Like the idea of sitting in a comfy patio chair indoors with a cup of coffee as the sunlight streams in? A sunroom can be the perfect indoor/outdoor space for relaxing, entertaining friends, and enjoying nature from the comfort of a covered, furnished room. A sunroom addition is a perfect way to add to your indoor square footage without giving up the benefits of your backyard or outdoor space.
From design options to budget concerns, to project timelines, there’s lots to consider any time you add onto your home. Find out what you should know before adding a sunroom addition!
What is a Sunroom?
A sunroom, also sometimes called a conservatory or solarium, is a room with glass walls or ample windows that permits plenty of daylight to enter your home and gives you views of the outdoors while protecting you from the weather and elements! Some sunrooms also have glass ceilings or skylights built in to allow even more sunshine to enter the space.
There are many benefits to adding a sunroom to your home, including the following:
- A sunroom adds an instant, unique charm to your home.
- You’ll get your daily dose of sunlight, which provides a host of health benefits including improved mood, better sleep, and even reduced blood pressure.
- It increases your home’s usable indoor space.
- It’s the perfect place to grow plants.
- You can entertain your friends with great outdoor views, no matter the weather.
1. The Types of Sunrooms
Before you decide to add a sunroom to your home, it’s important to know that not all sunrooms are exactly the same. You have a variety of options, and it’s important to choose the right type of sunroom addition that best suits your home, family, and lifestyle.
There are four main types of sunrooms to consider:
- Three-season sunrooms — these are glassed-in living areas intended to act as indoor/outdoor spaces in mild weather, which generally aren’t connected to your home’s cooling or heating system.
- Four-season rooms — designed with additional insulation and to be heated and cooled, these spaces can be enjoyed year round, even in harsh winter weather.
- Greenhouse-style or conservatory sunrooms — these kinds of sunrooms tend to have glass walls and a glass ceiling and are typically filled with abundant plants and flowers, often with parlor seating, and are sometimes temperature-, light-, and humidity-controlled.
- Screen rooms or screened porches — either added or built around an existing back porch, patio, or deck, these spaces are like traditional three-season sunrooms, but are surrounded by screened windows rather than glass ones; thus, they tend to be less expensive to construct.
2. Where You Want to Build Your Sunroom
Choosing the location of your sunroom addition is one of the most important pre-construction decisions you’ll have to make. Before you invest your time, money, and energy into adding a whole new room, it’s important to carefully consider how your new space will work with the layout and design of your existing home.
With a sunroom addition, it’s especially important to consider the orientation of your home; how much sun do you want your room to capture, and when? For example, if you want a space that captures as much sun as possible throughout the entire day, you should build a south-facing sunroom. An east-facing room will allow you to watch the sun rise in the morning, while a west-facing sunroom provides late-afternoon and evening sun in addition to sunset views.
Traditionally, sunrooms are attached to and accessible from your home. However, sunrooms can also be built as detached structures, situated somewhere else on your property. If you have a swimming pool, an area on your land with beautiful views, or an open area that’s perfect for stargazing, for example, you may choose to build a detached sunroom/solarium.
3. Your Budget
Think about how much you want to spend on a sunroom addition and vet any home builder you consider working with to ensure you’re getting high-quality work for a reasonable price. It’s a good idea to choose a local home builder with plenty of experience building home additions and a solid portfolio.
The cost of building a sunroom addition can vary substantially depending on factors such as the size of the room, the type of sunroom you choose to build (screen porch sunrooms cost less than four-season rooms, for example), whether you want to build an attached or detached space, the materials you choose, labor costs, and more. In general, depending on these and other factors, you can expect to spend somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000 on a sunroom addition.
4. How You Plan to Use Your Sunroom
A good rule of thumb to follow — not just for additions and remodels but for any change you make to your home — is to first and foremost decide how you plan to use the space. You want your new addition to add value to your home, family, and daily life.
If you have a set goal and purpose planned out for your new sunroom, you can use this to make smaller decisions throughout your project. That means you’re a lot more likely to end up with a space you’ll actually use.
Here are just a few possible ways to design and use your new sunroom:
- Family room
- Dining room
- Home office
- Reading room
- Parlor
- Laundry room
- Fitness/yoga studio
- Greenhouse
- Craft/hobby studio
- Bar space
Let our team of expert home builders at Hamish Murray Construction build the ideal sunroom addition for your home!
Can you picture yourself lounging in a cozy patio chair with a glass of wine in the evening, watching the sunset as you enjoy your new sunroom? We can make that happen. At Hamish Murray, our team delivers unmatched craftsmanship, flexible and communicative project management, and a truly local and personalized home building experience.
We’re here to build you the perfect home addition for your family that meets your specific requirements. Even better? We’ll do it on your timeline, with your budget in mind.
Call us at (503) 460-7203 or contact us online and tell us about your project ideas!
