6. Consider Outbuildings

Consider separate buildings for guest quarters and garages. Our temperate climate encourages outdoor spaces. The space between buildings creates opportunities for courtyards. Other rewards are energy costs savings, increased privacy, and detached garages keep noxious fumes out of living spaces.

7. Go Native

Go Native – retain existing native plant material on your lot. It is beautiful, non-invasive plants, require less watering and are easy to maintain. Reduce the amount of sod to conserve water and attract birds.

This landscape was designed by Thomas Angell of Verdant Enterprises. Thomas specializes in lowcountry native plant material. He completes a detail existing plant inventory before he begins his design. Check out more of his work at http://www.verdantenterprises.com/home.html

8. Create outdoor living space

Outdoor living space should be designed as throughly as interior space. Consider how you will use the exterior space. I love to entertain and my large granite table will seat 20 people. We exterior heaters we can enjoy eating outside year round. Here we are enjoying Christmas morning brunch.

The exterior space should be connected both physically and visually to the interior space.

9. Don't Block Your View!

This is the second posting of 10 things you should know before you build a house in the South.

Many of our renovation projects are on plan book houses that were built with no regard to the view. The project above did have glass doors on the view but the low ceiling and uninviting exterior space killed the view. We raised the roof by adding a gable and widened the stairs to open the view... WOW what a difference!