If you’re planning to sell your home or at least increase its value, then you should consider beautifying your outdoor space. In fact, a well-maintained and attractive garden can add as much as 10 percent to the value of your home.

There are several ways to spruce up your garden without spending too much money. Here are some inexpensive garden tips that you might want to consider for your home:

Add unique outdoor container plants and mulch
Container plants like those large tropical breeds can add zest and contrast to your patios and doorways where potential buyers may enter and exit your home. This will make your home more attractive and inviting to your guests.

You can also bring life to your garden by adding various types of mulch since it enhances the contrast of the surrounding plants, especially when you combine it with different breeds of container plants. Mulch is an excellent addition to your garden since it’s relatively cheap and easy to apply.

Remove unsightly or overgrown shrubs and trees
You should never overlook your pruning chores because a bunch of dead branches will make your garden look dirty and neglected. It’s essential to maintain your outdoor area, especially your garden, and it’s a great way to spend your lazy weekend with your family or buddies.

Tend to perennial beds
If you have herbaceous plants on your garden like annuals and perennials that may not look good as they should, then it’s time to replace them with decorative pots or at least relocate them to another area. The important thing here is to add variety to your garden and remove plants that may affect the look and ambiance of your garden.

Vertical planting
Vertical planting is a great way of growing plants upright instead of the conventional method of allowing them to sprawl out. For this purpose, you can use garden nets, fences, and trellises that may enable crops like spaghetti squash, cucumbers, peas, and pole beans to climb up. This method saves a lot of space and makes weeding a lot easier.

Create a grand entrance
Your guests or potential buyers would want to see something amazing when they go to your home. So, let your slow-growing conifers and alpine plants greet them. These plants will grow about 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide, and it gives a welcoming ambiance at the entrance of your home.
 
Leave a sweet spot in your garden
Gardens aren’t just about weeding, pruning or planting, they’re magical places where you enjoy nature right in your own backyard. So, it’s only right to put a cheap decorative table and chairs in the middle of your garden where you or your guests can sit and smell the flower and watch the beauty of your backyard.
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Overall, a garden is an essential element of your home, and if you maintain it properly, it can increase the value of your home. 

Everybody would love to have a beautiful landscape in their backyard, but taking care of it is another story. If you want to have a gorgeous landscape design, but dreads the idea of maintaining it yourself, then we urge you to stick around because we’ll show you some of the best ways to achieve your dream landscape with minimal maintenance.

But first, let us demystify the term low maintenance, which is very different from “no maintenance.” You need to understand that all landscapes will require some kind of care, but with proper planning, you can significantly minimise maintenance.

So, shrubs and weeds will always grow, and they will establish themselves in your backyard. This process is always in motion and will become more noticeable if you stop mowing them. Therefore, maintaining your landscape is more like you’re trying to slow down a natural process.

Your property is considered a “managed environment,” which means you’ve established an ecological community in your area, and it is your responsibility to take care of it. Your primary role is to control or prevent unwanted and desirable vegetation from invading your landscape.

Here are some essential tips on how to get a low maintenance landscape in your backyard:

• Analyse your surroundings and document important elements in your property like the type of soil you have, existing vegetation, exposures, and the condition of your plants.
• Design and plan your landscape and make sure they are aligned with the existing condition of your surrounding environment. Take all the necessary steps to enhance the condition of your landscape, but don’t do complete or aggressive overhauls since it will transform your outdoor area, and it may even become high maintenance.
• Renovate or install your new landscape using the best practices known in the landscaping industry. This will include paying attention to the condition of your soil and using just high-quality plants and materials to achieve your project goals. This also means you need to do your research prior to adding features including sheds and patios. Work out how to lay a flat surface and whether or not you need to add steel reinforcements to your concrete
• Formulate a plan for how you will support your new landscape, especially during the period of acclimation, which means must have a support plan that will ensure full establishment within 18 months to 3 years.

The steps we enumerated above seem logical, linear, and straightforward, but for a complete beginner – it may not be that easy. So, to successfully do these steps, you must know something about your landscape design, environment, soil, plants, and more.

But what if you don’t have the time and skills to maintain your yard? Fortunately, there are experienced landscaped designers at Mornington Peninsula Concreters who can help you with the planning process.

