S/O: 3 season/4 season room additions (and house update)

[DawnM]

Well, we looked at 4 houses today.   Two were repeats.   Two were new searches.

We think we may have a house to put an offer on!

We want to look at adding a sunroom/season room/Carolina room on the back.   Online it says expect to pay anywhere from $80-$300 sq. ft.   That is a HUGE range and I am sure there are many factors that go into that large of a range.

Has anyone had one put in?  What was your cost per Sq. Ft?   Does that include the concrete pad out back or did you already have that before you put it in?

This is #3 on our priority list of large things the house needs, but I want to price it out and have the cost planned out.

If it is $200-$250 per Sq. Ft. I think we could add a regular room for that price.   I thought it would be cheaper than a reg. room, but maybe not.

[HomeAgain]

We have considered it, but we won't be doing it anytime soon.  The construction frenzy that started during the pandemic is only just starting to slow down.  So many people did home improvements, had additions built, put up fences to make play yards...the cost of materials skyrocketed.  Even now, projects are still months behind.

If you do insist on doing it now, I'd definitely say to get a couple of quotes in writing. That way you know everything they're considering and what materials might look like.

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

We have considered it, but we won't be doing it anytime soon.  The construction frenzy that started during the pandemic is only just starting to slow down.  So many people did home improvements, had additions built, put up fences to make play yards...the cost of materials skyrocketed.  Even now, projects are still months behind.

If you do insist on doing it now, I'd definitely say to get a couple of quotes in writing. That way you know everything they're considering and what materials might look like.

We will get quotes but I am trying to figure out a rough estimate of all repairs/additions before we buy so we don't walk into an overpriced house once you add the improvements.

[Faith-manor]

Google says $10,000-40,000 with $25,000 being average. So maybe start at the high end of the improvements just to make sure you have room for surprises.

[DawnM]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

Google says $10,000-40,000 with $25,000 being average. So maybe start at the high end of the improvements just to make sure you have room for surprises.

hmmmm, my google search showed much higher.   I honestly think it is going to be a min. of $50k, prob more.

And that was for a 4 season room?   3 season?   screened in porch?

[Annie G]

Depending on what you mean by a 3 season room, it might not be cheaper than adding a regular room. Windows are pricey and they still have to do framing.  If you don’t have ac/heat run to it I suppose you save the expense for ductwork or the cost of a mini split. But many of the components are the same whether it’s a sunroom or a regular room- roof, doors, flooring, electrical, etc. 
 

[itsheresomewhere]

So my neighbor put one in for 12k 15 years ago.  Hers was on top of a concrete porch.  She added heat, hot/cold water for a sink, a ceiling fan and had them put in a drain as this room is her plant room.  Hers is lovely with all the glass windows/ceiling and so cozy when it is snowing. 

[DawnM]

11 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

So my neighbor put one in for 12k 15 years ago.  Hers was on top of a concrete porch.  She added heat, hot/cold water for a sink, a ceiling fan and had them put in a drain as this room is her plant room.  Hers is lovely with all the glass windows/ceiling and so cozy when it is snowing. 

Thanks.   Do you remember aprox size?

[Faith-manor]

34 minutes ago, DawnM said:

hmmmm, my google search showed much higher.   I honestly think it is going to be a min. of $50k, prob more.

And that was for a 4 season room?   3 season?   screened in porch?

3 season Michigan room. Probably screen on the lower end and glass on the upper end,  but very simple design, and maybe only 10x10. 

[Faith-manor]

14 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Depending on what you mean by a 3 season room, it might not be cheaper than adding a regular room. Windows are pricey and they still have to do framing.  If you don’t have ac/heat run to it I suppose you save the expense for ductwork or the cost of a mini split. But many of the components are the same whether it’s a sunroom or a regular room- roof, doors, flooring, electrical, etc. 
 

