Increase Your Home’s Appeal with a Porch

There is a growing demand among Monmouth County homeowners for attractive outdoor spaces that increase comfort and enjoyment. Whether you are looking for a place to entertain guests or to spend a quiet evening outdoors, adding a porch can increase your living space, make the home look more spacious, and improve the curb appeal of your property.

Where to Add a Porch

The three basic porch locations are front, back and wraparound. Each serves a different purpose, while enabling homeowners to enjoy the outdoors more thoroughly. A front porch enhances the curb appeal of the home and creates an inviting entrance for guests. It also provides a place to take in the outdoors, watch children playing outside and spend time with friends and neighbors.

Back porches provide a place for entertaining, grilling and enjoying time outdoors. Available in a wide variety of styles, they enable you to utilize the outdoors for several seasons, even during inclement weather. Charming back porches can redefine your outdoor living space and add valuable living space to the square footage of your home.

Wraparound porches offer a classic look and provide outdoor living spaces on more than one side of your home. This is especially valuable in coastal areas where catching a prevailing breeze can be just as important as spending time outdoors.

Types of Porches

A porch can range from a slab on concrete to an outdoor space that resembles full living quarters complete with electricity, ceiling fans and even fireplaces. Covered porches are the most common style of porch, adding a roof and sometimes walls to create an outdoor living area that serves as an extension of the home. They range from a basic roof line that matches the existing structure to a luxury entertainment venue with amenities typically found indoors. Covered porches give the home a more spacious and inviting feel.

Screened porches are an economic alternative, enabling you to enjoy the space without worrying about insects or other outdoor elements that might otherwise keep you indoors.

Costs of Adding a Porch

Porches vary in price, but the average is around $21,000, depending on the complexity of the design, size, materials used and amenities desired. Popular amenities include electricity, which allows you to run ceiling fans, televisions and stereo systems. Fireplaces have also become a common feature for outdoor living spaces in luxury markets.

Impact on Home Values

For most of the country, adding a porch will provide an average return on investment of 84%. The cost and return varies by region, as some places are more suitable for outdoor living than others.

Read More