Yes, you heard it correctly. This is not about making your home an indoor haven of nature, with fresh foliage, filtered sunlight, potted flowers and earth-toned decorating, not that those things aren't already beautiful. It's about the latest outdoor design trend in new homes, especially in the Sun Belt areas; adding a patio or courtyard kitchen. New homebuilders, reacting to overworked, under-leisured move-up buyer's need to recreate, are offering outdoor kitchen options to include much more than merely a place to put their barbeque and picnic table.

There are few summer pleasures that evoke more lively conversation, result in better-tasting food, and create more lasting memories than cookouts. Now new homebuyers wishing to partake in that timeworn rite of summer can eliminate traffic patterns between their indoor food reserves and their outdoor patios by ordering up an outdoor kitchen. Although adding an improvement like this to an existing home is just as feasible, arranging for the outdoor kitchen in a newly-built home can take advantage of the electrical and plumbing necessities from the ground up, possibly making it less costly in the long run.

According to Fran J. Donegan in an article in " Today's Homeowner.com," outdoor kitchens cost from about $3,000 for one with a good-quality grill, a 6 ft. long counter and a patio, to $15,000 and up for full-tilt outdoor kitchen facilities. Full-tilt is, perhaps, the addition of a sink and refrigerator, as well as outdoor cabinets for storage. Planning the kitchen on a concrete patio should not require any structural modifications to the location, but putting one on decking may require more additional support. Extended rooflines in covered patio areas in either location are ideal for shelter when the weather turns, and for protecting your outdoor furniture.

Just as a footnote here; if you have ventured into outdoor furniture stores lately, you just may be slack-jawed at the variety of chairs, tables, sofas and other outdoor furniture available for these extended living areas. Some of the stuff you'll see is worthy of indoor use and certainly priced just as high. Gauge what type of patio furniture in which to invest by considering your local climate and the amount of shelter your outdoor kitchen will regularly receive, and make mental notes on where and how it could be stored if not in use most of the year.

Location is one of the most important considerations, whether it is backyard or side yard sited (a good idea for making full use of an under-used outdoor area.) It is probably best to locate the outdoor kitchen option where it is not directly visible from the house, since it can occasionally turn into a view of dirty dishes and unbridled activity. Under-counter shelving can help, or the use of outdoor cabinetry may be in order. This cabinetry is generally weatherproof and based on concrete blocks.

Counter space is something you'll not want to skimp on when planning the outdoor kitchen. As with indoor varieties, 36 inches of washable room either side of the grill is optimum. And the grill, of course, is the centerpiece here. Built-in grills are offered through many sources, such as Weber, Ducane, or Napoleon. Some distributors can offer pre-cast surrounds in brick or stucco, or help you choose models designed to fit into your pre-designed countertop. Because friends and family tend to "hang out" around the grill to watch the chef at his handiwork, you'll want to allow plenty of room to move in this area. Try not to jam your table and chairs too close to this important space. Gas grills offer the most convenience, build-in-ability and temperature control, so think long and hard before deciding if charcoal taste is the most important element of your outdoor cooking agenda.

As for sinks, stainless steel is preferable, due to their non-corrosive nature. Refrigerators need not be full-blown varieties, with many under-counter types available. A trash compactor is not a bad idea for an outdoor kitchen, keeping messy by-products of outdoor eating to a minimum. Make sure your electrician arranges for GFI outlets (ground-fault interrupters) which are required for outdoor plugs, and part of most local building codes. When building your outdoor kitchen along with your new home, your building superintendent or contractor will best know what is required, since their sub-contractors installations will have to be inspected and signed off by local entities before completion.

Outdoor living can help homeowners extend their living space, reaping the most use out of their property's square footage, while helping to focus activities on fresh air pursuits. The outdoor kitchen is yet another phenomenon no longer reserved for only the wealthy among us, and can be as easily planned or added to a small yard area as into the close-in area of a much larger home site. It can also add convenience, provide a fresh setting for entertaining, and add substantial value to your home.

Published: July 21, 2000

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.