. After showing her Pete's work, I've now been enlisted to break up the expanse of sheeting with something similar. @diy_hausdesigns has also done a wonderful job in their own Backyard makeover, and I trust you could borrow some elements from them as well.

Remember to check out our Top 10 most popular garden makeovers for inspiration.

Please let us know if you have any question or need help with your project.

Mitchell