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Getting Started

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Once you have decided that an outdoor kitchen is what you need there are other decisions that will follow. What will be added to your outdoor kitchen will really depend on your budget, the space allowed, and your personal needs. Listed below are a few helpful hints and questions you might want to ask yourself to help you get started with your outdoor kitchen:

• Budget: The first decision that should be made when planning an outdoor kitchen is the budget. Making a budget allows a homeowner to use that bottom line number as a guide for what they will add to their design. It is important to remember to pick one or two items that are most important in the outdoor kitchen and design the rest around those. It is also possible for outdoor kitchens to be works in progress allowing homeowners to add things as they go and can afford them. Unless money is no object, homeowners should stick to their budget because it can be very easy to stray from it here and there and before you know it you've spend an extra $3,000 you hadn't planned on.
• Determine Available Space: Usually the next step after deciding on a budget is determining how much space you have available for the kitchen. Often time's homeowners add an outdoor kitchen under a covered patio, on a patio close to their swimming pool, and occasionally on a sturdy deck. Ideally the best place to add an outdoor kitchen is a flat level area such as an existing patio or concrete slab, outdoor kitchens can be added to wood decks but the deck has to be reinforced and be strong enough to handle all the extra weight.
• What Will the Space Be Used For: Ask yourself what the outdoor kitchen space will mainly be utilized for. Will it be a place where guests can sit and chat while you prepare food, will it strictly be an area for cooking and all preparation will still be done inside, or do you want your family and your guests to be able to utilize the outdoor kitchen just like they would the indoor kitchen. Answering those questions will help to figure out what type of outdoor kitchen will best suit your needs.
• What Type of Design: Homeowners should decide on whether they will go more for a simple outdoor kitchen or one that is more elaborate. Making a list of things you'd like to add to your outdoor kitchen is a good way to determine which design route you'll go in.
• Who Will Do the Labor: Another decision that will need to be made is whether a contractor will be hired to oversee the addition of an outdoor kitchen or if the homeowner will do it themselves. Outdoor kitchens that won't include much in terms of pluming, lighting, or wiring can easily be done by the homeowners but those that will be a little more complicated are better left to professionals or homeowners that are skilled in the areas of work to be done.
• Draw a Design: Making a blueprint or a drawing of how you'd like your outdoor kitchen to be arranged can really help in pulling things together for the project. If homeowners are working with a contractor he or she will likely help the homeowner in this design. Seeing the kitchen on paper and how things will be set up can help a homeowner see where things will be utilized in the outdoor kitchen.

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