This is true. The other thing is that there are ways to make a four season room that is actually a greenhouse and ducting moves the heat from that room into the rest of the house which is a great heating offset. But that only works if the room faces south as a general rule and is not shaded. I have always wanted one so I could grow cherry tomatoes, salad greens, peas, and carrots all winter.

[DawnM]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

3 season Michigan room. Probably screen on the lower end and glass on the upper end,  but very simple design, and maybe only 10x10. 

Oh, I am looking at a real room, enclosed, no screen, not so simple of a design.

[Melissa in Australia]

4 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

This is true. The other thing is that there are ways to make a four season room that is actually a greenhouse and ducting moves the heat from that room into the rest of the house which is a great heating offset. But that only works if the room faces south as a general rule and is not shaded. I have always wanted one so I could grow cherry tomatoes, salad greens, peas, and carrots all winter.

A conservatory? 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

Oh, I am looking at a real room, enclosed, no screen, not so simple of a design.

Okay, gotcha. So not what we call a 3 season room which is "porch for watching wildlife and yelling at grandkids while safe from mosquito assault legions". 😂

[Lecka]

I might be stating the obvious but I think you are looking for living space.

A lot of people use these rooms to store their outdoor potted plants over the winter.

So a lot of people are looking at windows, concrete or tile floor, etc, for that reason.

Here people will add plastic sheeting and/or a space heater sometimes depending on the situation.

And they are often very nice sitting areas that are used as sitting areas or “places to drink coffee” but they are often not totally living spaces like I think you are wanting.  
 

Because people aren’t putting in a couch or tv or whatever if the room is going to have a lot of plants in it over the winter.  

[DawnM]

Similar to this.  There are 100s of diff. ones out there, but here is what I am referring to.

The website I got this from says $150-$300 per sq. ft. which is a big range, but some of them have custom wood ceilings, etc....so I can see why they are saying there is a large range.

[DawnM]

4 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I might be stating the obvious but I think you are looking for living space.

A lot of people use these rooms to store their outdoor potted plants over the winter.

So a lot of people are looking at windows, concrete or tile floor, etc, for that reason.

Here people will add plastic sheeting and/or a space heater sometimes depending on the situation.

And they are often very nice sitting areas that are used as sitting areas or “places to drink coffee” but they are often not totally living spaces like I think you are wanting.  
 

Because people aren’t putting in a couch or tv or whatever if the room is going to have a lot of plants in it over the winter.  

Yes, I added a photo for reference, I am def. looking for living space.   

My aunt had one in California that went the entire length of the back of the house and she had a table and chairs out there, a large sectional  and TV area, and there was still room for plants.   She LIVED in that room.

[Faith-manor]

Meet in the middle and budget $225 per sq ft and then don't be tempted to get fancy? Just spitballing. 

[Faith-manor]

9 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

A conservatory? 

Basically, but often the foundation of the garden beds are dug deep into the ground and earth tubes used to make sure the soil remains quite warm even in the worst of weather and windchills. The design sometimes even includes a small root cellar. They are really cool green spaces.

[itsheresomewhere]

24 minutes ago, DawnM said:

Thanks.   Do you remember aprox size?

I think it is 12x18 with the high part of the ceiling to blend in with the house design is 12.   It is big enough to have multiple plants, a nice table with 4 chairs and plenty of counter space and a sink. 

[Lecka]

Okay, I have seen one like that on vacation.  That is beautiful.  I have seen it more to show off a view I think.  
 

Here I think there is more priority on having a fully outside patio or deck. 
 

I’m curious if this room would kind-of replace an outdoor area, or if there would be both, or if they would be on different sides of the house.  
 

If you were going to have major access to the outside through this room, I would be concerned with having some way to avoid tracking in dirt.  A walk way or something.  Not an issue if it opens onto a patio or a deck or something.  
 

If so I would add money for that.  

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lecka

[Lecka]

I also think your lot might make a big difference for the view.  There are a lot of views that would be beautiful, but you might be looking at a certain facing for the best view and exposure.  
 

