While an outdoor kitchen might seem like a nice-to-have rather than a must-have, there are good reasons to get one for your property.
They’ve been popular for a while, and research reports show there’s a lot of runway ahead as more and more homeowners realize the benefits of creating outdoor living spaces that include many of the amenities in their kitchens and other rooms in their residences.
An outdoor kitchen is just that…a kitchen set up on the exterior of your dwelling. You can choose the layout, the appliances, the materials, and other things. Depending on your budget and requirements, you may even want to go as far as to get a sink with running water, a fridge, and cupboards. It’s a place you can use to prepare meals, cook, eat, and entertain while enjoying the open-air space. Working with a company that equips homeowners with outdoor kitchens is your best bet since you can get the right fit for your space.
RTA Outdoor Living says that the average cost for an outdoor kitchen in the U.S. ranges from $13,000 to $14,000. Meanwhile, HGTV says the return on investment for an outdoor kitchen can range from 55% to 200%. Factors like where you live will impact the ROI you achieve.
If you’re still sitting on the fence about whether or not to get an outdoor kitchen, here are three surprising benefits of going that route.
1. Encourages Healthier Eating Habits
One benefit of owning an outdoor kitchen — a benefit you might not think about initially — is that it may encourage healthier eating habits.
Getting an outdoor kitchen might mean eating out less. Prepping food, cooking it outdoors, and enjoying it on the back deck will be better for your wallet and health. You can cut down on processed ingredients, unhealthy fats, and sodium.
If your outdoor kitchen is equipped with a grill, you can cook healthy meals consisting of fish, lean meat, vegetables, and other things. You might find that it’s more fun to eat at home rather than out and about.
2. Reduces Indoor Heat and Utility Costs
Another surprising benefit of having an outdoor kitchen is that it can help extend the longevity of your HVAC unit and cut down on utility costs.
Cooking indoors on a hot day means the interior of your home might be scorching hot — that’s all the more the case if you don’t have AC. But even if you have AC, it’ll have to run non-stop to keep the interior temperature comfortable.
It’s obvious that you have to eat regardless of the temperature, but you can make things less disruptive by cooking outdoors when it’s hot outside. That way, you and your family can enjoy your meals while not making the inside of your home as hot as the oven you bake with.
You can get an outdoor kitchen with a cooktop, grill, pizza oven, and other cooking appliances.
3. Expands Living Space Without Big Renovations
Investing in an outdoor kitchen is one way to increase the usable square footage of your home inexpensively. You’ll be able to host more people with the added space an outdoor kitchen will create.
Remember that your outdoor kitchen can be anything you want it to be. Equip it with all the creature comforts you have in your interior kitchen — including seating for your family, friends, and other guests.
An outdoor kitchen can offer some surprising and noteworthy benefits. You can get one that’s a perfect fit in your backyard, whether on the back deck or elsewhere on your property. The right business will answer your questions and help you make informed decisions.