For many Americans, the front porch is an integral part of everyday life. In the warm summer months, we sit on our front porches, sip iced tea, and rock back and forth in oversized rocking chairs. In the colder months, it’s a place to get under cover and shake the snow off your boots before going inside. In every season, those of us with porches spend a lot of time on them.
There are different types of porches, each of them with its own unique appeal and design. Some porches are closed, others open. Some have roofs, others do not. Regardless of the type of porch, there are many porches that could use a bit of maintenance. Maybe your porch is weathered and grey, or maybe its roof is falling through, with missing shingles and bowed trusses. If this is the case, you should ask yourself one question: is it time for a remodel?
If your porch is in bad repair, it’s only logical that you make some repairs to ensure that it remains structurally sound for as long as the home it’s attached to does the same. But what if you’re strapped for cash? If you’re on a limited budget, the prospect of remodeling your porch may seem impossible. But is it?
A budget-friendly porch remodel
So. Your porch is in need of a remodel, but you don’t have the cash to pay someone to do it. Contractors are expensive, and materials just as much so. If you’re going to remodel your front porch, you’re going to need to take matters into your own hands. So how are you going to go about this task without emptying your wallet in the process? Let’s find out!
Come up with a plan
If you’re going to remodel your porch on a budget, your first step should be figuring out what you want from your newly remodeled porch. Is this going to be a cosmetic remodel, or a functional one? How much of your limited budget are you willing to spend on these additions and modifications to your porch?
The decision you make will depend on you, your budget, your preferences, and your skills as a worker. Have you ever done any construction work, or will this be your first time? What style of porch do you want to evoke in your newly remodeled porch? If you’re going to be remodeling your porch, you’ll have to figure out the answers to all of these questions before you begin.
Start small
Once you’ve figured out what you want from your front porch remodel, you’ll need to start drawing up plans for your remodel. If you know the scope and scale of your remodel beforehand, you can begin buying the materials for your remodel, but before you do that, we must stop you and offer a quick word of advice.
Whether this is your first remodel or your tenth, it’s always a good idea to start small and work your way up to more comprehensive remodeling endeavors. Instead of replacing the entire roof, start by simply patching the weak spots. Instead of completely changing the color and finish of the floor and banisters, try retouching what’s already there.
Of course, if you have experience in construction, you could always start with a more far-reaching plan of action, but we’d advise caution in this situation. If you overestimate your abilities and compromise the structural integrity of your porch, you’ll have to call a contractor to fix the damage, which can be more expensive than if you had done it that way in the first place.
Refurnishing vs remodeling
Now that that’s out of the way, you’ve got to make an important decision: are you going to be refurnishing your porch or remodeling it? Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but which you choose will depend on what you want from your dream porch. Now let’s look at some of those advantages and disadvantages!
When it comes to refurnishing your porch, it’s as simple as buying new furnishings and installing them on your porch. In your case, this could mean anything from new chairs to new lighting or even floor coverings such as carpets or rugs. The options are virtually endless, and most won’t set you back much money at all.
Then there’s a remodel. This will be more resource-intensive, and it will take longer. It might mean tearing off the roofing materials and replacing them, or it might mean stripping the varnish or paint off the floorboards and refinishing them as you see fit. While this all might seem a bit challenging, there are a wide variety of free-to-use materials available online that will walk you through the process of your desired remodel with clear and simple instructions.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Remodeling your porch can be challenging, but with some hard work and careful planning, you can do it at virtually no cost at all. There is an all but endless variety of options available when it comes to ways in which you can go about remodeling your porch, but which you choose is up to you.
If you’d rather start from scratch with a new home and a new porch, you might want to find a real estate agent in your area and see what’s on the market. If you’re looking for the perfect porch, this is a great way to find it. So what are you waiting for? Go out there and find a home with your dream porch!
