Increase the Value of Your Home with Awnings

Reasonably priced awnings add big bucks to home prices

Transforming a deck or patio into an inviting, functional outdoor space with awnings will increase home value and ultimately create greater selling power. Awnings can also be the finishing touch to your deck or patio investment by helping you use it more often.

From increasing prices for building materials to shrinking lot sizes, outside living areas are becoming more valuable. According to the National Association of Realtors, the first step in setting the stage for resale is focusing on curb appeal and the exterior of the home, which gives potential homebuyers their first impression. A well-placed awning can add thousands of dollars to the price of a home, especially in smaller homes where square footage is at a premium.

Permanent home additions can cost between $150 and $200 per square foot, making it easy to spend over $20,000 on a simple 12 x 12-ft. room. Permanent additions also require significant upkeep and can limit future landscape options. In contrast, a retractable awning provides a cost-effective option. Awnings can be purchased pre-fabricated in a wide variety of color and designs, or they can be customized depending on your budget and needs.

Many designers and homeowners are incorporating awnings in an effort to create an affordable and appealing oasis that captures the defining characteristic of an outdoor room — a feeling of enclosure. Not only do awnings create a premium outdoor hangout for family and friends to gather, but the new space can increase the overall home value with a low initial cost.

“House-proud Americans are looking for ways to expand the useable living space of their home,” says home improvement expert Lou Manfredini. “Awnings create a whole other room without the high costs and confusing permits that come with permanent home additions. Not to be overlooked, these outdoor retreats have the potential to give homeowners increased selling power.”

Awnings assume a variety of shapes, sizes, and fabrics; they can be added to windows, near pools or over decks and patios. Awning fabric and styles can complement the architectural style of any home: forest greens or neutrals may accent traditional styles, while bar stripes work well for colonials or cottage-style homes. Similarly, terra-cotta or salmon stripes complement Southwestern-style or stucco-sided homes.

“Awnings are an affordable way to shade your deck or patio and bring hours of enjoyment to your home,” Manfredini says. “Dollar for dollar, the value of this investment is hard to match.”

For additional information, visit the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) — the only international trade association committed to the awning industry — at www.ifai.com.

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