One of the reasons Webb choose the West Valley was for the obvious; the weather was exceptional, at least for all but about 4 months of the year. That coupled with the fact the sun shines well over 300 days per year, he understood that those coming from colder climates would love what they found. In my mind, moving from 6 months of gray to bright sunshine was pure heaven. One of the things that stood out to me when we found the house on Desert Rock Drive was the front patio. At the time there were double glass sliding doors from the living room. That was redundant, because there were also double entry doors in the large foyer. We've since removed the sliders to better accommodate the furniture and for greater energy efficiency. The previous owners also had a massive patio cover along the back of the house and a slab with an 8-sided gazebo on it (it was where the wife went to smoke her cigarettes and drink her wine). We sold the gazebo shortly after getting here, but have since added additional covered spaces. Our house wasn't/isn't unique to Sun City. Outdoor areas are prominent across the community; especially on the golf course and lake properties. But even the most modest of attached homes have wonderful patios and screen rooms. There's just no reason to limit the Sun City way of life to being indoors. For those of you who have followed my writing on this site, i have been somewhat critical of the huge investment in our golf courses. However, while on the board, i quickly voted for a $500,000 patio enhancement at the North course when it was being remodeled. And was just as supportive about the Riverview course getting a similar addition. Outdoor living is just as important at our amenities as it is in our private residence. I've started this thread because most of those living here have some sort of outdoor space they cherish. And for potential buyers, knowing their options is important as they look for their place in the sun. In this thread, i will be posting several pictures of our outdoor space and encouraging others to do so as well. Sharing with those looking at Sun City is a great way to help people understand why we opted for this community over the countless others out there.
Fantastic Topic BP IMO, Having a East facing back yard was MOST important so the afternoons could be enjoyed !
One of my biggest frustrations with this site is the number of posters who when looking at Sun City visited and posted and once they bought here, disappeared. I get it, the excitement of getting here drove them and once they got here, they filled their life with the real thing. That said, i have always viewed this site as the way to reach potential buyers and let them know what we have done and what has worked (or not) for us. With that off my chest, i will start by apologizing for the crappy pictures; sorry, not a picture guy. Our approach was a little different than 3G's. We went for quantity rather than quality. When we first moved here we spent lots of time on the front patio watching Sun City go by. It had an open ceiling of sorts and we roofed it to make it rain free. We also replaced the iron fencing with block we stuccoed. Funny thing is, as time has gone by, we have spent less time outside. I suspect that is more normal than most would expect.
Back in the day, when we were way younger, i was an avid lawn bowler. On a couple of occasions we had the Canadian lawn bowls team and their family in for parties, around 50 people. Other times when there have been major tournaments, we have had parties that got carried away, with 100 plus people strewn about the house and outdoor spaces. Those days are long past and one of the reasons we are downsizing. We have added numerous patio covers for shade, and for those who don't know, a great way to reduce the heat in the house. Here's a couple of shots of the back yard area. I haven't set up the furniture to stage it, we just don't use it that much anymore.
The left is how my patio looks now, the right is when I bought it. When I was condo shopping a few years ago, it was important to me to have a space that was covered from the sun. Once my husband any myself start staying at the condo for a longer period of time, we want to plant various cactus.
Thanks suss, the patio's on the attached homes are often the focal point of condo/twin/quad/patio home living. The outdoor space is always positioned to extend the indoors out and works awesome for entertaining. I love when the patio covers are added, makes it far more functional and helps keep the inside cooler. i've seen some amazing things done to them and i suspect you are just chomping at the bit to get back here this fall and get started. Hope all is well.
