The weather’s beginning to warm up in Asheville, and as our gardens begin to wake up we all begin to migrate back outside and to our outdoor living spaces.  Extending our homes into the landscape and our garden spaces, through patios and walkways, has long been a way to expand the usable footprint of our homes. Outdoor living spaces allow us to enjoy the natural environment we’re surrounded by here in Western North Carolina.

There are many reasons and uses for patios, walkways, and seating areas in our outdoor space. Maybe we need outdoor space for eating and entertaining or a gathering place for family and friends.  Perhaps we need a functional way to enjoy our gardens, move from the front yard to the backyard, or simply a more attractive entrance to our home.  Outdoor living spaces can be the centerpiece of a yard, drawing our attention with beautiful stonework, providing patterns with cobble pavers, or adding texture with simple gravel paths.  The purpose or need for these spaces is endless and stretches from the purely functional, as seen in an access path to a basement door, to an elegant entertaining area for guests and family gatherings.  We can all make better use of our outdoor spaces, and there’s no better way to increase the aesthetic or monetary value of a property than by creating these paths, walkways, or patios.

Home values are on the rise in Asheville, and hardscapes have the highest return on investment of any other home improvement.  The American Society of Landscape Architects estimates that an investment of 5-10% of your home’s value can return a net value of 150% upon resale.  Installing patios and walkways is a great way to not only gain a place to make valuable memories while living in your home but also a great way increase the value of your home when you’re ready to move.  

At BB Barns, we serve a wide variety of clientele with highly varied budgets, and the array of outdoor living solutions we offer are as varied as our clients themselves.  There are many approaches to take to design an outdoor space, as well as products available to fit almost any budget or desired look.  From a rustic and cozy gravel garden path to a formal ashlar flagstone entertainment patio, the possibilities are endless. And our team of experienced designers and staff at BB Barns are here to help guide and assist you in making your dreams a reality. We believe in quality and customer service first and foremost in everything we sell and install. This is particularly true when it comes to hardscapes like walkways and patios.  There are many factors to consider when installing hardscapes. When choosing which material to use and who to install it, one must consider slope, drainage, base preparation, and how the surface will be used.  BB Barns believes in doing it right the first time. This means achieving the proper results that can be enjoyed for years to come.  Reinstalling or reworking a walkway or patio that was installed incorrectly the first time is always more difficult and more expensive than doing it correctly originally.  When helping clients correct a poorly planned or installed hardscape project, there are common mistakes that we see: poor base preparation, incorrect slope, and wrong material choice.  BB Barns has decades of hardscape experience on staff and a wealth of knowledge at your disposal. We would love to bring that experience and knowledge to your property.  We hear all the time from first-time clients, “I should have just gone with you to begin with.”  Let us help you get it right the first time so you can enjoy your outdoor living space for many years to come.

We’re looking forward to a beautiful spring here at BB Barns, and we would love to help you get outside and enjoy your outdoor spaces.  Give us a call today to set up an on-site consultation.

Written by Michael Schuit, Director of Operations, BB Barns Landscape.

BB Barns Landscape provides full-service landscape design, installation, and maintenance in Asheville, NC and the surrounding areas in Western NC.