Adding a Porch to Your Home

A porch can add versatility, value, looks and an extra degree of insulation to a home. As someone who has lived in 3 flats/houses with their own porch, I know how great they are to have in terms of storage (hello, place to put your buggy), and legging it in the house away from the rain. No wonder it is such a popular addition to properties up and down the country. And even better, it is an improvement that can often be installed without the need for planning permission.

Tempted?

Let ‘Doorstore’ help you take a closer look…

Permission

The key word in the above sentence was “usually” – in most cases, a porch is what is known as a permitted development, meaning it does not require planning permission, provided certain stipulations are met.  These are that the total external area does not exceed three square metres, no part of the construction exceeds three metres in height and no part is within two metres of a boundary or the public highway. There are other possible instances that might mean you still need permission, for example if you live in a maisonette, a converted property or are in an area where there are additional planning rules, for example a conservation area. Even if you are sure that you meet all the criteria for permitted development, it is worth a quick call to your planning office, just to be on the safe side.

Design and Construction

Porches come in a variety of types and designs, and the one for you will depend to a large extent on the style and construction of your house. Many of the homes that were constructed from Victorian times up till the 1930s feature a recessed front door, so it could be as simple a matter as to just block in the recess, using either glass, brickwork or a combination of both. It is important to make sure your porch is in keeping with your house and the overall neighbourhood, so that it is an enhancement and not an eyesore. Key to this is choosing the right front door – many people decide to move the original one to the outside, to keep everything looking harmonic, but if yours is past its best, then take a good look at the wide range of options from a specialist company such as Doorstore, to choose something that will blend in well. Most porches make plentiful use of glass, to admit as much natural light as possible into the hallway, so follow the same rules with windows as you did with the door, and choose a style that is in keeping with the rest of the house.

Seek local inspiration

The great thing about a porch is that it is clearly visible, so you can easily take a walk around the neighbourhood seeing what other people have done. Look at construction types, and also at the details, such as whether people have chosen front or side access. This will give you a good idea of what works and what doesn’t, to make sure you get the perfect porch.

Get it right, and just watch – within a year or two, all the neighbours will be inspired to copy you!

*Guest post in collaboration