Having a big yard can be really fun. If you have a family, it provides a large space for the kids to play and invite their friends over. It can also be a great location for inviting your own friends over for an evening with adults, taking advantage of the space to connect and enjoy each other’s company. A large yard is also like a blank canvas where you can get creative with landscaping, unique features, and enhanced curb appeal.
But what if you have more yard than you know what to do with? Perhaps you have two or more acres of land in a rural area or just outside of the suburbs and you have no idea how to use this large space. In an age of growing entrepreneurship and small businesses, you have the opportunity to turn your acreage into a fun side hustle…event hosting.
Turning your plot of land into a serviceable event venue could take some big initial investments up front and ongoing maintenance. But with the right decisions for the aesthetics of your land, you could be well on your way to hosting events on your property regularly. Here are a few ideas for making your yard the perfect welcoming space for events.
Investing in Lawn Care
One thing that most event venues have in common is how polished and clean they look. For outdoor locations, the lawn is a significant factor in the overall aesthetic appeal. After all, if there are overgrown grass and weeds in the area, very few people will want to spend time in it. You can incorporate some eco-friendly lawn care practices such as planting with clover, adding compost, and watering it efficiently. These methods will keep your lawn care costs low while balancing a greener and fresher-looking lawn that will operate as an attractive space for event guests to enjoy.
Light Up the Yard
Lighting is very important for event venues, and for your property to compete with bigger entities, you will need to invest in warm and welcoming light sources. Some great ideas for your outdoor space could include uplighting, hanging string lights, rope lights, lanterns, and colorful spotlights. These options offer a cozy look as well as a variety that can thrill potential clients who may be interested in using your outdoor space.
Install a Pavilion
While people love an outdoor space that embraces fresh air and sunshine, sometimes the sun can be a little too oppressive for a daytime event. To mitigate this problem, building a pavilion in your yard could provide much-needed shelter from the sun that your guests will love. Plus, a pavilion could serve as a beautiful backdrop for life event celebrations and photo opportunities. Timber frame pavilions can serve both purposes of offering shelter from the elements while being aesthetically pleasing. When combined with a lovely landscaping plan, the pavilion could be the finishing touch that will draw event planners to your property. Speaking of landscaping…
Bring Life to the Space with Beautiful Landscaping
When you have a large yard, then you have endless opportunities for landscaping that wows event guests. Gardens are the most obvious way to liven up the outside, introducing color and various flora and fauna to the area. Outlining the garden with pavers, brick, or a short white fence can add a detailed touch to the spot, and a small bench would be a great addition for guests to rest and take in the scenery. Other landscaping features could really level up the guest experience, including water features, stone pathways, firepits, gravel yard game areas, and patios. For more inspiration, check out these unique landscaping features that can help turn your property into the ideal event venue.
Simplest Landscaping Feature? Mulch
Mulch is amazing. You can use it in gardens to protect against severe weed growth, which is the most common use. But mulch can be put almost anywhere. If you have some trees in your backyard, put mulch around the bases. This can create a common feature throughout the property that unifies the space in an appealing way. You can also add mulch in any spots that have bare patches, and then toss in a unique landscaping feature to justify the spot like a birdbath or small fountain. Mulch is versatile and comes in many forms and colors, so feel free to use it liberally throughout your property to clean up the look.
The Final Step…Take Lots of Pictures
When you turn your large yard into an event venue, there are plenty of business logistics to figure out. You need to consider how you will run this side hustle in a legal way. But one of the most important steps will be marketing the property for future bookings. Social media will be your best friend, especially early on in the process when you have not hosted any events yet. People are visual creatures, and the best way to entice potential clients to your property is with gorgeous pictures of the changes you have made. Make sure that you take these pictures in broad daylight and that you frame them to show off all the features of the space, unless you plan to hire a professional photographer which is certainly a good idea. Hopefully, they will know how to take perfect photos of the property if you do so.
Now that the property is ready and you are armed with pictures, start sharing posts on social media to engage your networks and let them know that your yard is open for business. Most likely, your first customers will come from your social circles.