Then I think if you would be likely to add something like this, you could look more at your lot views even if they didn’t already have the house features you want.

 

I think it’s a good idea.  
 

But I think it could be “eh” with a “nothing special” view or without beautiful landscaping or a beautiful yard etc.  

Edit:  but I definitely associate these rooms (when they are larger) with a view, maybe it’s not necessary.  I think of these as looking over a lake, a forest, a mountain, or something like that.  

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lecka

[cjzimmer1]

We replaced a raised deck (6 feet off the ground) with a 4 season/sunroom.  It was more than $300 a square foot.  It was built in 2021 so at the absolute peak of prices but we had no choice as the railings were falling off the deck, the boards were rotting through and we have a very rambunctious little boy who came so close to breaking through the railings.  It was a safety hazard and so we paid the price.  Even though I'm sure we overpaid for it, I don't regret it for a second.  Every day I go out in that room and it makes me smile.  I can watch the dogs in the yard without having to deal with cold, snow, hot or bugs.  Last fourth of July I watched fireworks from 7 surrounding communities with not a single mosquito bite!

We ran the heat and a/c from our main unit out to the room.  Unfortunately, it's not quite enough for either so we do have to supplement both heat and a/c to keep the room comfortable when we are at the extreme temps. 

Anyways, I don't have floor to ceiling windows as they don't meet code for a raised deck.  I'm sure they would have raised the price as windows are pricey.  We also didn't have to pour a concrete pad.  I had considered pouring concrete and enclosing the space under (with matching siding to the house) for an outdoor storage but concrete is expensive and I was quoted 20K for the project of the storage area so we just left it open.

[Wheres Toto]

Your picture is a pretty fancy one and not that different from a "real" room.

When we priced them out, we were looking at a very basic room, regular sheetrock/insulation/siding on the bottom half, windows on the top half, no new electrical hookups (there's already electricity outside where we'd put it), concrete slab with vinyl plank flooring, no ductwork, 22 x 10 feet IIRC.    Our estimates were $20,000 to $30,000.    

[DawnM]

5 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

We replaced a raised deck (6 feet off the ground) with a 4 season/sunroom.  It was more than $300 a square foot.  It was built in 2021 so at the absolute peak of prices but we had no choice as the railings were falling off the deck, the boards were rotting through and we have a very rambunctious little boy who came so close to breaking through the railings.  It was a safety hazard and so we paid the price.  Even though I'm sure we overpaid for it, I don't regret it for a second.  Every day I go out in that room and it makes me smile.  I can watch the dogs in the yard without having to deal with cold, snow, hot or bugs.  Last fourth of July I watched fireworks from 7 surrounding communities with not a single mosquito bite!

We ran the heat and a/c from our main unit out to the room.  Unfortunately, it's not quite enough for either so we do have to supplement both heat and a/c to keep the room comfortable when we are at the extreme temps. 

Anyways, I don't have floor to ceiling windows as they don't meet code for a raised deck.  I'm sure they would have raised the price as windows are pricey.  We also didn't have to pour a concrete pad.  I had considered pouring concrete and enclosing the space under (with matching siding to the house) for an outdoor storage but concrete is expensive and I was quoted 20K for the project of the storage area so we just left it open.

Oh dear, well, if it runs that high we may look at alternatives.     

That's ok, I woke up at 4am stressing about all of it and thought that if the 4 season room is too costly per sq. ft. we could just get the contractor out there, he can do it for $250/sq. ft. or less.   We are planning to use him for another project anyway, so may as well get him to price it out.

5 hours ago, Wheres Toto said:

Your picture is a pretty fancy one and not that different from a "real" room.

When we priced them out, we were looking at a very basic room, regular sheetrock/insulation/siding on the bottom half, windows on the top half, no new electrical hookups (there's already electricity outside where we'd put it), concrete slab with vinyl plank flooring, no ductwork, 22 x 10 feet IIRC.    Our estimates were $20,000 to $30,000.    

