Building a porch for your home is a beautiful way to enhance your home’s value. Surprisingly versatile, porches provide many attractive features at an affordable cost. They can also dress up the front of your home, particularly if the front is flat and without notable features.

Here are four reasons to consider beautifying your home by building a porch:

1. Building a Porch Saves Money

If you’re looking for a little more space in which to live, a porch is an affordable solution which incurs only a fraction of the cost of a room addition. Porches don’t need foundations, drywall, carpeting, tile, plumbing, insulation, or heating ducts, for example, all things you’ll need for a new room.

Also, most porches don’t count as living space as far as property taxes are concerned. They don’t expand your square footage. Thus, your taxes won’t increase when you build a porch, unlike adding an addition. However, it will improve the value of your home if you choose to sell it.

2.Building a Porch Creates Furnishable Space

While a porch isn’t going to take the place of a bathroom or bedroom, it is a place which can be furnished with items such as tables and chairs.

The degree of furnishings depends on the specific type of porch. An open porch will require items that can be exposed to the elements, even though the porch roof will provide considerable protection. There’s a wide variety of options on the market that can offer comfort and elegance.

An enclosed porch with glass windows allows you to move whatever you like into the space. Besides using whatever chairs and tables you choose, you could also include bookshelves, toys and even electronic items such as stereos.

3. Building a Porch Allows You to Enjoy the Outdoors

Porches allow you to enjoy the outdoors without leaving you at the mercy of it. The roof shields you from the sun, substantially lowering the temperature on even the hottest days. It also protects you from rain, although high winds can push it into your porch. Whether the porch is open or enclosed, you can enjoy fresh air and sunlight on most days for three out of four seasons.

4. Building a Porch Helps Protect Approaching Guests

Most porches include the front door of the house. Building a porch allows arriving guests to seek shelter from inclement weather while they wait for you to answer the door. Not only does it save them discomfort, but you also lessen the chance of people tracking water in when they enter.