We recommend that you get in touch with a qualified and environmentally-committed landscape professional who is willing to discuss with you all the options available for your property. They will be eager to advise you on how you can effectively achieve a low maintenance landscape.

You can also hire them to maintain your yard on a monthly or quarterly basis. In fact, you will be please with the results once they have implemented your landscape design.

Adding outdoor living spaces can expand the usable square footage of your property, and it’s also an excellent way for you to enjoy your outdoor areas. This is particularly beneficial for homeowners who live in areas where outdoor living is possible throughout the year.

In fact, outdoor kitchen and dining areas in the patio is now rather common, since a patio will usually have a table and chairs which you often use for your morning coffee or other outdoor events like a family barbecue.

Extending the functionality of your patio
When it comes to using your outdoor space like your patio, you usually hold an event that is applicable for outdoor space, but you can go much farther in creating living spaces that can truly bring life to your patio.

It is now possible to create outdoor kitchens and built-in grills, which are a growing trend in 2020, particularly in Australia, where the weather permits us to spend more time outdoors. In fact, you can even add flatscreen televisions, outdoor rugs, cocktail tables, and comfortable sofas right beside your outdoor kitchen.

Many homeowners are now choosing to expand their patio by adding outdoor kitchens that range from a few simple features to complete setups that would even impress a full-time chef. So, constructing these new elements in your backyard can potentially add value to your home.

Options for cooking outdoors  
The easiest way to keep your house cool and enjoy your backyard is to cook in your outdoor kitchen. You can install a built-in grill in your patio and have it customised to complement your cooking needs. You can add burners, drawers, and other essential accessories to make your cooking more convenient.

If you love pizza, then you can install an outdoor pizza oven, which could have a flat brick or ceramic surface inside a cave-like shape. These types of ovens are usually operated by burning wood, and the reflected heat cook the pizza. The most significant feature of an outdoor oven is its capability to bake tender pizzas with bubbly crusts that are perfectly crisp.

Another excellent idea for your patio is to install a modular outdoor kitchen, which is customizable and created solely by concrete to make it more affordable and maintenance-free.

Finishing touches
To make your patio even more beautiful, you can add several finishing touches like modern cylinders to hold your plants, elegant curvy urns, or add fun splashes of vibrant colours that could add an inviting ambiance to your patio. You can also plant a graceful ornamental grass that will wave in the breeze – making your outdoor space more relaxing and comfortable.
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It’s also a great idea to put some outdoor rugs on your patio, including some concrete furniture to add that living room feels even if you’re in your outdoor area.
Overall, making your patio functional and more enjoyable can now be achieved without breaking your bank. 

We all want our home or office to be safe and peaceful, but there will always be a slight risk of fire hazard. So, it is important to know some basic safety precautions because fire hazard is one of the most causes of accidents in our homes and offices and it could lead to tremendous damages. However, a fire hazard can always be prevented, but it is still a highly ignored risk, especially in Australia.

With proper precautions, we can prevent fire or at least minimise the damage and loss it can cause. There are a few simple things you can do to protect yourself and your family from fire accidents.

Fire safety tips in your home
Home fires can happen any time and it poses serious dangers to anybody in that property. In fact, when a fire breaks out in a home, the inhabitants just have two minutes to escape since fire can spread fast and can engulf the house in only 5 minutes.

So, when you’re in the kitchen and fire suddenly occurs, you shouldn’t use water to put it out because it will only help spread the fire. Also, you should always turn off any kitchen appliance after use, or just turn the main power switch off. Lastly, never leave your kids unattended in the kitchen, especially if you have flammable materials in your kitchen like oven mitts, paper towel, etc.

It is also wise to use concrete material in all of your kitchen fixtures including your kitchen island or sink since concrete does not burn and it can retain its strength even in high temperatures.

When it comes to your outdoor area, there are a few things you should check to prevent any fire accidents. Firstly, you need to determine if your roof is fire retardant, so you need to make sure that your roof is treated with fire retardant processes. For this purpose, you should contact your building contractor and have your roof treated with the necessary fire-retardant compound.

If you’re grilling in your backyard, you shouldn’t use gasoline on a grill since this has a tendency blow up the fire instantaneously and you might even catch fire in your clothes and skin. So, if you’re reviving fire in your grill, it’s better to use dry kindling than gasoline.

