Bridge Loan Network

Being active on social media is important in many industries, including the real estate industry. And keeping your social media pages like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, for yourself as a real estate professional and your company’s social media pages, up to date shows that you are an active member in the industry as well as your company. Updating your social media pages allows your followers and clients to stay in the know about your company, new features, programs, events, sponsorships, and partnerships you are involved in.

Holiday Promotion:

Holidays are a great chance to showcase important updates like holiday hours or closures and also have a little bit of fun in the posting. If there is a national holiday that is “on brand” for your company, get creative! Our company, Bridge Loan Network, recently posted celebrating National Video Games Day, which matched other promotions we’ve published throughout the year. A quick search on National Holidays can turn up fun and easy ways to add content to your social media profiles each month.

Event Participation

Events are a great opportunity to network and make new business connections and partnerships, so it’s a great idea to promote these to your audience! Sharing the general timeline of the event, the educational content and how you and your company are participating are great ways to create engagement online. For example, our company uses headshots of our team members who are attending in our content so that if people go to the event, they know who they are looking for if they are interested in talking to us. When possible, it’s also a great idea to link to relevant pages in your post for more information on the event, even if it’s a blog post on your own company’s website. That helps push potential customers to your website from your social media pages and from there, people can choose to learn more about your company, and then decide they are interested in working with you.

Meet The Team Showcases:

Show off the faces that your followers and clients are working with or could work with. It helps to make it a more personable experience, and it is always helpful to put a face to the name. It also helps for tradeshows and events to know who you are looking for if you want to connect with someone at the company. If clients want to talk to the featured person to learn more about the company, this is a great opportunity to send a LinkedIn request and start that professional connection!

Hashtags:

Don’t be afraid to use keyword hashtags to help reach more people. Even just a handful of keywords that relate to your content can help it reach a relevant audience, full of potential clients. You can even search hashtags of relevant content to make connections with other folks in the industry and set up potential partnerships.

Now that you have some ideas about how to stay active on social media, go out there and share some content! And feel free to follow Bridge Loan Network on INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, and LINKEDIN.

In the real estate industry, whether you are a private lender, broker, or investor, networking is a key factor of growing your business.

Conferences, local meetups, and networking events are everywhere in our industry and will help you stay ahead of the curve if you are a contributing member. Plus, they are an investment in yourself and your company, and you’ll want to make the most of the time spent away from the office.

And as you’ve undoubtedly gathered, networking entails a lot more than just showing up, grabbing some free food, and exchanging business cards. It’s about connecting with people, sharing about yourself and what you do, and collecting valuable contacts and knowledge to grow professionally.

To make the most of it, all it takes is a little preparation and practice. Here’s what you need to know before you grab your business cards and head to your next industry event.

BEFORE

Set Reasonable Expectation

When preparing for a networking event, establish goals for your time there. Is your goal to find a specific service in which your company has a need for? A goal to meet five new people in the industry? Or are you hoping to connect with one particular person or company? By setting specific goals you can better prepare yourself and use your time wisely at the event.

Dress to Impress

Research the event you’re going to attend, the location, and the general theme of the event. First impressions matter, and this way you can set yourself up for success in putting your best foot forward. Think of it as a more informal interview, you’ll want to dress the part.

Bring Business Cards

This one seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say they’ve forgotten their cards at home, or that they just gave their last card away. Bring more cards than you think you may need and keep them on hand for the entirety of the event. One sided business card exchanges can leave a bad taste in folks’ mouths and could hinder their desire to follow-up with you in the future.

DURING

Focus on Making a Connection, Not a Sale

The overall goal for any event is to grow your network and allow for follow up with the appropriate folks after the event. With this in mind, don’t focus so much on making the sale right on the spot, but on making a connection. Show folks that you’re interested in more than just your opportunities. The best questions you can ask are ones that can’t be answered by just “yes” or “no” and allow for more fluid conversation.

Take Notes

After you ask for someone’s card, take notes on the card after they walk away or immediately after the event. This will help you to be more specific with your follow-up efforts. Even if you can’t write on their card, utilize your Notes app on your phone to highlight key topics and important information from your conversation. This can be as simple as the product or service they are looking for more information on, to favorite local food spots you discussed, to times that work best for follow-up.

Don’t Spam People with Cards

The closest thing to you throwing all your business cards away in the trash is by just passing them out to everyone you meet without having the actual conversations. If you haven’t built enough rapport with someone to encourage them to ask for your card, and vice versa, don’t just offer one because you think it’s what you’re supposed to do.

