What outdoor space adds more value to the house? (investment, property, most expensive)

[blue_moon]

Hello everyone,

I am at a crossroads right now and need some advice. My house has an enclosed glassed in back porch that is very small (12 x 8). It gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, plus the floor is rotting, so it is virtually unusable as is. We have several options to put in place of the old porch:

1. new sunroom (same size or bigger)
2. covered deck the same size (using the existing roof)
3. regular deck (bigger).

Most likely, we won't use any of these often because we have a patio where we do the grilling and such, so we are interested in this purely from an investment point of view. Any input will be appreciated!

[Lacerta]

You might want to say what part of the country this is in, as it might make a difference. In my area, a covered porch is probably the most desirable of those three.

[GiantRutgersfan]

How big of a property do you own? How close are the neighbors?

[FalconheadWest]

It definitely depends on where you are. In my area, because it's so hot, the covered patio will have higher resale than an uncovered patio. A sunroom doesn't really add too much value unless you put some type of weather control in there to be able to use it year-round.

[blue_moon]

We live in upstate New York, so it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's a small house (1300 sq ft) and 0.3 acres of land, the neighbors are pretty close...

[ocngypz]

What I would do is enclose it - make it a real room - and call it an office.

[jghorton]

Originally Posted by blue_moon

Hello everyone,

I am at a crossroads right now and need some advice. My house has an enclosed glassed in back porch that is very small (12 x 8). It gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, plus the floor is rotting, so it is virtually unusable as is. We have several options to put in place of the old porch:

1. new sunroom (same size or bigger)
2. covered deck the same size (using the existing roof)
3. regular deck (bigger).

Most likely, we won't use any of these often because we have a patio where we do the grilling and such, so we are interested in this purely from an investment point of view. Any input will be appreciated!

You didn't say whether you planned to sell the property in the near future ...and the cost of the modification will certainly be a factor. Three issues in the decision would seem to be:

1. What would you most value? You may have to live with it for some time - What will you use?
2. What do the homes in your immediate area offer? (If 5 of your neighbors put their homes on the market, where would yours come-up short? (deck, added floor space, another bathroom, ?)
3. What is the upgrade cost -vs- sq. ft. added -vs- avg. $ per sq. ft. of homes in the area (can you get your investment back on a sale?)

[MrRational]

Whatever you might do to fix the problem will require a complete demolition of whats there right down to the ground.

If you plan to STAY PUT in that house for more than 5 years then consider adding some
function back into that space... I'm thinking a retractable awning over gravel might be about right.

Doing that demo work... AND ONLY THAT demo work...
might be the best choice of how to add the most value (with the least expense).

[accufitgolf]

Blue

Considering you are in upstate NY, my first (most expensive) choice would be to make it a "Florida Room. Enclosed, heated/cooled. Heating alone might be OK in upstate NY. As much glass as possible with screens to open especially when hot if no cooling. Bright and airy. I would also try and add a small deck off the room for grilling out.

My 2nd choice would be a screened in porch.

My last and maybe least expensive choice would be an expanded deck with only part of it covered by the existing roof.

Hope this helps.

[Grandpa Pipes]

Originally Posted by blue_moon

Hello everyone,

I am at a crossroads right now and need some advice. My house has an enclosed glassed in back porch that is very small (12 x 8). It gets very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, plus the floor is rotting, so it is virtually unusable as is. We have several options to put in place of the old porch:

1. new sunroom (same size or bigger)
2. covered deck the same size (using the existing roof)
3. regular deck (bigger).

Most likely, we won't use any of these often because we have a patio where we do the grilling and such, so we are interested in this purely from an investment point of view. Any input will be appreciated!

What to do with this porch is best determined by what any major change to the structure will do to your real estate taxes.

If you elect to just "repair" the structure in place to original condition then nothing will change so your taxes will remain the same. If you do anything else to the structure all bets are off.