Adding a sunroom to your home probably wasn’t a small decision. Any construction – especially some sort of addition – is a disruption. The payoff for some projects, like making a kitchen or bathroom more functional or finishing a basement to gain that extra bedroom, is likely obvious. But was adding a sunroom worth the expense and inconvenience?
What is a Sunroom?
The basic definition is a room with a lot of windows! There are variations on this theme. It can be a screened room, often called a screened-in porch. A three-season sunroom has glass windows but is uninsulated, or at the very least, unheated. A four-season sunroom is insulated and heated, making it comfortable year-round. A solarium is a sunroom with glass walls and ceiling and may or may not have a heating and/or cooling system.
Benefits of a Sunroom
It Increases the Value of Your Home
On average, the return on investment (ROI) for adding a sunroom is about 60% of the cost. So yes, there is a financial benefit to adding a sunroom.
ROI is About More Than Dollars
The true ROI for adding a sunroom is in the increased enjoyment of the home. Additional square footage is always a bonus. Sunrooms can be the home office you’ve been looking to add, a dining room, family room or the kid’s playroom. It can be any one or a combination of them! This additional square footage brings the outside in, allowing you to enjoy your backyard all year in a four-season sunroom. Depending on the climate, a three-season sunroom extends that ability into the shoulder seasons. Even a screened porch enhances enjoyment – you can be outdoors bug-free and out of the weather.
Entertaining takes on a new dimension when you can relax with guests in the almost outdoors. Take in the view, perhaps watch the sunset or just enjoy the connection to nature.
There are proven health benefits to having a connection to nature. For a variety of reasons, it may not be possible, or comfortable, to actually be outside. By definition, a sunroom is light-filled. While it’s not possible to absorb vitamin D through windows, it is possible to have an increase in serotonin – the feel-good hormone – seated close to a window. Not only does it elevate your mood during the day, it also helps you sleep at night.
The connection to nature is further enhanced with the addition of plants. There are so many easy-care houseplants that thrive in all the natural light. For many, tending plants, like gardening outdoors, is a meditative and healing activity.
What Would You Add to this List?
These are just a few of the benefits of a sunroom. Everyone experiences spaces like this differently. How would you answer the question: has adding a sunroom increased your quality of life?