AFTER

Follow-up

Making the connection is just the first step. To cultivate the relationship, you need to follow up with the folks you networked with. Make sure to personalize each phone call or email, letting each person know you enjoyed meeting them and mention something specific you talked about. A quick tip: One of the fastest ways to stop a connection in its tracks is to send everyone the same generic follow-up or LinkedIn connection request.

One of the best tools you can utilize in your career is networking, and you can make the most of it by preparing in advance, acting professionally during the event, and being proactive with your follow-up. Beyond that, simply try to enjoy yourself!

From the get-go, many private lenders use Microsoft Excel as the software solution for tracking all aspects of their businesses. That’s really not surprising, given its familiarity and versatility.

It is a well-known tool among employees and is feature-rich, allowing you to manage customer data, create formulas for quick calculations, and keep all your information in one spot.

Perfect, right?

It’s not that simple.

Whether you are just starting out as a private lender or run a well-established business, you might want to look at solutions that can help you scale your growth even better.

Here are three reasons to consider switching from Excel to a proper Loan Origination System software platform.

Common Excel Drawbacks

Lack of team collaboration and sharing capabilities. Excel has limited ability for private lending teams to collaborate. Of course, users can email an Excel file back and forth, make changes, save the file and resend it, but no real-time collaboration functionality is available. You cannot have more than one team member in the file at the same time. The content of the file can become outdated, and team members may get confused about which version is the most recent. Additionally, it becomes difficult to divvy up leads and clients when you’re working in Excel, as there can be overlapping messaging and missed lead opportunities.

As difficult as Excel spreadsheets are to share internally, they are too easy to share externally. As opposed to a secure software that requires users to log in to gain access and only allows certain members to view full client information, Excel spreadsheets can generally be circulated to anyone via email. Remember, as a private lender, you typically store client and deal information in these Excel spreadsheets. You don’t want to leave your entire pipeline and leads list open for misuse.

Manual data entry invites errors. Data must be entered manually in Excel. Entering and updating customer data can be time-consuming, and it opens the door to human error. And, as we all know, human error can lead to costly mistakes. In 2012, JPMorgan lost more than $6 billion in what’s known as the “London Whale” incident caused by Excel spreadsheet errors. In that case, an employee copied and pasted data from one Excel sheet to another, introducing errors that were not caught until it was too late.

Scalability. As your business and client lists grow, your Excel spreadsheets get bigger. However, the larger the spreadsheet, the more likely it is to contain errors.

In addition, as you expand your team, more people will need to share the information in the spreadsheets. Remember, Excel does not allow real-time collaboration.

Similarly, the larger your client base, the more data you are tracking in your spreadsheet. You may have already been frustrated by the experience of wading through hundreds or thousands of client notes to track and follow up with these clients. Overlooking important notes and other data can lead to missed opportunities and dead files.

More Robust Solutions

You might have heard the expression “What got you here, won’t get you there.” Whether you are just starting out or have been running your private lending business for years on just Excel, you might want to consider whether it’s really getting the job done for you.

There are many Loan Origination System and CRM software solutions and platforms available to the private lending industry. Many of them allow you to take care of virtually everything in your business operations, thus streamlining the entire private lending process, from intake to closing.

As you begin considering various replacement systems for Excel, determine which of a system’s features are crucial for your business to succeed in the long run. Here are a few important features to think about:

Cost and implementation. When you purchase any software, you need to view it as investing in your business. The upfront pricing and subscription fees will be offset by improvements in efficiency, productivity, and organization. Compare the software solutions, and make sure the cost of the service not only fits your budget but also matches the size of your team and workflow. Keep an eye on the differences between the number of users and features to ensure you’re getting the most for your team for a reasonable price. You don’t want to be spending money on features your company will never fully use.

In addition to startup and subscription costs for the software, consider the cost of implementation and training. New software solutions always come with a learning curve. Before purchasing new software, understand the implementation, onboarding and training costs, and timelines. Spending months learning a new software, even for the right price, can slow your business to a grinding halt, and that may not be worth the time necessary for onboarding your team.

Cloud-based and integration options. Cloud-based software applications make life and business much easier, because everything is accessible to the entire team. Instead of storing each document on different computer desktops, the documents are stored in the software itself, enabling multiple people to work on the same loan file, share documents, client information, and lending terms all in the same platform.

