In this post you’ll learn why having a balcony is important and the main benefits of having a balcony. If you’re living in an apartment somewhere in the city, like I do, having a balcony gives you a chance to enjoy time outdoors. Your balcony can become your oasis…
This is why balcony is important:
A balcony enlarges the living space of an apartment that doesn’t have any garden. The balcony enables the resident to spend time outdoors without having to leave home. Furniture and plants make balconies enjoyable and they are also a suitable place to store bikes etc.
Once you have a balcony yourself, you’ll start to realize how valuable it is to have one. You will also discover new ways to make your balcony useful.
A friend of mine is about to buy a new apartment and asked me about the importance and benefits of having a balcony. I sent her the list below with the most obvious advantages of having a balcony I could think of…
Benefits of Having a Balcony
- Enlarges the living space
- Spend time outdoors
- Great space for socializing
- Perfect place for a beverage or meal
- Good place to read or relax
- Extra storage room for bikes etc.
- Access to fresh air
- Enjoy views and sunsets
- Place to grow flowers, plants and vegetables
- Makes the apartment more attractive
1. Enlarges the Living Space
The main benefit of having a balcony is the extended living space it brings. Apartments in cities and suburban areas are becoming more and more expensive as cities grow and demand for apartments increase.
Not everybody can afford airy apartments with extra space. Therefore, a balcony can greatly improve the quality of life in an otherwise tight apartment.
2. Spend Time Outdoors
Even though you live in the city, you might be a person who enjoys spending time outdoors. A balcony gives you the opportunity to do so, as long as the weather allows it. Install some chairs and a table and you are all set to enjoy your balcony.
3. Great Space for Socializing
A balcony opens up your apartment and is a perfect place for socializing at home, all while being outdoors and breathing fresh air in good company. Guests usually love being welcomed out to a nicely decorated balcony area.
4. Perfect Place for a Beverage or Meal
When the weather is nice, there is nothing better than enjoying a coffee, a glass of wine, lunch, or dinner on your balcony. In the summertime, you’ll have the chance to dine together on your balcony, all whilst smelling your flowers, plants and catching the sunset.
5. Good Place to Read or Relax
Install one or several comfortable chairs, or why not a hammock, and you’ll be able to enjoy countless hours out on your balcony. This can be a good place to be alone, and get some reading done.
6. Extra Storage Room for Bicycle etc.
Lots of tight apartments do not have any storage room attached to them. Although a cluttered balcony full of items is not very inviting, it can still serve as a suitable place to store, for example, an expensive bicycle. This benefit alone can sometimes be a reason why balcony is important.
7. Access to Fresh Air
When living in an apartment without a balcony, it is easy to feel trapped. You will have to go outside and take a walk down the neighborhood to get some air. If you have a balcony, on the other hand, you can just open the balcony door, take a step outside and enjoy fresh air instantly.
8. Enjoy Views and Sunsets
There is nothing like enjoying the sunset with a glass of wine out on the balcony together with good company. You can’t really put a price tag on that experience. People without a balcony do miss out on this big time.
9. Place to Grow Flowers, Plants and Vegetables
Apartments do not normally have access to private gardens. However, with a balcony, depending on the size, of course, you do have the possibility to grow flowers, plants, and vegetables how much you want. Thus, balconies can be very green and colorful, almost like a traditional garden.
10. Makes the Apartment More Attractive
There is no question that an apartment with a balcony, is more attractive than a similar one without a balcony. A balcony can add value when it’s time to sell, and also for rental income.
The same goes for indoor balconies, these will also make your place more stylish and can increase the value of your home.
Disadvantages of Balcony
Are there any disadvantages of having a balcony? Extra living space also means more space to clean and take care of at home. For most people, this is not a problem, since balconies usually are easy to manage. For people that don’t enjoy having a balcony, this asset could become a disadvantage as you will have to clean and manage it.
A balcony can also be a security concern if there are children and pets in the apartment/house. Make sure to have taken appropriate security measures and childproof the balcony door and perhaps the balcony walls or railings as well, when moving into an apartment that has a balcony.
Is Apartment Balcony Worth it?
Apartment balconies are valuable assets in several ways. First and foremost, balconies increase the quality of life of apartment living. Secondly, they also add value to apartments in case of resale or rental income.
Balconies also allow you to grow flowers, plants, and vegetables that would not have been possible without a balcony.
To conclude, balconies on houses and on buildings are definitely worth it.
Related Questions
What is the Purpose of a Balcony?
The purpose of a balcony is to enlarge the living space and enhance the life quality for the residents of an apartment or house. The balcony also serves as an outdoor room, granting access to fresh air and views.
The lines above are the main reasons why balcony is important. However, from a property standpoint, balconies are often designed and added with the purpose of making the entire property attractive in the property market.
What Should I Do with my Balcony?
It all depends on what you enjoy in life and the size of your balcony. A good idea would be to put in furniture, perhaps a table and chairs. Next, consider adding flowers and plants to add some life and color to your balcony space. There are lots of planters and pots designed especially for balconies.
When you have basic furniture and flowers in place, you might want to consider adding some additional decorations and accessories. For example, balcony lighting, heating, decking, and small barbeque grills are popular add-ons to balconies.
As regards barbeque grills, make sure to check with your regional regulations and the rules of your apartment building. Sometimes barbequing on balconies is forbidden, but sometimes it is allowed – be extremely careful and follow the rules.
When it comes to decking/flooring, there is a wide range of alternatives for balcony floors. You can add wood decking, fake wood decking, or fake grass carpets, to name a few.
Balcony lighting can be lovely to use during evenings and it does make the balcony much more inviting. Again, there are different options for lighting. Balcony railing lights are a very popular option and they are easy to install.
Balcony heaters are also popular, especially if you plan to use the balcony during the evenings or if you live in a somewhat cold country. Remember that heaters can eat a lot of electricity, so don’t forget to turn them off when you are not on the balcony. Also, do refer to your building regulations in case there are rules for balcony heaters as well.
Endnote on Why Balcony is Important
That’s it for today’s article on the importance of balcony. Many times, once you have a balcony, you can never consider moving to an apartment that doesn’t have one…
Still have questions about balconies? We have compiled lots of useful balcony information on this page.
If you found this article useful, feel welcome to share it with a friend or just tell them why balcony is important. Also, if you have discovered additional benefits of having a balcony that is not mentioned in the article, we’d love to hear from you, so that we can create yet additional useful blog posts!
