The housing market is amidst a revolution and some homeowners are now shying away from the high dollar interior components such as granite, expensive fixtures, and designer flooring and focusing more on expanding their outdoor living space. This upgrade not only is less expensive than adding on a traditional room, but it can also greatly enhance the curb appeal of a home and provides a continuum between the home and yard. No longer are the home and yard two separate entities as the proper outdoor living space can allow you to bring the outside in and the inside out allowing home owners to get the utmost enjoyment out of their homes and land.
Porches have been a long favorite, especially of Southern design. Perhaps the most impressive is the wrap-around porch- while the design is simplest, the functionally, elegance, and curb appeal is second to none. A classic example can be seen in this home shown below http://www.5909braelinn.com/ currently listed for $244,875 in Fountain City, a sub-area of Knoxville, TN, located just 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville but appears to be just out of the book "Gone with the Wind".
Screened in porches are also another great way to enjoy the great outdoors with the annoying interference of our 6 and 8 legged friends (or in the case of some, foes).
Outdoor Living Space does not have to be a physical structure, perhaps it is a relaxing and majestic hide-away perfect for reading a good book, or writing poems in a relaxing Zen-like rose garden like this listing of mine at www.12115CouchMill.com for $739,875 (includes 6 acres (horses allowed) and an appointed home).
This particular (names Grey Havens by the current owners) is designed off the Southern Living Building Plans "Porches with a flair" and boast, not one, not two, but three covered porches all surrounded by beautiful landscaping which provides ultimate privacy and beautiful landscape. See more at www.12115CouchMill.com.
So why is Outdoor Living Space Important? Well, it is no secret that outdoor living spaces look nice, but they also provide the ideal place to relax and get in touch with nature (even if it is via a semi-permeable screen) and 89% of homeowners said that the reason that they added onto a home was to have a room or place to relax. Due to the lower building costs PLUS inclusion of your entire property (not just the inside) outdoor living space have a high return of value, porches, decks, and screened in porches have been know to return profit almost dollar to dollar (85%-100% return-project dependent).
Christine McInerney and Jennifer Halinkowski - Knoxville TN Real Estate - Keller Williams Realty Knoxville Copyright © 2009
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