Small-budget improvements can give your house an interesting twist to help differentiate it from others in the neighborhood.  Of course, you have the classics like upgraded light fixtures and hardware, but why not think outside the box a bit more?

A tiki bar at home may not be for everyone, but it is a relatively low-cost way to give your home a memorable twist that buyers will remember.  Check out this ‘home for sale’ video.  Looks like an average suburban home with a poorly maintained pool until about the 2:45 mark.

Suddenly you take note of something that might be useful here.  They don’t just have a pool, but a tiki bar.  Now, the seller could have done themselves a favor and jazzed it up a bit with some tiki bar decor like a boat paddle and tiki bar sign or even added a couple of tiki bar stools.  However the basic tiki bar is in place and the buyer’s imagination can start running with the right way to use it.

Obviously, you shouldn’t go build a tiki bar at home just to increase the resale value of your house or condo.  However, it is a cool twist that is worth highlighting if you do have to sell.

There is an excellent post over at the KegWorks Blog on things that should be considered when designing your home bar.  It asks some of the fundamental questions that you should be asking yourself before you start buying bar plans, materials, or your home tiki bar kit.  Of course, most of these options will be largely impacted by your budget and space available, but they are still important questions to address.  Refridgeration, theme, sink availability, and bar mobility are just a few of the factors that should be considered.

Photo by Shameless Pics

Your Guide to Building a Home Bar (KegWorks)

My personal favorite from these tips – buying one bottle of booze per paycheck.  That would certainly ease the burden of having to buy eight bottles in a single trip when the bar runs dry.  Offering a laminated menu of house specialties is another brilliant idea.  It can provide your guests with some cool choices while steering them toward the ingredients you keep on hand.  Finally, there are a few good suggestions if you are planning to build your own bar at home.

This article is worth bookmarking if you plan to build a home bar or host a party anytime soon.

On the Rocks – The Bar’s Where You Are (Portland Tribune)

Because your guests can’t survive on rum alone, here is a good video on the key bottles that you’ll want to stock your bar with, along with descriptions of the winners.

Once you’ve got the basics covered, you’ll need some tiki-specific selections in order to be prepared for all those Zombies and Test Pilots you’ll be mixing up.  Here are a few more bottles you may want to start with.

• Light Rum – Cruzan Estate Light or Bacardi Carta Blanca
• Golden Rum – Gosling’s Gold
• Dark Rum – Gosling’s Black Seal or Cruzan Black Strap
• Overproof Rum – Bacardi 151 or Wray & Nephew White Overproof
• Orange Curacao – Holland DeKuyper

You never know what cocktails that people might want, so keep that bar stocked with a little bit of variety to keep your guests happy.  Some vodka, tequila, scotch, and a couple of other alternatives should fit nicely with all of those rum bottles.

Happy shopping!

Every detail has been covered in this design. As you design and build your own tiki bar, raise a Navy Grog to Alan and Michael. This is the standard by which all home bars should be judged.

A Subterranean Tiki Haven in Echo Park (LA Times)

If you do have the money to upgrade and don’t want to build your own tiki bar, this home (bar included) could be all yours for the low price of $12 million.

Check out John McCain’s Tiki Bar (Pharma Blog)

Even beyond the Indiana Jones style, this design is a well thought-out model and shows how you can build a tiki bar in your own backyard while taking up a bare minimum of space.  The design is a relatively simple one but as you can see, the results were fantastic.  Two of my favorite finishing touches here were the custom bar sign and rusted tin roof.  The owner also built a nearby “Adventureland” deck.  Along with the surrounding jungle-style plants, he’s got a great backyard.

An Indiana Jones Themed Tiki Bar (Instructables)

This step-by-step guide is entertaining and quite easy to follow.  If you can get your hands on the various sizes of bamboo required, your new tiki bar can be fully operational by this weekend – serving up Mai Tais and Zombies to guests clad in evening beachwear.

Building this particular tiki bar requires almost exclusively bamboo.  Wood glue, 4d nails, and Jute or Sisal hemp complete your shopping list.  You’ll need a hand saw, level, hammer, and vise grip.

Once you’ve built your new tiki bar, round out the look with a classy sign, mugs, tiki torches (if outside), and other beachside style from our tiki bar shop.  Finally, make sure you have plenty of rum!

Have a tiki bar that you would like to feature on the site?  Please send a picture and details to photos [at] thetikibarshop.com.