Tips for investing in a screened-in porch

If you’re considering adding a screened-in porch to your home, you’ve got plenty of things to think about before you pull the trigger. But at the end of the day, you’re going to want to get the best bang for your buck. 

No, that doesn’t mean ‘pay as little as possible’ – because, well that’s never good. But, we’re talking about return on investment, here. Ways you can feel like you got the best possible outcome for the price you paid. Here are a few tips to help you find value with your new addition. Let’s jump right in!

Consider the economics of it

Let’s say you decide to drop $35,000 on a new porch that’s nice-ish. It’ll have a few bells and whistles like standard pressure-treated materials, etc. You’ll get a lot out of it, but you’ll see roughly 75% of the value of that investment when all is said and done. If you go fancy and at the same size with nicer materials at say – $50,000 – you’ll probably only see about 50% return on investment – possibly lower. 

Try to keep that in mind as you make your decision. 

Size matters

What matters most is the usable space you have to work with relative to the actual space you’ll work with. And always remember – extra space is always more meaningful than a special feature. A special feature to you might be gaudy to someone else. Whereas more area allows you (and whomever else gets the house eventually) more flexibility to do more things. The larger the area, the more valuable your property becomes.

Skip the electrical

If people waste money in any area of a screened-in porch – it’s interior lighting. People will go with low voltage, recessed lights and even sconce lighting. That’s just going to drive up the cost of the porch without measurably increasing the value of your home. It’s not a good combo. Simple outlets will work just fine – if you even need that. But don’t go crazy on the electrical if you don’t need to.

Consider your location

Look, if you’re adding a porch in a place where the weather is always nice and you can enjoy something like that year-round, then a screened-in porch is a great investment. If it’s cold and most of the months are dreary, well – probably not so much. Remember it is your home, but someday, you’ll be selling it to someone. Just because it makes sense to you, doesn’t mean it will to someone else!

Always go pressure-treated

While you don’t need to go high-end on anything necessarily, always spend a little bit extra for pressure-treated materials. That way, you can extend the lifespan of your porch and get the most out of it for 20 to 30 years. You’ll also spend significantly less on maintenance as well, so in the long term, it’ll be worth the few extra dollars up front. 

Screened-in porches are a great addition to your home, particularly in buggy place like we have here in the Tampa Bay area! If you’re considering an addition to your mobile home or have questions about the process, feel free to shoot us a call and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free consultation and walk you through your options. Good luck!