Spoiler alert! You don’t need a backyard amusement park to enjoy your outdoor living space and the incredible Florida lifestyle the moment you move in your new custom Florida home.

Swimming pools and summer kitchens ARE a great way to kick off your Sunshine State residency, and we at ICI Homes heartily endorse them (we’re Florida residents too).

But, if you opted for simplicity, or prefer to add outdoor features later, there are plenty of easy things you can do to make that new outdoor living space a go-to right away.

How? We give you a good head start by including a covered lanai with every floor plan. A lanai is an open-air outdoor living space with a roof. You can screen it to create a porch, or extend the patio portion.

However, since we’re discussing the opportunity to enjoy Florida living, stat, read on for more easy ways to make your new outdoor living space instantaneously special.

Install a ceiling fan

This timeless overhead classic keeps things temperate, stirring a breeze or providing a cooling blast after gardening or other strenuous activities.

Helpful hint: buy a full-size fan made for outdoor environments. This means moisture-resistant motors and housing, and blades. That way, afternoon thundershowers won’t matter to your fan.

Add comfortable seats

Although you’ll likely want something more longterm than a beach chair, check out the zero-gravity loungers at popular big-box and home furnishings stores. They provide versatile comfort on the lanai and in the sand until you and your household determine the perfect seating for your new outdoor space. Bonus: quality beach chairs are built to last with a little post-beach rinsing off. That’s one less thing to purchase later.

Another option in the timeless category is a rocking chair(s). Go for the easy-assembled wooden versions available at home improvement stores ONLY IF your lanai is protected from hot sun and wind-blown rain. If not, seek rockers made from composite materials that are impervious to Florida elements just like an outdoor-rated ceiling fan.

A spot for food and drinks

Even if it’s paper plates. The balancing act almost never works, as most of us have ended up drenched or ketchup-spotted at some point in our outdoor leisure lives. Small, foldable side tables made of composite materials similar to seating and ceiling fans can be plopped anywhere on your porch or lanai, and stored in your new pantry.

Need more glamor? Consider hardy porcelain or ceramic garden seats. They’re perfect for drippy drinks and messy plates and come in numerous colors and patterns. Choose seats with handle openings to make them more transportable.

Include a fountain or fire pit in that outdoor living space

Or both. Homemade S’mores, anyone? Portable versions give you options. Just be sure to enjoy the fire pit outside your porch or covered lanai, on a patio, for safety’s sake.

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.