The biggest mistake is buying furniture before deciding how the space will be used.
A balcony that measures only a few feet across cannot comfortably be a garden, office, dining room, storage area and laundry zone at the same time. Trying to make it all of these usually leaves the space cluttered.
Instead, give the balcony one main job and one secondary job.
It could be a morning tea corner that doubles as a reading space. It could be a small work-from-home spot that becomes a place to sit in the evening. It could even remain a laundry area, but with the drying system moved vertically so that part of the floor stays free. This simple decision can change everything.
A useful balcony should make daily life easier, not give another area of the house that needs constant organising.