When building a custom home, consider outdoor living opportunities

July 10, 2012 - PRLog -- Rapid City, S.D. – When envisioning your dream home, do not forget about outdoor features that can make your home more enjoyable year round.

The designers and builders at Custom Homes by J. Scull, the leading Black Hills custom home design firm, agree that with some foresight and preplanning, outdoor areas can be just as functional and enjoyable as indoor spaces.

Some features that you may want to incorporate into the outdoor space of your custom home will actually help to unite the indoors and outdoors into one flowing space.  For example, installed seating on a porch or patio provides easy outside places for relaxation or conversation. Tie in nature by extending seating areas to seat walls, ledges, steps, and boulders, among other natural outdoor features.

Extend your home’s patio by utilizing pavers or natural stone slabs. If you enjoy an outdoor fire, incorporate an outdoor fireplace or fire pit. In the summer it can be used during cookouts and picnics, and in the winter it can provide outdoor warmth while roasting marshmallows and sipping hot chocolate.

“J. Scull Custom Homes designers and builders give careful consideration to outdoor opportunities,” said Custom Homes by J. Scull owner Andy Scull. “After all, the outside areas of a home can provide some incredible features that cannot be duplicated due to a particular landscape or ground structure – each situation is unique.”

Both practical and aesthetically pleasing, exterior lighting can highlight the unique features of a home's exterior, while increasing safety in driving and activity areas. Cut outdoor lighting costs by planning ahead for your outdoor lighting needs – consider both wall lighting and landscape lighting to add drama as well as security.

“Low cost electrical additions during construction can make outdoor lighting much less costly later. There are things to be considered such as location of outdoor outlets and the installation of underground conduit and sleeves, and how that will relate to the rest of the landscape when it is complete,” said Scull.

Both the interior and exterior of a custom home should fit your lifestyle. Custom Homes by J. Scull is there to ensure that no detail goes overlooked, no opportunity goes unnoticed. Their experienced and talented design and building team will be sure that you will end up with the home of your dreams – inside and out.

Visit http://www.customhomesbyjscull.com/customhomes.php to view photos of each current custom home design built by J. Scull.

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About Custom Homes by J. Scull

Custom Homes by J. Scull is dedicated to building peoples dream homes. They take pride in building LEED Certified homes that are both beautiful and energy efficient. Visit http://customhomesbyjscull.com to see examples of their work or call 605-342-2379 and learn more about getting started on your dream home today.