Creating a beautiful but functional outdoor space is essential to the Florida lifestyle, as our temperate year-round weather provides ample opportunities to enjoy being outside. But adding a deck to your home does more than provide places to gather with loved ones and make memories – it adds tangible return on investment for your home’s overall value. Read on to learn more about the benefits offered by adding a deck to your home.
A deck not only adds beauty to your home. It also gives you more space to entertain family and guests. Implementing outdoor furniture, kitchens, or custom lighting can further increase your enjoyment of your deck.
Unlike other types of home renovations that may only recoup about half of their invested cost, numerous studies, including the 2018 Remodeling Impact Report, have shown that decks can recover more money than what they cost to build when it comes time to sell your home.
While there are multiple ways to add square footage to your home, adding a deck increases its usable space but at less building costs than adding a new room. Further, a deck creates a natural cohesion between your indoor and outdoor spaces and improves the flow for your family and guests.
When considering what materials to use to build your deck, pricing is usually one of the primary homeowner considerations, as is durability. Cost is mainly determined by the size of the deck you hope to build and what material you use, with the two most commonly used wood and composite.
Besides being beautiful and versatile with limitless stain color choices, wooden decks are known to provide the best Return on Investment (ROI). The compromise is that they require regular upkeep and maintenance to protect and preserve them from the elements, and while initially cheaper to build, they require restaining every few years. This specialized care can be costly but is necessary to keep your deck beautiful and appropriately sealed.
Composite decking has gained popularity over the years due to its durability and imperviousness to weather conditions such as wind, rain, and heat. This material is more expensive upfront than wood but does not require the same routine maintenance. The price you pay to install it is the final price. A few caveats to this material are that up-close, it has a plastic appearance, labor can be more intensive to install, and the color options are limited.
But, there are a few other factors to think about with decking. One is that your deck should match the level of those built at comparable homes in your area to ensure you do not invest more than what it will be worth at resale time. It’s also important to remember that an aging deck can be considered unsafe, so ensuring your deck is in optimum condition when you resell your home will provide you with the best ROI.
Whether you want to add a deck to your home to spend more time outdoors or know the value it adds to your property value, Shore Builders will expertly guide you through which type of deck would suit you and your home the best. Contact us today so we can get starting building you a deck that lasts for years to come. You and your family can live life outdoors all year long, loving your beautiful, functional, valuable deck.