Gotcha.   That is around $150/sq. ft. which is a decent price point.

We are going back to the house today to take some measurements for some projects we plan to do should we purchase this home.

[Pawz4me]

We have a room similar to that, except our windows stop about three feet from the ground and ours has vertical blinds all around. But it was here when we bought the house, so I have no idea how much it cost. I know the people who had it built had to do some moving of septic lines or maybe even the tank, I'm not exactly sure. Anyway, if the house you're looking at is on a septic system that's something to think about because it's definitely going to add to the cost substantially.

[DawnM]

16 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

We have a room similar to that, except our windows stop about three feet from the ground and ours has vertical blinds all around. But it was here when we bought the house, so I have no idea how much it cost. I know the people who had it built had to do some moving of septic lines or maybe even the tank, I'm not exactly sure. Anyway, if the house you're looking at is on a septic system that's something to think about because it's definitely going to add to the cost substantially.

It does, but thankfully, we know where that is located and it shouldn't be an issue.

We are heading out today to measure some things and DH wants to see where the HVAC is, water lines, etc....for the addition.

[Lecka]

We do have 4 season/sunrooms here… they are very nice rooms with full utilities, totally open to the rest of the house.  
 

Here I have been in more of “covered patio” styles where people want to be able to raise the windows and open a sliding glass door or something, while the AC is running in the rest of the house.  So there’s a door between this room and the rest of the house, it’s not open.  
 

The 4-season/sun rooms here are regular rooms, fully insulated, full utilities, siding matches the rest of the house, roof matches the rest of the house, etc.  They are fully open to the rest of the house.  
 

I have never been in one that did not have window treatments.  
 

I have been in ones with beautiful windows.  
 

I have been in places with huge windows and no window treatments, that have that look, and are intended for morning and evening use, and nobody cares if they are overly sunny in the afternoon.  This probably depends on the sun exposure, too.  A lot of places would have a breeze for a lot of the year, too, in the morning and evening — which can make it more attractive to open windows etc.  

 

If there would be full utilities attached to the house — that stuff gets to be a non-issue, I think.

 

 

 

[DawnM]

UGH, by the time we do renovations, this house may put us above what people will pay for the area.

We are hesitating.

[BlsdMama]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

UGH, by the time we do renovations, this house may put us above what people will pay for the area.

We are hesitating.

I know I missed the reason you’re selling. A thought might be to revamp your current house?

[DawnM]

25 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

I know I missed the reason you’re selling. A thought might be to revamp your current house?

It isn't about revamping, we were trying to get a less expensive house so we could be debt free.   

[Annie G]

2 hours ago, DawnM said:

UGH, by the time we do renovations, this house may put us above what people will pay for the area.

We are hesitating.

If the plan is to stay in the house until A finishes school, it might not matter. You’d be putting money into a house that you plan to live in for a long time, and making it just right for your situation might be more important than worrying about resale.  
But I do understand hesitating on such a big decision. 

[DawnM]

41 minutes ago, Annie G said:

If the plan is to stay in the house until A finishes school, it might not matter. You’d be putting money into a house that you plan to live in for a long time, and making it just right for your situation might be more important than worrying about resale.  
But I do understand hesitating on such a big decision. 

True, but we are not that crazy about this house we looked at.   It is literally 50% the size of this house, has lower ceilings, the rooms are tiny (IMO), and it will require apron. $250k to $300k to get up to what will kind of work.

I don't think we will get that $250-$300k back.   And it is NOT a cheap house to begin with....heck, nothing is cheap anymore.

[DawnM]

Having the contractor come today.   I will update with the pricing he gives and let you know.

I *think* what I was originally thinking of was a modular type room that is cheaper.   I didn't realize there were so many options.

