Creating a comfortable alfresco for Christmas

Christmas is a time for gathering of family and friends, so having a space that is roomy, yet comfortable is important.

Are you planning a new alfresco area for Christmas? Or perhaps renovating your existing patio or pergola?

If so, then now is the time to start planning.

Why now?

Now is the time to start because the design, planning and pre-build process can take a few weeks – depending on where you live, the Council requirements, your design concepts, and more.

So, there’s a bit involved before you get to the actual building of your beautiful alfresco space. And time can be your worst enemy if wanting your new alfresco area before Christmas.

The lead up to Christmas is always the busiest because the weather has warmed up and people are starting to head outdoors. And that’s when you realise you want to make your alfresco area as comfortable and as beautiful as inside your home.

We usually see an increase in the number of calls or emails requesting information, or a quote to design and build an alfresco area before Christmas.

By starting now, you may have not left it too late to make a decision to get a new outdoor space completed before the Christmas break.

How you can speed up the process

There is a lot of decision making in designing your new alfresco area. We suggest starting with answering these five questions.

To help you decide, consider your outdoor area. Talk to us about the different design options. Think about how you’re going to use your alfresco area once it’s built.

Most people who want a new outdoor area prior to Christmas want it specifically for an event as they have friends or family coming. So, being prepared with your planning now is really important to make sure there’s enough time to complete the build.

What’s involved in the process

If you’re not quite sure what your options are we can guide you through this process.

At Ultimate Alfresco, we have developed an eight-step process to make sure your project meets all your needs, is hassle-free and planned to ensure there are no hidden costs.

One of the steps involved is submitting to Council for a building permit. This can take time, especially if there is a requirement to apply for a planning approval before the building permit. The time it takes will depend on each individual application. This is because it includes determining factors such as proximity to adjoining boundaries, the location of the proposed patio or pergola just to name a few.  The planning approval can take six weeks on average. The benefit is Ultimate Alfresco process all the local Council paperwork for you.

Once the building permit has been approved we can move to have your new alfresco area built.

How long will my new alfresco take to be built

It really depends on the simplicity or complexity of your alfresco design. A worst case scenario to build your new alfresco area is three months start to finish. In saying that, the average time it takes Ultimate Alfresco to build is two to four weeks.

With the end of the year in the not too distant future, the time to act is now. Spending time planning and designing now will allow you more time for you to enjoy your new alfresco, deck, patio or pergola with your friends or family this Summer.

Letitia Awdjew
Alfresco Specialist