Use concrete building materials in your home
We also recommend you use concrete when building your patio since it is more versatile, fire-proof and safer than a timber deck. Also, a concrete patio is smoother, cleaner, and can be cast to form various geometric shapes, which is quite stylish. It’s also possible to use concrete furniture in your backyard since it is more durable and a non-combustible alternative to wood or timber. While you may think of concrete as cold and ugly, a variety of finishing options are available to give it the look you desire.

So, if you want to protect your home from fire, we suggest you use concrete more in some of your fixtures since it can minimise the risks of fire and it’s not that expensive either, and it is easy to maintain. Therefore, you can never go wrong if you choose concrete in your construction or renovation projects. 

Whether you’re planning to extend your backyard, porch, build a new shed, lay a new driveway, or a flat surface for your basketball court, it is essential to prepare the ground before pouring concrete. In fact, if you pour concrete on uneven ground, it will most likely break apart or sink, which can cause major cracks.    

Although pouring concrete is straightforward, prepping the ground and framing the area is a challenging task. Depending on the size of the slab you want to produce, the prep time can take several hours to do. That is why the key to a properly leveled surface is planning and efficient execution.

In fact, there are several steps you need to do to accomplish this task, and these will include the following:
Step 1:
Mark and measure the area where you want to pour the concrete, then dig to a depth of at least 3 to 5 inches with a shovel. If the ground you’re digging is mostly clay, then you need to add 2 inches of depth more to hold the gravel and will also serve as the drainage. After digging, use spray paint or stake to mark the area.
Step 2:
You should also remove all the vegetation within the area, especially the spot where concrete will be poured. You can always use the removed grass in other areas of your lawn or where there are bald spots.
Step 3:
It is also vital to dig a trench around the area’s perimeter for about 4 inches deep and 6 inches wide. This is done to make the concrete surface stronger and less likely to crack with time.
Step 4:
Another important thing to do is to smooth the ground with a rake using its flat side. Try to fill in any low spot with extra dirt and check the level of the ground by placing a level measuring tool.
Step 5:
The next important step is to tamp down the surface with a machine tamper or the manual hand tamper. You need to pack the soil until you no longer see a footprint when you walk on the surface. You also have the option to add gravel by pouring it on the surface and tamping it down tightly and ensuring the ground is leveled correctly.
Step 6:
You must also place stones at the base of the new slope to create a low wall and prevent erosion or loose soil. However, you’ll need concrete and other specialised techniques to build a larger retaining wall for more safety and stability. 
Step 7:
Lastly, place a level on different parts of the ground to check how to level the surface is on all the areas. If you noticed that there are spots that aren’t level, you can fill those up with the removed dirt from other areas.

After doing the steps above, be sure to research whether or not you'll need to reinforce the concrete. This may be necessary depending on the project. You can now pour concrete on the ground and accomplish any of your backyard projects.​

Wood is an important material in any construction project, since it is durable, plentiful, and it can easily be cut into various sizes and lengths. It can also provide several benefits, which include: sound isolation, thermal elasticity, resistance to any electrical charges, and oxidation, and it is easy to maintain and repair.

Although timber can be one of the best materials in any construction project, especially in the framing of residential housing, it also has several structural disadvantages, which in turn can significantly affect any type of construction. In fact, timber or wood is known to swell, shrink, and deteriorate when exposed to certain types of conditions like extreme temperatures. It can also produce fungi or biological diseases if not properly treated.

Most importantly, timber is prone to the elements and can be damaged by insects, termites, and moisture. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to timber in the market, and it these alternatives can mitigate the disadvantages of wood.

The following building materials can be used instead of timber:

• Wood composites

This type of material is manufactured using recycled plastic and wood, and is stronger compared to conventional wood. Wood composites is also a lot cheaper and it doesn’t need any finishing. You also take advantage of its durability and is immune to stain, fire and heat, so it provides you with an extra layer of protection for your home.

• Bamboo

Bamboo is comparable to wood in many ways and is considered a natural raw material. However, bamboo is so elastic and has incredible capacity to absorb energy, which means it can bend and twist without being damaged, so it is ideal for seismic-resistant constructions for areas with frequent seismic activity. Also, bamboo is easy to cut, repair and handle, and is light despite its strength.

