Cost to Turn a Porch Into a Sunroom or Enclose it

One way to increase the value of your property and make it a more valuable investment for the future is making improvements on your home. The major attractions to prospective home buyers are curb appeal and spacious backyards, and upgrading the porch to become a sunroom or enclosing it will increase the value of the house. But which route gives the best bang for the investment, and which will pay off more in the long run? Herewith some choices and comparison on turning the porch into added value to the house.

Enclosed Porches

A sunroom is basically a high-caliber enclosed porch, whereas in this case you can still turn the open porch into an enclosed setting and create an additional space that doesn’t rely on the weather. You can get away with doing most, depending on how elaborate you want to make the enclosed porch, if not all, the labor yourself. There’s no need to fix any slope, to add plumbing or to create walls with drywall and paint because you are not turning the porch into a living addition.

If you plan on putting in lights, which can be a functional addition, you may have some electrician work. Again, you may have to apply for a building permit, and once more, for exact regulations check with the city’s building department. One of the most inexpensive routes to enclosing the porch is screening it. For this, you can acquire large rolls of the screen at home improvement stores. Staple these to the existing openings and then secure pieces of trim over the edges.

Sunrooms

In addition to increasing the value of the house home, turning a porch into a sunroom adds living space and square footage to the property. However, there are several steps required to take to make sure the sunroom is properly constructed. Depending on the area and location you live in, the application for a building permit is required. Contact the local building department to find out if this stipulation is mandated in the respected area. If any lights addition, an electrical permit is needed, and if plumbing is added for an extra air conditioning unit that will most likely require a specific permit as well. In this situation, hire someone to determine if the foundation is sound enough to serve as a living area and to check the viability of the roof and gutters is required. Because sunrooms by definition have several windows, making sure rainwater is diverted away from the house is needed.

Cost Analysis

Most of your budget is going to be spent on windows with a sunroom. According to the website constructionmaterials.com, Dependent on the size and quality of windows, costs vary and are wide. and you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per opening. This is not usually a DIY project that can be undertaken solely by homeowners because sunrooms adjoin to existing structures and involve several aspects of construction, including plumbing and electrical work, The average cost of converting a sunroom, including the poured slab, post and beam construction, and the creation of a four-season room, according to fixr.com, is around $72,000 or $360 per square foot. This estimation includes an average of $70 per hour for carpentry work and $65 to $85 an hour for electrician work. Additionally, painters charge between $25 and $35 per hour. Enclosing a porch is costs far less than going for a sunroom. Costs can depend widely depending on what kind of enclosed porch you want. Screened porches are the most inexpensive and require the least work. Costs go up from there, with an addition of doors, windows or more substantial coverings, and any framing work. The same carpentry, electrician and painting labor estimates apply in this scenario as they do with sunrooms.

According to fixr.com, sunrooms will hold around a 72 percent return in resale value. Enclosed porches can also retain their value, especially if it will be the do-it-yourself project. The major difference between the two is the benefit of putting some sweat equity into the project and saving some money in the short run. It’s debatable whether a sunroom is more valuable in the long run than an enclosed porch, but sunrooms add living space that can actually be counted as extra square feet. However, it’s possible to over-improve the house and price yourself out of the market. It is advisable to conduct the research and analyze the costs, the value of the construction in the long run, and the family’s needs.