Creating Cozy Outdoor Spaces for Fall in New Homes

Just because summer is ending doesn’t mean you have to retreat indoors. With the leaves changing color and the crisp air, fall is a great time to enjoy your outdoor spaces. With the right features, your outdoor space can be a cozy retreat where you can relax, entertain, and sip on a PSL.

New home builders understand how valuable it is to be able to extend your living space and make the most of your outdoor space throughout the year. By incorporating features that allow you to enjoy the outdoors even as temperatures drop, they add the final touch to your dream home.

NewHomeSource spoke with leading homebuilders to explore how they're helping homeowners create the ideal outdoor retreat for autumn. From fire pits and fireplaces to porches, patios and decks, these builders offer options to suit every lifestyle.

Simple Ways to Refresh Your Patio for Fall

Brookfield Residential offers practical tips to help you refresh your outdoor space and fully embrace the beauty of the fall season.

1. Clean and Declutter

Start by giving your patio a thorough cleaning. Sweep away leaves, remove cobwebs, and wash your outdoor furniture. Use a pressure washer to remove dirt from your patio surfaces. A clean space makes it easier to plan your updates.

2. Add Seasonal Plants and Flowers

Introduce fall colors with seasonal plants like mums, ornamental kale, and pansies. Consider planting herbs or vegetables in containers for a touch of greenery that has the added benefit of cutting down on grocery costs.

3. Rearrange Your Patio Furniture

Create distinct zones for relaxation, dining, and entertainment. Rearranging your furniture can breathe new life into your patio without any additional costs.

4. Refresh Your Cushions

Update your outdoor cushions with warm, autumnal colors. New cushion covers or adding throw pillows are budget friendly options that refresh any patio.

5. Change Your Outdoor Rug

We all know the right rug can really tie a room together, and it's the same for outdoor spaces. Adding an outdoor rug with fall colors or patterns can cozy up a space and make it more comfortable for lounging and hosting.

6. Add Decorative Accents

Spruce up your patio with decorative elements like lanterns, birdhouses, or wind chimes. These accents add charm and personality to your outdoor space.

7. Provide Shade and Shelter

Even in the fall, shade can be important during sunny afternoons. Patio umbrellas, canopies, or pergolas can make a space more comfortable.

8. Use the Good China

Ditch the disposable plates and elevate your outdoor dining by using quality dishware. Durable materials like melamine or acrylic are ideal for outdoor use.

9. Soothing Sounds

Incorporate features like wind chimes or a small fountain to add soothing sounds to your outdoor space.

10. Add Fun Accessories

Adding a few outdoor games like cornhole or giant Connect Four can make your patio the go-to spot for fall entertaining.

Gather Round the Fire

There's nothing better than gathering around a fire with friends and family, sharing stories, and roasting s'mores. Now imagine how nice it would be to do that from the comfort of your own backyard.

Fire Features Often Come with the Home

As fall sets in and temperatures become cooler, fire pits and fireplaces become essential for staying warm and creating a idyllic space to relax. If you find yourself dreaming of one day having the perfect backyard, know that one of the biggest benefits of building a new home is the ability to personalize your outdoor spaces to suit your lifestyle.

Features like fire pits and fireplaces can often be included during the construction of your new home, and by installing these features upfront, you can roll the cost into your mortgage and move into a home that's ready to enjoy.

Fireside Hosting

In Landsea Homes communities, backyard fire pits provide perfect gathering spots to enjoy crisp autumn evenings. There are also Landsea Homes plans that offer a built-in fireplace that is part of the dining area to create a fireside, al fresco dining experience. These features extend the usability of outdoor spaces during the cooler months and help create a warm and welcoming setting for relaxation and hosting.

Having features that make outdoor hosting warm and comfortable also allows homeowners to enjoy seasonal events like football games, Halloween, and Thanksgiving with friends and family right in their own backyard. Drees Homes has seen a rise in popularity for outdoor fireplaces. Brian McGinniss, Washington DC Area Manager, shared, "We like to add fireplaces to our covered outdoor living spaces. This extends the possibility of using the outdoor space, whether it’s for everyday living or entertaining, through December.”

Creating Outdoor Living Rooms

Let's talk about hygge. If you don't know what hygge is, it's a Danish word and it describes a feeling of cozy contentment, like creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with your favorite people. Doesn't that sound nice? It's a concept that has been getting more and more popular in North America in recent years, with home builders increasingly designing outdoor living rooms that feel like comfortable extensions of the home's interior. One of the focuses for Mattamy Homes is on bringing the indoors out, with models that feature large windows and sliding doors that open to outdoor spaces, creating a seamless transition.

Toll Brothers integrates outdoor living rooms into their home designs by creating spaces that seamlessly connect the interior and exterior of the home. They often feature great rooms with multi-panel sliding doors that open to covered patios and backyard areas, blurring the line between inside and out. These outdoor living rooms can come equipped with high-end amenities such as fireplaces, wide-screen TVs, and sophisticated sound systems.

Personalize Your Outdoor Oasis

Tailored to Your Lifestyle

One of the biggest benefits of building a new home is the ability to personalize your outdoor spaces to suit your lifestyle.

Kiper Homes take an approach that blends indoor comfort with natural beauty in their outdoor living designs. Their designs emphasize a connection with nature, offering open-air living areas that aim to promote well-being and connection. Their floor plans that allow for personalization of outdoor spaces, including options like private backyards and fireplaces.

Looking for an outdoor space that has been customized to perfectly suit your lifestyle and preferences? Tri Pointe Homes designs outdoor areas to be as comfortable and inviting as indoor spaces. Homeowners can customize their backyards with features like water elements, pergolas, raised garden beds, and children's play areas.

Maronda Homes provides a long list of personalization options, including patios, sunrooms, decks, and oversized backyards. Their flexible designs allow you to create an outdoor oasis that reflects your personal style and meets your family's needs.

Community-Wide Outdoor Amenities

Buying a hot tub sounds great on paper. Maintaining a hot tub is not, with it landing somewhere between art and science. By living in a community with the right amenities, the time and maintenance required for luxuries like hot tubs and trails is taken off your hands and you just get to enjoy all the good parts.

Builders are increasingly focusing on community-wide outdoor amenities that make fall living more comfortable. GL Homes' Valencia 55+ communities offer a large selection of outdoor amenities designed for active lifestyles, including walking trails and community parks that are best enjoyed in the crisp fall air.

Mattamy Homes' communities feature resort-style amenities perfect for cooler temperatures, including community clubhouses, hot tubs, and fire pits. Some of their communities even incorporate pocket farms and spacious green spaces, also ideal for autumn activities.

Embrace Fall in Your Outdoor Space

As you consider building or buying a new home this fall, take inspiration from these homebuilders who prioritize creating inviting outdoor spaces. Whether you want to extend your living area outdoors, incorporate cozy fire features, or personalize your backyard, there are options to make your outdoor space perfect for the season.

Transform your outdoor areas into warm and welcoming retreats where you can relax, entertain, and enjoy the moment. With thoughtful design and the right features, your outdoor space can become an extension of your home that you'll love throughout the season and beyond.

Ready to Find Your Dream Home?

When you're ready to explore new homes with the perfect outdoor space, NewHomeSource can help you discover the latest offerings from top builders across the country. Find communities that cater to your lifestyle and start enjoying all the benefits of a new home designed with you in mind.