by Renee Robinson

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: May 12, 2008

Porch Pleasures

Finally, spring is here. The chirping of the birds in the garden, the buzz of the bees, all the melodic sounds of a garden risen. What a beautiful time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Let the smells, sights, and sounds of spring awakening delight your home by bringing the outdoors in with a screened porch addition.

We Southerners love our porches for entertaining. Here, and anywhere else you can enjoy three seasons outdoors, a screened porch is a great place to sit and enjoy a quiet, bug free night outdoors sipping iced teas and talking the evening away with your friends. They are a fantastic place for the adults to catch up with one another as the children frolic in the yard. The ceiling fans gently stirring the air and creating a much needed summer breeze. They are also a great place to snuggle up with a good book and an afghan during a gentle rainstorm. Our children love to eat their meals on the screened porch it has the benefits of being outdoors without the harsh sunlight or the mosquitoes.

The addition of a screened porch is not only a wonderful way to incorporate outdoor living space into your home, but it is also a sound investment. In my experience as a Realtor, I have found that resale homes with a screened porch typically sell at a faster pace than those with just a standard deck. A screened porch in many areas of the country, and particularly in the South rates high on the wish list of potential buyers, typically in the top three options that most buyers appreciate in a resale or new home. Buyers love being able to come into a home and see it at a finished product, one they can simply move into and enjoy, sans work.

Screened porches can be truly an extension of our homes, and reflective of our individual style. Some people choose to add a screened porch to a smaller home and use it as their den area, adding televisions and other media equipment. Others see it as a great dining addition, or a place to entertain guests. Still others use it as a great place to add a cozy day bed or futon for the ultimate midsummer nights' dream. Whichever you choose to use it for, a quality built porch is a fantastic extension of your home, and yourself that you will enjoy for as long as you own your home.

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