The best thing about having a home on a beautifully sloped hill is the view. There’s nothing like waking up to the bright morning sunlight that seeps through the windows and the sight of fluffy white clouds filling the skies. Unlike those in the cities that are blocked by towering buildings and polluted with deafening noises from the streets, the view from the hills is dreamy.
But living on a hill is not all it’s cracked up to be because it also has its downsides. For one, there’s always the possibility of landslides because the soil can easily erode during heavy rain or snowfall. This is because to build the home there, plant life had to be removed, and that has destabilized the ground.
That alone is already a risk because powerful landslides can travel 10 to 35 miles (ca. 56 kilometers) per hour and have the ability to wipe out entire hills. But if you think about it, some risks come with living in apartment buildings or two-story houses in suburban neighborhoods.
So at this point, it’s all a matter of what risks you are willing to take for the kind of life you want to achieve. With a hillside home, at least you have the opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. You can breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the wonderful view. Here’s how you can further improve your house on the hills:
Build a Protective Barrier
One of the best ways to keep your hillside home secured against natural soil erosion is by keeping the soil in place. It can be challenging to stop soil from eroding, especially during seasons with heavy rain or snowfall. But there is something you can do to protect your home against it.
A good solution to this problem is to build retaining walls at strategic points around your property. These concrete walls can act as a protective barrier for your home so that it can retain the soil in place, hence the name. It can also stop eroding soil from damaging your house completely in the unlikely event of a landslide.
Of course, creating these walls will take careful planning and installation, but when done properly, it can last for many decades with minimal to no maintenance at all. The design of the walls can also be customized depending on your preferences, which can add character and value to your entire home.
Install Outdoor Structures
To take advantage of the great view from your hillside home, you can create outdoor recreational areas where you can spend your time in. This way, you won’t have to leave your home to be closer to nature because you can already do that inside your own property.
You can install a patio, a wooden deck, or even a grand stone staircase if you have enough space for it. These structures can be perfect additions to your home if you like having meals with your family al fresco or often invite people over for small gatherings to celebrate milestones.
Outdoor structures such as those mentioned above can easily add value to your home. Plus, the most compelling factor about it is that you can do these yourself if you want to test your handyman skills. Of course, you always have the option to hire contractors, but making them yourself can be a worthwhile experience.
Create a Garden Area
Since hillside homes are built on slanted slopes, it can be almost impossible to have a naturally leveled yard. Slanted lawns or backyards can make playing sports, biking, and other activities uncomfortable, but it can be perfect for a different hobby.
If you have a green thumb, then turning the slanted yard into a garden can be an ideal use of the space. You can plant vegetables or fruits and create a mini-farm for your family, or you can keep it simple and install flowerbeds for your orchid collection.
Gardening may not be for everyone, but if that’s something you find appealing, you can take this chance to make it happen. You can be putting all that natural sunlight, fresh air, and unpolluted environment to good use by creating a garden on the hill.
There are so many other ways to elevate your house’s comfort and appearance because these three options are only the tip of the iceberg. Improving your hillside home doesn’t always have to be grand because, sometimes, simplicity is the key to making the perfect home for your family.
