Moving around furniture can wreak havoc on a homeowner's back, not to mention the uncertainty of whether a new furniture arrangement will work.

An easy way to find out if a new design plan for an outdoor living space is successful - without the wear and tear of heavy lifting - is to try it on paper first. Making small cutouts of patio furniture to scale and moving it around can provide an idea of what configurations will suit one's patio or deck best.

All the architectural features of the area - an outdoor fireplace, doors leading inside the house and windows - should be noted first. They may serve as focal points, such as grouped seating around the fireplace or a window seat under a large window.

In such planning, another concern is traffic, according to BudgetDecorating.com. The family activity areas of the patio, as well as places for patio dining sets and relaxing on an outdoor chaise lounge should be sketched out based on how much room will be needed for those spots.

The amount of light that's needed in the new arrangement also needs to be considered. In especially sunny climes like Florida, factoring in shade umbrellas is also important to balance bright sunshine.