[BlsdMama]

19 hours ago, DawnM said:

It isn't about revamping, we were trying to get a less expensive house so we could be debt free.   

Aaahh. That makes sense.

[Clarita]

23 hours ago, DawnM said:

UGH, by the time we do renovations, this house may put us above what people will pay for the area.

We are hesitating.

FYI you don't have to do all the renovations all at once either. (Sometimes people need to hear that.) 

I know people tend to think of the house they live in as also an investment, but I don't. So, for a house I'm going to live in for a long while I'm going to renovate the way I want it to be. Hesitate because you are exceeding your budget and see which things need to be done now vs. what things you can put off to have later, but I don't use return on investment as my gauge on my home renovations.

[TechWife]

We have a 3 season room, but I’m not sure our experience would be helpful. We already had 3 walls, a roof and paver patio stones in place. We added custom, floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and screens. Because they were custom (they are huge in comparison to standard doors) that ran us about $8K IIRC. That was three years ago. The price will be really dependent on what you decide to do, so it’s hard to estimate.

[SHP]

I recently learned that our house had a 4 season room that the previous owner ripped out (off?) to put in a deck. Not sure I really understand why, but I will say the deck is larger than the room was. I guess the deck added more value than the room did since it was older. Something to consider is this possibility. 

[SHP]

20 hours ago, DawnM said:

True, but we are not that crazy about this house we looked at.   It is literally 50% the size of this house, has lower ceilings, the rooms are tiny (IMO), and it will require apron. $250k to $300k to get up to what will kind of work.

I don't think we will get that $250-$300k back.   And it is NOT a cheap house to begin with....heck, nothing is cheap anymore.

With this information I would probably walk away from it. That is a lot of money you may not recoup.

[GoVanGogh]

About ten years ago, we added a large wrap around covered patio on our house. It was designed so that we could screen or add windows if we ever wanted to fully enclose. We haven’t opted to. We do use it year round in (garden zone) zone 8a/southern United States. Our patio 100% looks like it is part of the house and not just a patio tacked on. We found that there were so many factors in the estimates, online and from builders. Moving gas lines. Appliances and electrical outlets. Lighting. I do know a large portion of our cost was labor for rock work, which is so amazing we still talk about it. 

[DawnM]

Ok, met with the contractor.   I really like him.  Anyway, here are the quotes:

3 car garage added with 2 garage bays and one bay as a workshop, 2nd floor above it unfinished- $65-80K roughly, $150k with a full build out/bathroom/finished room above, heating and air, etc...

30x15 four season room with all weather windows, etc....$45k to build.   

I am glad I overestimated and didn't underestimate.

I still don't think it is worth it, and that doesn't include the pool.

But we have one more possibility to look at Wed.

[Pawz4me]

19 minutes ago, SHP said:

I recently learned that our house had a 4 season room that the previous owner ripped out (off?) to put in a deck. Not sure I really understand why, but I will say the deck is larger than the room was. I guess the deck added more value than the room did since it was older. Something to consider is this possibility. 

I don't know what "number" season our room is called (it has heat and air, so in theory we could use it year round if we wanted to foot expensive electricity bills), but I'd love to have it torn down and replaced with a covered porch. It's probably my least favorite part of this house, because it's not really inside and it's not really outside and it tends to grow cobwebs very quickly. I feel like I constantly battle them. I only like it for the rare times we actually need the extra climate controlled space. I did get a quote several years ago for having it torn down and replaced with a covered porch, but the contractor seemed to think I was nuts for wanting it done, and the quote he gave seemed outrageous. I got busy with other things and have never followed up on the idea, but I'm not ruling it out in the future.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Pawz4me

[Annie G]

Those quotes would be bargain prices in my area.  I haven’t seen $100/square foot since before Covid. And the upstairs finished apartment appears to be even less than that.  Still a lot of money, but wow- if I could get those prices here we’d be building a three season room next month.