• Hemp

Hemp is now being used as a viable building material due to its capacity to grow even without pesticides and herbicides. It can also be used in nearly everything you can think of like fuel, concrete, fuel, cloth, was, rope, resin, and paper. Hemp is also the most productive fibres since it can generate up to 25 tons of construction-grade fibre per acre, so it’s a more viable construction material as compared to timber.

• Stone

Stone is an ancient building material and has been used in the construction of castles and houses before, so it is the most popular material used in Medieval Europe. Although stone is still used today due to its wonderful insulation properties, which prove useful during the hot weather season. Stone is also durable and heavy material that can withstand any biological elements like mould.

• Concrete

Concrete is the most commonly used man-made material on earth and is extensively used in various building projects including driveways, concrete slabs and footings. It’s highly malleable and easily be mould to any shape, which means it can also mimic wood or timber. However, it is more durable and more comfortable to maintain than timber, so it’s a viable alternative to wood.

There are plenty of ways to add value or ambiance to your home, but perhaps the easiest and most effective way is landscaping, and it doesn’t need to be expensive. In fact, landscaping can have a big impact on your guests’ first impression of your home. The moment they step out of the car, they will already be assessing your property, so you need to ensure that your outdoor space will leave a good impression.

So, before you start your landscaping project, you need to determine your budget and what elements you want to add to your garden, and the costs of each element. There are several ways you can implement in your landscaping project that will make a world of difference. This only shows that landscaping doesn’t need to break the bank.
Here are a few landscaping ideas that are simple and effective but are budget-friendly:

• Use concrete instead of other expensive materials

Using concrete in your landscaping is a brilliant idea, and it will help you save a lot of money. In fact, concrete material is cheap compared to other landscaping materials like wood, stone, bricks, or timber, and you can easily mould concrete according to your envisioned design. Another reason why concrete should be your best option is its durability and it is easy to maintain. Unlike other more expensive materials like wood, which can quickly expand and crack due to warm weather, concrete can withstand any type of weather.

• Build a concrete walkway

When it comes to walkways, concrete is a very popular material, and it can easily be textured or coloured to mimic tile, natural stone, brick, and other natural materials. Also, a concrete walkway can be personalised based on your taste and the architecture of your home.  There are various concrete walkway design options to choose from, and these will include the following:

• Straight or curved walkway
• Stamped or saw-cut designs and textures
• Concrete walkway with decorative borders
• Walkway with exposed aggregate

Many contemporary walkways can be poured in oversized pavers that create a look of giant stepping stones. You can also take advantage of other shapes, such as circles or rectangles to create a bold geometric pattern. It is also possible to plant Bermuda grass in spaces between the poured concrete pavers to give more vibrant colours to your walkway.

• Concrete retaining walls

Retraining walls are essential in your outdoor space because it provides lateral support to vertical slopes, and it keeps the soil in one place. Also, poured concrete retaining walls can be decorative and it can reproduce the look of masonry and stone. Using this technique, you can cut the costs of masonry work and provide aesthetic and structural quality of concrete, which means you get the same results but at a more affordable price.

• Concrete furniture

Most people think concrete furniture is heavy, but in reality, it can be just as elegant and nearly as light as other furniture materials. Concrete furniture can also resist gouges, scratches, and is highly cold and heat resistant. So, it can be a good option for your landscaping projects.

Overall, concrete is a great option to consider especially in landscaping since it is more affordable, durable, and versatile than its other more expensive counterpart. 

We always think of spending our time in our outdoor area especially during summer, but for most homeowners in Australia, having an alfresco in their backyard is always on top of their list since it adds glamour and ambiance to your outdoor space.
In this article, we’re going to share some essential tips that will transform your property into a luxurious and stylish outdoor space that you’ve always wanted to have.
Here are some of the things you can do to make your backyard into a perfect outdoor space:

• Allocate the functions of your outdoor areas

No matter the size of your outdoor space, you can always create multiple areas with different uses. In fact, you can dedicate a space for dining with chairs and a small table that would be ideal for morning coffee and lunch dates.

