Does a Screened Porch Add Value to a Home?
We love this question, and we hear it frequently. Don’t think we’re side-stepping the intent of your question if we point out, right away, that there is more than one way to define value. We know you probably had monetary value in mind when you asked or saw this question. Yes, a new screened porch addition can add resale value to your Nashville home, and it will also add a great deal more value than that.
If you’re going to be selling your home, it’s good to know that screened porches can add value. Will you recoup every dollar you put into the new porch? Probably not. According to our most esteemed local expert, Lucy Smith of Fridrich & Clark Realty, the average screened porch return on investment is around 70-75%. That’s excellent! Especially since you get to enjoy the porch until the day you sell the home. It’s hard to put a price tag on true porch enjoyment.
During our conversation with Lucy, she pointed out that “an appraiser will not include a screened porch in heated square footage. This is because the space is not conditioned (meaning it does not include an HVAC system). However, outdoor living spaces, in general, are a good investment because they are so desirable to prospective home buyers.”
She also indicated there are many factors that go into accessing the average ROI for a screened porch addition. This includes how the screened porch is designed and finished. “Was the screened porch designed with custom features? What kind of materials were used in its construction? Does the screened porch have a fireplace, etc…?” Naturally, the more custom-oriented a screened porch design is, the more desirable it will to prospective buyers which will fetch a higher ROI.
Lucy Smith is a realtor with Fridrich & Clark Realty, was 2010’s President of the Greater Nashville Realtors and 2012’s Greater Nashville Realtors, Realtor of the Year. She also received the Life Member Greater Nashville Realtors Awards of Excellence. Additionally, Lucy is also the proud owner of a beautiful Porch Company custom screened porch, too!
One reason why screened porches do add value is because of their appeal to home buyers. Certainly, buyers are not shopping for a porch, they’re shopping for a home. They will probably look at quite a few homes. The ones that stand out will have extra nice features, and … you guessed it… one of those features is going to be a screened porch. A porch helps prospective buyers envision their family enjoying that home. It can also make your home feel bigger when buyers see they’ll have more space to spread out. Home buyers are also drawn to attractive outdoor spaces with electricity, lighting, and fans for creature comforts and maximum enjoyment.
Nashville Homeowners and Home Buyers “Get” the Porch Lifestyle
If you don’t currently have a screened porch, you’ve probably been paying attention to how much your friends enjoy theirs. Folks around Nashville know how to kick back and relax – especially at the end of a long workday. Or the end of a long work week!
Porch living is what we call it. Here at The Porch Company, we’re all about porch living. To some, this lifestyle begins and ends with the pure enjoyment of relaxing. Simply relaxing. When these homeowners enter a porch, they want to turn on soothing music, pick up a book, and put up their feet. Even better if they have a bed swing from the PorchCo store!
Oh, we know there’s more to porch living! For homeowners who love to entertain, a screened porch is the perfect setting for any gathering. From formal dinner parties to 4-year-old birthday parties, a screened porch protects your guests from insects, bright sun, and rainy weather. However you plan to use your porch, the pleasures of porch ownership increase exponentially the more comforts you have designed into it.
All of this porch enjoyment brings us back to the question, do screened porches add value? Yes, in so many ways. Relax. Entertain. Give your grandkids a fun place to play. Invite your buddies around to watch the game on your big TV on the porch. If you enjoy any of these things, you will get oodles of value from a new screened porch addition. You don’t have to be selling your house to recognize that kind of value.
Are porches included in square footage?
This common question has two answers. If you’re wondering whether you can count a screened porch in your home’s total square footage for a real estate listing, the answer is no, you cannot. To qualify, a home addition needs to be insulated, heated and cooled like the interior rooms of your home. Screened porches, even if heated with space heaters, a fireplace, or our favorite infrared heaters, don’t count as square footage for a real estate listing.
The second answer is this: Every square foot of your home that gives you pleasure counts in terms of sheer enjoyment. If you add a screened porch that’s 15×20, that’s 300 more square feet for you to enjoy as a TV room, playroom, craft room, or for birdwatching. That’s 300 more square feet for you to decorate for the holidays. You could even have room for a second Christmas tree! When it comes to screened porches, even a technical term like “square footage” can mean so much more than dollars and cents.
The more amenities your screened porch includes, the more you’ll enjoy using it and the more value it will add to your home. We see TVs on screened porches more frequently these days, along with outdoor fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, and wet bars. Whether you want to appeal to home buyers or maximize your porch’s entertainment value for yourself, amenities can boost resale value and your own enjoyment.
Are you ready to enjoy a new screened porch addition? Let The Porch Company design and build the perfect screened porch to add value to your home in more ways than one! Call us at 615-663-2886 or visit our design studio. We would love to meet with you to discuss your porch needs!
