Where is the heart of your home? A few years ago, you might have said the kitchen, the dining room or the lounge. Traditionally, these spaces were where family and friends gathered and made those rooms vibrant spaces full of love and laughter. But today, as Australians further embrace the joys of al fresco recreation and crave a connection with nature in their own backyard, it's fair to say the heart of the home may no longer be within the home.
The Rise of Outdoor Living in Australia
The beautiful outdoor spaces being created in homes all across Australia point to one thing: the rise of outdoor living in Australia shows no sign of slowing down. For this reason, it's increasingly important to maximise your home's outdoor living potential. Home buyers look outdoors with as much interest as they look indoors during their inspections, with a property's ability to host family and friends outside the house being a high priority. As selling points go, outdoor spaces rank very highly indeed.
About 40% of home buyers say that outdoor living spaces, like outdoor rooms, decks and courtyards, hold more value than kitchens, while just 3% prioritise a deluxe bathroom. Outdoor living spaces appeal more to 46% of buyers over 65, while 42% of home buyers in New South Wales say they're more focused on outdoor spaces than buyers in Victoria. (36%). Meanwhile, nearly 50% of younger home buyers aged 18 to 34 are most interested in outdoor spaces for entertaining.
Louvretec's Contribution to Outdoor Living
Even a few statistics like these show that outdoor living in Australia has appeal to all demographics. Louvretec can help to make that lifestyle a striking reality with our range of products designed to enhance a home's outdoor areas. Every property is different, and our range reflects this. We have many ways to make the outdoor space truly beautiful, including retractable systems, opening roofs, outdoor shutters, and louvres. Not only are our products aesthetically striking and distinctive, but they're also designed and engineered to last. In other words, they'll look good and can add value.
The Appeal of Outdoor Living
What we do as a company fits in with Australia's love affair with outdoor living. Australian lawns are becoming smaller. Did you know that only 30% of South Australians love backyards and rank it as their highest priority when home hunting? This is huge compared to the national average of just 16%! This just goes to show that Australians are less interested in lawns and the work that comes with them and far more interested in outdoor structures where they can relax and entertain.
The popularity of outdoor living in Australia is based on several factors. Of course, our climate has a lot to do with it. We're a warm and sunny country and it would be a waste of our golden weather if we didn't relax and entertain outdoors. But in recent years, other things have made us appreciate life outside the back door. The biggest is COVID and the ensuing lockdowns, which kept us housebound and made us value our homes as places where we felt safe and comfortable. This feeling continues, with increased demand for outdoor spaces (and our products) reflecting our ongoing desire to entertain and relax at home rather than going out.
There's a "feel good" factor about outdoor living, and it's a genuine one. Erica Price, a therapeutic recreational specialist from San Diego, published a report stating that being outdoors reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. Ms Price's report also says that something as basic as relaxing outdoors and looking at the trees and plants in your garden reduces stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which make us feel edgy and jumpy.