Additionally, keep an eye on which of the software providers makes their Application Programming Interface (API) public. The API allows you to expand your possibilities to integrate with service providers, marketing platforms and others. Ask about (1) the current providers each software solution is partnered with and (2) the process of integrating with any partners your business is working with. Consider credit and background solutions, appraisal management companies, referral marketplaces, and others.

Integrating disjointed software solutions is one of the most common challenges businesses face. Most applications are not connected with each other, resulting in little islands of data not easily accessible to team members. Being able to share lead and client data among applications streamlines your workflow.

Data security. Beyond cost and implementation, data security is the most important factor to consider when shopping for a new software solution. To understand how your proprietary information is protected in the software, ask these questions:

How is client information protected?
Who has access to clients and loan files?
Who can upload information and documents into the system?
Can my clients log in to the system, and what can they see and do?

Loan Origination Systems and CRMs are designed to protect your information. Using software that requires users to log in with their specific email and password adds an extra layer of security to your valuable client, lead, and sales data. Many software solutions also enable you to set permissions for what each user can view and modify within the system. And if an employee leaves your company, it’s not a problem. You simply deactivate that person as a user, transfer their pipeline to your other team members, and know that your data is secure.

When it comes to running your private lending business, traditional Excel spreadsheets can seem like a good solution. Upon scrutiny, however, Excel has a lot of shortcomings.

If you’re struggling to operate within the confines of Excel spreadsheets, it may be time for an upgrade. Loan Origination Systems and CRM software solutions offer a better way to manage client data, lead lists, and pipelines. They also make it much easier to share data across teams and applications in a secure, easily accessible format.

Article originally published in the American Association of Private Lender’s PL Magazine Q3 2021

This past March, Covid-19 disrupted everyone’s day to day life. From curfews and lockdowns to wearing a mask when going out in public places, to schools and workplaces shutting their doors and moving to virtual formats, the real estate industry as we knew it also did not walk away unscathed.

Not surprisingly, the private lending industry was affected in an unprecedented way. The economy was shaken, and it was uncertain as to just how much damage was done. During this time, private lenders approached these new market challenges with different strategies as this was uncharted territory. Two main strategies were prevalent: one was to press the pause button on lending on anything new during this time to focus on managing existing loans, and two was to maintain lending with very strict and specific guidelines.

Now that the private lending world has begun to readjust to the current market fluctuations and uncertainties, new lending trends have emerged in the bridge loan market and are switching up customer demand and investment strategies.

Bridge Loans Are the New Comeback Kid

Bridge financing has always been and will continue to be, a great resource for real estate investors due to its ability to provide quick turnaround times and competitive pricing. Bridge loans provide short-term financing options, typically until another financing source, usually conventional financing, is acquired.

Bridge loans also give investors time. Time to get a property ready and cash-flowing, whether that be as a rental property or a flip to be re-listed in this fast-paced market. And with the current pace of the market real estate investors need every possible tool to keep up. The mix of having very low inventory, quick turnaround times, and properties selling at a higher cost is a great cocktail for bridge financing to literally close the gap needed for investors looking to acquire additional investment properties.

According to Realtor.com®’s October Housing Data Release, it revealed that nationally, a typical home for sale spent only 53 days on the market, which is 13 days less than this same time in 2019. This is the first time in Realtor.com’s records that homes sold faster in October than September, like occurred in 2020, and indicates a continuance of an unusually active and aggressive fall/winter seller’s market. This data sets up the market well for investors continuing to acquire investment properties in the upcoming winter months, as the real estate market shows no sign of slowing down.

Though something to keep in mind when determining an investment strategy and when to utilize bridge financing, inventory of newly listed properties has declined by over 7 percent nationally throughout this year, increasing the competition on properties listed and driving up prices. Realtor.com®’s October Housing Data Release revealed the median national home listing price increased by 12 percent over 2020, to $350,000 in October. This is up from the 11 percent growth seen in September. This is also why the speed bridge financers can provide when closing a loan to acquire a property is a must-have in this competitive market.

Bridge Loans Lucrative Option for Investors

The increased demand for bridge financing can also be attributed to the historically low-interest rates and the fast pace with which bridge lenders can provide funding. Although bridge loan rates are dependent on experience, credit score, term, and the size of the loan, the rates generally range from 4 to 13 percent which is extremely lucrative when considering the swiftness at which bridge loans can be acquired.

Speed is another major factor as to why bridge loans are thriving in this market. As stated previously, properties are only spending, on average, 53 days on the market creating a fast-paced, and competitive space for investors. By choosing to work with bridge financers to purchase properties investors can close on these properties much faster than conventional funding, typically in 7-15 business days.

