There are a couple of great reasons for you to build an outdoor kitchen right in your alfresco. It’s a fun way to entertain guests. After all, who doesn’t love to hang out by the grill to see what’s cooking? Adding a kitchen is a solid investment that extends your living space and adds value to your property. A modern kitchen built using high quality materials will provide years of pleasure and enjoyment. Plus, cooking outdoor lets you cook on the barbie a lot more without having to worry about smoke and odours in your house. And it’s a healthier alternative, too. Grilled food is incredibly tasty and has less grease.

But before you get started in adding in a new kitchen in your alfresco, here are some things to consider.

• Connections

Having the proper connections to utility lines is crucial to the success of your outdoor kitchen. If you are building on and renovating an existing patio, you need to check to ensure that the necessary connections are already in place. If you are building a new extension, make sure you have planned properly for these utility connections. Check with your utilities provider for the corresponding service and installation rules.

• Equipment

Then there is all the equipment you need for your alfresco kitchen — stove, grill, storage, refrigeration, sinks and taps, countertops and islands and such. The equipment you install will depend on a number of factors.

• What you want to be able to do in your kitchen. Do you want to grill, or simply cook? Do you want to be able to serve cold desserts and beverages? Will you be cooking for just a couple of people, or for the entire tribe?

• How much space do you have available. Building a kitchen island with all the bells and whistles sounds like a great idea. But if you only have 10 square metres of space available it isn’t likely to be practical.

• What’s your budget? It would be great to be able to put in everything you ever need in that dream kitchen, but you need to be able to afford it.

• Space

Establish the floor layout. Asking these questions will allow you to design around your requirements.

• Where will you position your equipment?

• How much space do you need? Factor in your stove, grill and storage space requirements.

• Is there enough room for people to move around the kitchen?

Careful, realistic planning and considering limitations is key to building an outdoor kitchen. When done right, you can count on your alfresco to provide you, your family and your guests with endless hours of fun and pleasure.