Summer Home Improvement Projects--Sunrooms and Porches

Many people have dreams about how to improve their homes but they have procrastinated because of money problems or just because it seems to be such a daunting job. As a retired real estate agent I can promise you that some things will really payoff much better than others. Most people are aware that remodeling a kitchen or bath is at the top of the list as far as eventually recouping your money. But there are some more jobs that will really add to the actual enjoyment of a home while enhancing its appearance. I'm talking about adding a sunroom or screened porch.

Adding a porch makes a lot of difference in the lifestyles of the family. I know because I grew up spending most of my summers and practically all of the spring and fall out on our family's huge screened back porch. We ate cookouts and barbecues in chairs on the porch. My siblings and I played jacks, cards and Monopoly there. I took naps on our large hanging swing under the cool breeze of a ceiling fan. When I showed houses as an agent, people almost always reacted with delight when they saw a screened porch on them. Almost as much delight was expressed when people went through a beautiful sunroom. A sunroom is like a transition between outdoors and inside, only it's a year-round place to spend time enjoying as much sun and brightness as possible. With Americans spending a lot more time at home, these are very popular additions. It's estimated that about half a million Americans are adding sunrooms to their homes each year.