Combine the experienced investors with the folks who left the unstable stock market to invest in real estate, like was seen in 2008, and the number of loan requests to bridge financers has significantly increased this year.

For example, between July and October of 2019 Bridge Loan Network received over 797 loan requests through the software. Now with this same timeframe of July through October in 2020 Bridge Loan Network has received over 1,988 loan requests in the software.

Market Trends Move Towards Longer-Term Options

Although short-term bridge financing hasn’t slowed down, seasoned real estate investors have switched up their investment strategies this year. The days of buying distressed properties to renovate and quickly sell are no longer feasible due to new safety restrictions and protocols in this “new normal”. Getting one appraisal done on a property could be challenging enough, and then adding multiple inspection reports for rehab draws and a project’s timeline increases substantially. With this, short-term bridge loans for fix and flip projects are not as lucrative now, as they were back in January/February.

This does not mean that investors are walking away from bridge financing altogether though, in-fact, it is the exact opposite. Real estate investors are just adjusting their investment strategies and therefore require different types of bridge loans from private lenders. Since investors are pausing on the flip projects and moving towards acquiring and holding long-term rental properties and building their portfolios private lenders have adjusted how they market their short and longer-term bridge options to attract more clients.

Article originally published in the American Association of Private Lender’s PL Magazine 2021 Winter (Q1).

In email marketing, engagement and action rule the court. As email is both about content and creating action with that content. It’s about motivating folks to do something, whether that be a click, share, respond.

Here are a couple of email templates you can personalize to help kick start your next email campaign.

Introductory Email

Hi (Client’s Name),

My name is (your name), and I am a (job title) from (company name). (Insert one or two introductory sentences about your experience in the industry and your company).

If you are looking for an industry expert and have a loan scenario I can help with, I would love to shop around for you and get you a competitive quote. I’d also be happy to discuss the different lending resources I work with, and if any fit your lending needs.

Contact me anytime via phone (phone number) or email (email address) with any questions or scenarios you may have.

Looking forward to working with you and helping you achieve your investment goals.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Request for More Information Email

Hi (Client’s Name),

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me earlier, and letting me know your real estate investing goals and the type of projects you usually work on.

As promised, I have attached additional resources and materials to help you better understand how I can help you reach your goals. (Describe a bit more about the materials attached)

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

(Signature)

Phone Call Follow-up Email

Hello (Client’s name),

I enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about your financing needs. I wanted to follow up with more information on the program I believe can be the best suited to your investing needs:

(Insert a couple of bullet points about your products based on your phone conversation)

Looking to get a quote? Contact me anytime, phone (phone number) or email (email address).

Looking forward to working with you and helping you achieve your investment goals.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

TouchPoint on Cold Clients

Hi (Client’s Name),

It’s been a while since we last spoke. I hope all is going well on your end.

First of all, I’d like to catch up to hear how you and your business are doing and see if there’s a chance to help you further.

I remembered, last time we spoke, you were interested in (product X). We have made significant progress on this product which has been impressively received by many of our clients.

I would love to share these key updates with you when you have a moment. Please let me know if (date and time) fit into your calendar, if not, feel free to suggest a time that works best for you.

Please let me know if you have any questions prior so that I can have those answers lined up.

Best,

(Signature)

In today’s marketing world, marketers have emphasized the new technologies available such as chatbots, social media, and influencers to reach customers. But these new marketing methods shouldn’t dissuade folks from one of the most effective messaging channels – email marketing.

Folks might be wondering if email marketing is still a worthwhile effort in connecting with current and prospective clients, and well yes, yes it is. According to HubSpot, there are on average 3.9 BILLION daily email users and 80 percent of business professionals believe that email marketing has increased their customer retention.

Here are some important aspects to consider when crafting your next email campaign.

Subject Line

The main items to consider when creating a subject line for your email campaign is to keep it short, limit punctuation, be descriptive, and add some personalization. Low open rates typically show that the subject line is not relevant or interesting enough for your subscribers to want to open the email.

The best way to know what resonates with your clients is to test out different subject lines to increase your open rates. An effective subject line clearly describes what’s inside your email and is intriguing enough to get folks to want to learn more.

To test the subject line craft two to three versions that differ slightly, and then set them up in an A/B Testing Campaign. Most marketing email platforms will have A/B Testing as part of their software, but if not, you can segment your list of contacts evenly, with each list receiving one of the subject lines you are testing. This will allow you to see which subject line had a higher open rate, and you can craft your future emails using this similar style of subject lines.

