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A porch can make or break curb appeal IMO. As much as I love a large porch, if its going to kill the look of the home I would rather have a large deck off the back of the house.
I love the wide Southern columned front porches - love the look. A front porch is not as important to us as a back porch....I'd rather have a large screened in back porch - I would prefer to entertain, read, relax, etc. in private (on a back porch) rather than a front porch . I'm not sure we would use a big front porch although they often lend great style to certain homes.
I do, however, like a covered front entry - just a bit of cover from the rain, etc. over the front door/porch.
I like the one without the big porch...more stately looking
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweet*Tea
I like the one with the small porch. It's definitely more aesthetically pleasing.
I agree.....while that one "looks" nicer, as sown, I would still rather have the porch. It would get more use.
BTW, why such a a big roof line on the house with the porch? I think that is what is making that one not "look" as nice. It has too much roof line showing ANd of course the brick front will improve the look.
Could you please share your views about having a porch vs non porch and uses of each??
I love porches. We use ours every day. It's not ideal if the front of your house faces West though. Nobody likes sitting on a porch with the sun beating down on it in the late day heat. So, my answer would depend on which direction the front of your house faces. If it faces North or East, I'd say definitely go with a full porch. If it faces West or South, plan on planting fast growing trees to shade it. All of this is based on using the porch in the evening. If you plan to use the porch mostly in the mornings, it doesn't matter which direction the porch faces.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gal83
As you can see - the elevation with small porch is more aesthetically pleasing with its flat roof porch, two pillars and a different roof shape...
I like the first one with the full porch because the house design is classic (excpet the roof design is ugly). The second one has the McMansion (small houses with mansion exteriors, like wannabe mini mansions) look.
Just as you are chosing to have your garages on the side instead of the front, why can't you chose the roof line of the second house to put on the first house? Have you asked the builder if that's possible?
The drawing for the plan with porch is done poorly. The angle is dead centered and the proportion looks taller than it would actually be.
Are there built models for each of the two for you to look at? The porch house's roofline in the drawing does look very unappealing. Can that be changed?
If you live in hot weather area, and the lot is facing west or south, the porch will block a lot of harsh sunlight and heat from inside the house, this makes a more eco-friendly living with lower utilities bills.
They both look fine. Just depends upon your tastes.
Are you going to be in a neighborhood? Or out by yourself? If in a neighborhood - do a lot of the other homes have front porches, are they used?
In a lot of modern bigger-home neighborhoods (and those look like good sized homes) - especially on bigger lots --- no one is ever "in" their front yard. Life is lived in the back yard and the front yard (and porch) is for "looks".
That said, my parents (in their 1950's ranch neighborhood) sat out on the front porch (one step up, concrete uncovered slab) in the evenings of summer most nights when I was a kid.
Of course that was a small neighborhood, with houses relatively close together and you knew everyone walking down the street. (literally, you knew everyone and their dog!!).
My neighborhood -I have very similar to what you're calling the "small porch" house, with the exception that I don't have the covered porch. Wish I did, they didn't offer me that elevation when I was building, though I've seen it in the neighborhood (after we closed and drove around) - so it USED to be offered.
If we're ever bored, with $10K to spend, we'll remodel and add it. Because I think having a covered front porch is nice (so people don't stand in the rain).
Also - keep in mind with a side facing attached garage (that's how my house is) - most people never use their front door, let alone their front porch.
Even the fedex guys leave stuff at my garage rather than front door.
We have a conrete bench (decorative) on our porch, and sometimes put flowers on it. It looks nice, but I wouldn't sit on the porch and stare at my unfriendly neighbors.
And everyone who has covered porches in my neighborhood - I've never seen anyone sitting out on them. Some have the "full" porches -- the entire width of the front of the house. No one sits on them. They get decorated for Xmas and Halloween, and that's it.
So -there's no "wrong" answer. What do you like? And if you had a full porch - would you use it?
(we have a patio in the back, we use that all the time).
I have a two story Cape with a front porch that extends across the front of the house, and there is no room above it so I don't worry about lack of insulation upstairs. It is fully screened and I spend many a Summer evening out there with my Kindle. If there is any breeze at all, I'm gettin' it!!
I have a second floor porch which is off the rear bedroom. Door open, window open, ceiling fan on low and Summer is quite comfortable for sleeping. This porch is not screened, so I don't spend a lot of time out there, just sometimes when there is a Summer shower, it's nice.
There is a small first floor rear porch which is where I keep the recycle bin, garden implements in Summer and snow shovel in Winter. Also where the pulley line begins for hanging clothes.
Everyone has an opinion and I'm of the opinion that the little concrete slabs with overhang at the front door do not qualify as porches.
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ANd of course the brick front will improve the look.
