A full front Porch vs No Porch (ceiling, master bedroom, insulation)

[gal83]

We have one last concern about the house we are buying. As some of you may know, selecting an elevation can be very tricky and an expensive affair. We are in a similar boat. Keeping in mind our budget, we have cut down to two different types of elevations which come with two different types of front porches.

One elevation has a full porch but aesthetically is not that attractive, gives a cottage house feel. Second elevation has no porch as such but has a small covered arch with pillars on the doorway. You can say a very little porch. Aesthetically this one looks appealing.

Could you please share your views about having a porch vs non porch and uses of each??

[Chango]

I like porches... though they've gotta be real porches, not the 3 foot wide tack-on fake porches that plague new houses these days. It's gotta be in the right direction to catch a breeze, provide shade from the sun in the summer and have lots of sun in the winter (something lost to modern construction but almost always true on old houses from the heyday of the porch!), be aesthetically pleasing and feel like a great place to spend time on. Really, a good porch is like an outdoor room and should be treated as such.

I use my porch all the time in the warmer months; we have a big porch swing that I like to lay on, catch the breeze, read and even just listen to the birds. I love it!

So my advice is do a porch right, or don't do it at all! If doesn't look "right" and it doesn't seem like an appealing place to while away a summer afternoon, don't bother with it.

[Pitt Chick]

We LOVE our porch!
We just put out the wicker chairs/side table for the summer, and we USE it!

[MrRational]

real porches leave the underside of rooms (often several rooms) without any insulation benefit of tempered space below them. If the house is oriented well overall with those porches placed well in the overall design plan...

yeah, I like porches. a lot.

[Ohiogirl81]

What Chango said. I wouldn't have a house without a front porch. I use mine almost every day, 12 months out of the year.

[Trackwatch]

Originally Posted by MrRational

real porches leave the underside of rooms (often several rooms) without any insulation benefit of tempered space below them. If the house is oriented well overall with those porches placed well in the overall design plan...

yeah, I like porches. a lot.

?? REAL porches have NO living space above them to worry about.

We don't have a porch now but would prefer if there was one.

[Zenstyle]

Perhaps the elevation with the porch can be altered somewhat to make it more attractive. Really, front porches are making a comeback; it's great to see families enjoying their porches in the summer evenings. Front porches also add a feeling of community to the neighborhood.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Is this house you're considering in NC?
As much as a porch "can" be used- here in the south, no so much. It gets too friggin' hot!

[fallingwater]

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.

[Sherifftruman]

I also love porches. Personally I usually prefer even a fake porch to a flush or even slightly recessed entry, but it would depend on the elevation. And you can definitely use a porch in NC most of the year. Sure there will be days it's too hot, but having a ceiling fan can help and at least we have plenty of days it's not that bad.

Here is our porch. The upstairs one is right off the master bedroom. Most of it is 6 feel deep and one part is 10 feet. Faces due east so after 11:00 AM on the worst days it's in shade.