You may be wise to wait before making alterations to a perfectly good terrace. Use it for family, use it for guests.

Have your family members each make a thorough list of all activities and features they wish to see occuring on your new property, even those who don't live in the house, and think ahead for ten years. These are only marks on paper, don't exclude any of their hairbrain ideas.

Analyse first, then plan.

Is that a building site next door or a ball field or a farmyard? Will you need screening in any direction? What are your views from the house, upstairs and down? Do you plan any more pedestrian circulation in the yard? Will there be sports played in the yard? Will there be a vegetable or herb garden in the future? Will there be young children or grandchildren to keep busy outdoors in the sun or shade. Will you have animals that will require fencing?

You get the idea. Think long and hard. Analyse the future uses before planning their development.

In the meantime, get a nifty portable fire pit and try it out, along with your outdoor furniture, at the far corner of your land, as well as on your present terrace.

Planning can be half the fun.

There's no need to tear up your existing concrete slab. Cambridge Pavingstones can be installed as an overlay to existing concrete. Once you've added the overlay you can create your dream backyard by adding a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, or other outdoor living amenity. By linking to Cambridge’s Designscape Visualizer you can upload your photograph and preview what your re-designed home will look like using Cambridge Pavingstones and Wallstones. Visit our website at www.cambridgepavers.com.