When we speak of added living space, and we frequently do, we don’t mean to leave out any place in or around your home. Even though winter seems to have set in for the duration, your front porch could still be a place that conjures up visions of a cosy spot for casual conversation or a quiet place to read. Unless your porch is very small, and even if it is, you can still take advantage styling the space to be a useful one. Even in winter, your porch still acts as the introduction to your house, so you want it to present prospective buyers with a gracious smile and a warm welcome.
Don’t Clutter
Before you read on, don’t imagine that we are advocating the cluttering up of your entry. We simply want you to be aware that there is almost always space in and around the entry to generate the feeling of hospitality. If your porch is the size of a postage stamp, you can still give it style and charm without overloading it. It’s simply a matter of using what space you have to its best advantage.
Start with the Door
Discuss the door with your house stylist and decide upon a new, bold paint colour that will fit in with the rest of your home’s exterior colour scheme. Once painted, hang a new door knocker and bold new house numbers to help passersby identify your home. Chances are, the ‘For Sale’ sign in your front yard will generate some interest – make that first impression a sensational one.
Steps to Steps
The winter drabs and doldrums have no place in your home’s entry way. Even the smallest porch can accommodate a colourful wreath or an urn or two featuring wintertime ever-greenery. The steps leading up to your porch are an ideal place to display potted plants like chrysanthemums or even pansies. The splashes of colour you provide at the entry will warm the hearts of potential buyers and bid them welcome to your home.
Is There Room to Sit?
If your home is blessed with a commodious porch, by all means use it. Any added living space is a big bonus where buyers are concerned. If you can find the space for a small seating area, make it happen. Whether it’s a pair of primitive rocking chairs or a more cushy style of outdoor furniture, make sure to beckon your buyers to take a break from their busy lives and sit a bit.
If you do have space for a small seating area, use the advantage styling it just as you would any other living area in your home. Don’t forget an outdoor rug and throw pillows to make the space extra welcoming. (Do be practical. Don’t place anything here that might be harmed by weather or that is so valuable that, if lost, will cause you great grief.)
Upgrade
Some front porches want more privacy if they are to be used as extra living space. These can benefit from a project to provide a screen between you and the world. A lattice “wall” or trellis can provide privacy and added quiet. Ask your local garden experts about what to plant there. Beautiful flowering vines like bougainvillea or a simple ivy will (in time) increase the visual insulation and noise buffer provided. Blinds and netting can also be used to give your new outdoor room a little extra seclusion.
Use Vertical Space
Whether or not you are able to create a seating space on your porch, do consider adding a few hanging plants or ferns to make the entry space look more welcoming. There is nothing like a bit of greenery to add sophistication and graciousness to any room and by hanging plants from the eaves, you give your porch more dimension, making it look larger.
Using your front porch to its best advantage is a step often forgotten by those who attempt to stage their homes without professional help. The entry is, of course, an important utilitarian part of your home, but there is no reason on earth it cannot also be a beautiful addition to the total hospitality your home offers to prospective buyers. All in all, taking full advantage styling every possible living space within or around your home will pay off in the long run.
