Budget-Friendly Tips to Upgrade Up Your Patio

March 12, 2024 | Home Organization

Spring and summer weather are just around the corner, so it is time to consider backyard entertaining. Whether hanging out for a quiet evening with friends or inviting the kid’s soccer team over for a barbecue, upgrading your patio space is easier than you might think.

As summer approaches, it’s essential to create sun protection that will also help your outdoor spaces stay cooler on hot days. So while it might be worth splurging on an umbrella, patio accessories like plants, outdoor rugs, and end tables can add a lot of pizazz to your backyard without breaking the bank.

So, instead of spending a lot of time and money upgrading your patio, check out our budget-friendly ideas for creating a relaxing and enjoyable outdoor space.

Avoid Buying New Patio Furniture

After storing your patio furniture for the winter, cleaning and inspecting it for signs of last season’s wear before using it again is essential. This is the best advice whether you’ve stored it in a storage unit or the garage. To make cleaning easier, you’ll need detergent, a soft cloth, a hose, and a bucket. You’ll also need metal polish for steel and aluminum furniture.

Wood and wicker furniture typically require annual maintenance to extend their beauty before needing to be refinished. A mild cleaner with moisturizing properties, like Murphy’s Oil, is a good choice here. If you live somewhere with high humidity, try adding one part household bleach to two parts water to help with cleaning mildew.

Invest in a Big Umbrella

Retractable umbrellas and sail shades are great ways to add flexible and affordable shading options to your patio, making it more comfortable for you and your guests during the spring and summer. Look for an umbrella fabric with UV protection and neutral color so it blends in and doesn’t take away from your existing decor.

If you don’t have a patio table or need an extra shaded area for a pool deck, consider investing in a market umbrella. These stand-alone shade solutions are available with tilt and swivel options, allowing you to create shaded areas as the sun moves across your backyard. Choosing a style with LED lights that connect to the ribs inside the umbrella will add an upscale ambiance to evening entertaining.

Fall in Love with Sail shades

A sail shade, or shade sail, is a cool way to provide sun protection in your outdoor spaces. It’s a large piece of fabric stretched between anchor points and can be any size or shape. The biggest advantage of sail shades is their versatility in installation and design making them an attractive DIY money-saving project. Depending on your specific space and preferences, they can be installed in various configurations, including triangular, rectangular, or custom shapes.

Sail shades are widely used on patios and decks and in backyards and garden spaces, where traditional structures like pergolas or umbrellas may not be feasible or desirable. Handy homeowners and gardeners can customize and install their sail shades to add visual interest and modern touch to a backyard patio, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal.

Choosing Outdoor Rugs and Other Decor

An outdoor rug will add a wow factor to your patio. Still, you want to pick weather-resistant materials like polypropylene or olefin, which resist fading and staining. Thankfully, the outdoor rug industry is starting to create beautiful, versatile rugs for outdoor spaces with these super-durable materials.

Updating your patio with pillows is another inexpensive way to add comfort, style, and personality to your outdoor space. Instead of buying matching sets, look for pillows in different sizes, colors, patterns, colors, and textures to create a versatile yet attractive look.

You might also find great deals on pillows, outdoor rugs, and other patio accessories at end-of-season sales and online marketplaces. In addition, consider repurposing indoor pillows if your furniture is in a sunroom or covered patio area.

Installing Patio and Backyard Lighting

Outdoor lighting creates an upscale ambiance and inviting atmosphere for evening entertaining. Various lighting options include the trendy Edison bulb string lights that match a city or industrial patio vibe. If you have a cottage-style home, mini mason jars would be complementary. For more modern homes, look towards globe-shaped bulbs or twinkle-star curtain lighting.

Lighting options are available for every budget, so shop at big box stores, including Ikea. String lights come in varying lengths, allowing them to hang from ceilings, walls, and trees or connect between all three.

Spotlights and uplights no longer require costly electrical work to install in your backyard or patio, as many styles are available with mini solar panels. Uplights and spotlights are fantastic ways to bring attention to a focal point, such as a beautiful tree in your backyard at night. Be sure to choose lighting that is weather-resistant and designed for outdoor use.

Upcycle Old Patio Furniture

Like any great decorator, your goal is to create a personalized outdoor space and add your personality to your patio. If you love DIY projects, give your patio furniture a fresh look by upcycling or repurposing old furniture. You can sand and repaint metal or wooden furniture, add new cushions or upholstery to chairs and sofas, or even repurpose items like wooden crates or pallets to create unique seating or tables.

Following these tips, you can easily update your patio with pillows without spending much money, creating a cozy and inviting outdoor retreat for relaxing and entertaining.

Protect Your Patio Furniture and Decor with Metro Self Storage

We provide seasonal storage solutions to help protect your belongings, including patio furniture, landscaping tools, space heaters, and more, from damage caused by extreme winter temperatures, rapid temperature swings, and humidity.

You’ll find a wide range of storage unit sizes and amenities at your local Metro Self Storage. For example, outdoor drive-up units make accessing your items a breeze, and indoor climate-controlled units feature covered loading bays, large elevators, and much more.

Choose to rent online, in person, or over the phone for your convenience.
Enjoy the flexibility of moving into your unit on the same day you rent.
Opt for climate-controlled and drive-up units to suit your storage requirements.
Benefit from large, covered loading bays for hassle-free loading and unloading.
Experience peace of mind with well-lit spaces and 24-hour video security measures.
Take advantage of online bill payment options and flexible month-to-month leasing terms.

To reserve your state-of-the-art storage unit, stop by your local Metro Self Storage facility, call us at 888-466-3876, or reserve your unit today with easy online reservations.