Email Structure

Get to the point quickly. Most folks will skim through their emails first, so it’s important to keep your email short and right to the point, so it grabs their attention and, they respond right then and there.

Make the email personable. Greet your client by name, add in something you’ve talked about before and thank them for their business.

Provide a Call to Action (CTA). Make it easy for your client to respond or make it clear how you want them to respond. Include a calendar invite with your next planned call, your phone number, and any required information or documents you need.

Building Your List

Segmenting your client lists can help increase engagement, open rates, and follow-up efforts. You can have folks on more than one list but split the list’s into contacts with similar demographics, interests, lending patterns, and where you met them, so you can send the right content to the right people. Research shows that a segmented email campaign can have a 14 percent higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns.

Additionally, if your combination of contacts in a segment is not receiving the engagement you’d like to see, experiment with the lists until you find the most effective way to reach your contacts.

Overall, emails are necessary to maintain relationships with your current and prospective clients. Email marketing is an increasingly preferred communication method, but like other forms of marketing still works hand-in-hand with phone calls as well to keep your interactions personal.

There are many advantages to using a smartphone, both for personal and work use. With upgraded technology nowadays, there’s an app for almost everything! Have you thought about apps that might benefit you as a real estate investor to download? With numerous options to choose from, here are a few categories every real estate professional should think about downloading.

Edit Your Photos

Capturing the work you’ve done on fix & flips is extremely important. Photos are one of the best ways to market your product. But what do you do if you took the photos on a day with overcast? Or if they’re close to perfect but not quite there yet? This is when photo editing comes into play. Of course, you never want to mislead potential clients and completely distort the photos. However, minor touch-ups here and there can transform your photo from good to great. Great apps to use include Snapseed, VSCO, and Adobe Lightroom just to name a few. With a photo editing tool, you’ll be able to control exposure, adjust sharpness, and crop to your liking in no time!

Keep Track of Your Expenses

Tracking expenses is extremely important to stay within budget. With numerous purchases of materials that can occur during a fix and flip, maintaining a log of everything you’ve bought will only help you in the long run. Doing multiple projects at once? Even more of a reason to keep track of the expenses each project requires. QuickBooks is an extremely popular app many real estate professionals use. It’s also worth taking a look at Freshbooks and Xero among others to choose which app works best for you.

Scan Your Documents

Lots of paperwork can be overwhelming to deal with, which is why having a digital copy and filing it into folders can be very helpful. What’s even more convenient is being able to scan a document using your phone! Notable document scanning apps include Adobe Scan, Scanbot, Genius Scan, and CamScanner. Forget the photocopier and just grab your phone!

There are many more apps out there that can benefit you as a real estate investor. Start with these categories and see what additional apps can best suit you!

Now more than ever our homes have become a top priority as the pandemic has shifted our day to day life in every aspect. Our homes have become office spaces, classrooms, workout studios, restaurants and more. And as COVID-19 has proven how folks are fully capable of working remotely, the work from home trend is expected to hold strong and consequently, will continue to shift home design trends for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year.

Well-designed living areas, outdoor areas, and designated spaces are at the top of everyone’s list as people are spending more time at home. With this in mind, here are three things remote workers are looking for in their rental properties.

Designated Spaces

As schools, offices, and gyms have all closed their doors, having spaces for these in our homes have become the top item on peoples wish-lists. The open floor plan of the past is no more, as renters are looking for designated, and flexible spaces within their homes. Extra bedrooms that double as a home office, finished basements for a home gym and space for the kids to hunker down and do their schoolwork. Specifically advertising these areas in your listing can help draw in more prospective tenants.

Additionally, outdoor living areas and backyards have become more sought after and something to still consider when looking for your next rental property even in the winter months. More renters are leaving their current homes for properties with more outdoor spaces.

Location

The lure of rental properties surrounded by bars, restaurants and shopping areas in larger cities is now being outweighed by homes in smaller cities with more space. According to the National Association of Realtors Research Group’s November Report, rents declined in the larger city of Dallas, while being up in Waco and Arlington, Texas. Additionally, rents declined in Los Angeles, while they rose in Bakersfield. Smaller cities are seeing more surges as folks are flooding out of the crowded major cities.

