“A front porch is such useful space, eh?”

I think every house should have a front porch. Sales of decor would go through the roof.

Better yet, people could use air conditioning less often and converse with neighbours walking by in their undershorts. (It could happen).

Then, neighbourhood cohesion would go through the roof, and between ‘decor’ and ‘cohesion’ going through the roof, I’d pick the latter.


["I'm grateful I have a wee porch, with decor.": photo GH]

Unfortunately, not everyone has a porch. I read one reason why they’re not added to the front of houses in the book ‘Little House on a Small Planet.’

From pages 79-80:

Excellent outdoor space, even when architect-designed and contractor-built, is typically one-third to one-tenth the cost of indoor space. “But unfortunately, the outdoor space comes last,” landscape architect Irene Ogata explains, “literally - it’s built when everything else is finished, and after the finances have been depleted.”

Does this apply to you? Does it make sense?

For example, is useful outdoor space - like a porch with fine birdhouses scattered all about - neglected because most of the money is gone by the time the house is ready for use?

I know in Canada we cannot live outdoors all the time, but even in my 1,050 sq. ft. house, I heat a lot of indoor space I don’t use often in the winter. I would gladly sacrifice 100 sq. ft. of indoor space now to have a larger porch because I use it a lot during three seasons.

As well, I cool a lot of space I don’t use in the summer because I’m out on the porch so much, checking out my decor.

If I could do it over again, I’d have a smaller house with more outdoor space, e.g., a screened-in back porch with a bed to sleep upon during hot summer nights. And definitely more decor : )

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Please click here to read more about neighbourhood cohesion vs the air conditioner.

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