If you have a large alfresco, it is ideal to create a dining area and lounge space complete with bar and kitchen. So, to add some pizzazz to your outdoor area, you can specify the functions of each small area based on their intended purpose.

• Add some greenery to your alfresco

Having a paved area or deck in your backyard can be quite boring because it will look less like the outdoors and more like the interior of your home.

To change the scenery and feel of your outdoor area, you can add a few pots of different sizes with lots of greenery to break up the starkness of your wooden decking or concrete pavers.

• Add durable and stylish furniture

We all know that our outdoor furniture will always be exposed to the elements, it is vital that we choose the furniture that treated and designed for outdoor conditions all year round. One unexpected option you may not of considered is concrete furniture. You should also buy furniture covers that can protect your investments from the rain and sun.

• Accessorise your outdoor space

Your outdoor area is an extension of your house, so you can also accessorise it like your interior. You can add cushions, outdoor rugs and other accessories for your seating space.

In your dining area, you can add a centerpiece or table runner depending on the season you’re on. Also, think about lighting and the ambiance it can provide you. In fact, string lights can add dimension to your space during evenings and it gives an inviting feeling for both your family and guests.

• Prioritise your privacy

When designing your alfresco area, you need to ensure your privacy because you don’t want to spend your time in an area that is being overlooked or on show to your neighbours. You can use plants, fencing, trellises and outdoor blinds that can create privacy to your outdoor space.

• Keep things flowing

Since your alfresco area is an extension of your home, you must think about the elements from your interior that you can bring into your outdoors to create a flowing feeling throughout your property.

This means you could put accessories and colours in your outdoor area that complement the existing features of your indoors.
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• Make your outdoor area a space for all seasons

A truly perfect outdoor space is one that you can use all year round and not just the peak months like Christmas day. So, we recommend that you add a fire pit, fireplace or woo-fired pizza oven. These elements can make your area more cosy and can draw you to spend more time outdoors even during the cooler months of the year.

​Most pool owners these days are looking for a more refined, renaissance, simple design. So, the days of flashy swim-up bars and flashy glass windows are no longer on the top of their list. Another thing that is being considered now is the landscape around the swimming pool since it will give a good vibe or ambiance for all pool users.   
It’s common nowadays to see a swimming pool situated in the middle of the garden. Therefore, pool designs will now include a garden and other outdoor fixture like concrete furniture as well as other elements that could add beauty to the surroundings of the pool. However, several factors should also be considered to ensure a successful design. 
If you’re planning to put a swimming pool in the middle of your garden, then you should consider the size and scale of the pool you want to put there since it needs to sit well in that area. The size must compliment your home and garden, and the pool should not overwhelm them.
Make it simple
Nearly all the pool designs these days have a simple layout and shape, and they are typically rectangular or square which sits best in the proposed location. Other features like floating steppers and swimouts may dominate the rest of the garden and may not be applicable in the area. That is why the trend now leans towards simplicity in shape, which reduced the oversized pools. So, the most popular sizes are now up to 8 x 4 metres.
Infinity-edge pools, which are a popular trend for many years, can still be a viable design, but you need to follow a clean design feature and must be placed in the correct location. So, a wet-edge pool will now look like a sheet of glass overlooking the rest of the landscape or garden.
Also, fully tiled pool interiors are now within reach by many pool owners since tiles are now more affordable and there are many benefits one can enjoy from a tiled pool. In fact, fully tiled pools are easier to maintain and clean since pool-sized have decreased, so does the costs of fully tiling them have also been reduced – making this a great option to consider even if you have a limited budget.
Technology and swimming pools
It wouldn’t be 2020 without the mobile devices or smartphones making its way into the swimming pool industry. It is now possible to control and operate the pool filtration and heating equipment from the convenience of your iPhone or Android smartphone. This technology is called Tri-link controllers, which is an intuitive system that links up to your mobile phone with the pool’s filtration system. With this technology, it is now easier to maintain a pool even if you have a busy lifestyle.
Overall, pool design trends for 2020 have evolved and now favours simple designs that complement the rest of the landscape. Most importantly, technology has come to the mix - making the life of pool owners easier since it’s now easier to maintain a pool. In fact, Pool owners wouldn’t want to maintain a complicated and huge pool, and they just want to enjoy their time in a small-sized but trendy pool.