Pet Friendly

Pet adoptions since March have surged as people are spending more time at home, and have taken the next step into pet ownership. Rental units and landlords who are more flexible about allowing cats and dogs will see more tenant applications than those who do not allow pets into their rental properties. Plus, you can make more money by adding in a pet-rent fee or non-refundable security deposit upfront as well.

Overall, as flipping properties has decreased since March, rental units are being sought after by real estate investors. The National Association of Realtors Research Group’s November Report shows that the median apartment rent rose 12 percent in Q3 of 2020, and though some areas are showing signs of occupancy lose average rents have remained stable. When looking for your next rental property or renovating a current one, keep in mind how folks are spending more time at home and are looking for specific needs.

After the renovations of your fix and flip have been completed, capturing the moment is essential! Not only to hold all the hard work you’ve done in a tangible form, but also for marketing. Don’t have a professional camera? Not a problem! With the right steps, you can take amazing photos with just your phone. Additionally, marketing your rental is also key to making a profit. And it starts with the perfect photos to share with potential clients.

Lighting

Good lighting can make or break any photo. If there isn’t enough lighting, the rooms can appear gloomy and overall give off a bad appearance. The goal of these photos is to give prospective clients the feel that they can see themselves in the space. Therefore, warm and inviting light helps create the illusion as well as opens up the space. Capitalize on getting the most amount of light into the room by taking photos on bright sunny days, opening the blinds, and turning on all the interior lights. Natural light is your friend so be sure to take full advantage of it. Although when taking photos be careful of shadows that can be cast. Shadows often come into play but can be dependent on the angles you take the photo.

Angles

Take a variety of photos from different angles. You don’t have to use them all, but it gives you an abundance of photos to work with. Not only can different angles give a variety, but the quality of the photos can change when factoring in other variables such as shadows. Keep in mind taking photos from corners opens up the room and adds dimension compared to straight-on photos that can make the room appear smaller.

Outside

Of course, capturing the rooms inside is essential, but so is capturing the outside! Outdoor living space can be a major attraction to prospective clients. Again, lighting will be a major component of getting the perfect photo. Be sure no personal belongings are in the shot such as your car in the driveway. And don’t get too caught up in the season you shoot! Although spring or summer may seem like the best options for blossoming flowers, fall and winter can be just as beautiful! Taking an outdoor photo with a fresh blanket of snow on the property or the fall foliage surrounding your fix & flip can add the perfect charm to your array of photos.

Shooting your fix and flip should be fun! All of your hard will pay off in these photos, so you want to be sure to capture the beauty. With these tips in mind, you will be able to take beautiful photos on a budget.

Now that autumn has begun, so has the chilly weather! Those beautiful outdoor spaces you created shouldn’t only be reserved for the summertime. Make your outdoor spaces usable all year.

Stay Warm

If you haven’t already, you should certainly look into investing in a firepit! This is an easy way to stay warm during the colder months of the year while enjoying your outdoor patio. Choose from wood burning, propane, gel fueled, or natural gas fire pits to fit your needs. Firepits are a win-win situation because not only do they serve for warmth, they are perfect for roasting yummy treats like smores! In addition to a firepit, consider adding heat lamps to stay warm and cozy outside. A patio heat lamp is simple to assemble and can often be positioned to heat an individual directly, rather than just the surrounding area. With a wide variety of heating lamps to choose from, match the style to your already existing patio!

Privacy Screen

Think of getting a privacy screen to put up wherever you please. This helps transform your patio from summer to fall, as well as blocks the wind as the temperature drops. Such a quick and simple fix to change seasons! Outdoor screens can add a nice visual to your outdoor patio space and gives you more seclusion from others. Enjoy the peace and quiet of your outdoor space with a beautiful new privacy screen.

Let There Be Light

Just because the sun goes down sooner, doesn’t mean you have to sit in the dark! Add some more lights to your outdoor space to create a warm ambiance. Dive into your style of either twinkling lights, tiki torches, or glowing lanterns. Make sure your lights are weatherproof to avoid having to constantly change them out.

Add Some Aesthetics

Put down an all-weather rug (or a few) to fit the season and giving your feet something warm to walk on. Rugs made from polypropylene are great at withstanding whatever nature may throw at it during the season. Have a gazebo or pergola? Add in some curtains! Allow yourself to draw in the curtains when the temperature drops and that transformation of the summer to fall feel.

Just because summer’s gone doesn’t mean your patio has to close up. Use these tips to maintain enjoying the beautiful outdoor space you’ve created. And don’t forget, throw some more pillows and blankets out there to keep the space extra cozy!