California Room: Increasing Trend in US

Real Estate Tips
September 25, 2017

Photo by Lars Remodeling & Design – More patio photos

Across the U.S., the California room is becoming a trending outdoor addition to homes in typically warmer climates. The California room is an outdoor space that brings indoor amenities to your outdoor space, almost like a porch but more “posh”.

Even though it’s called the California room, it’s really not a room at all. It’s part room, part porch. It’s equipped with a roof that keeps out rain and any beating sun. While similar to a sunroom or solarium, it is open to the outdoors on one or more walls whereas a sunroom or solarium is completely enclosed. Another perk about the California room is that it can be detached from the house, freestanding the backyard.

These spaces aren’t just in California. They actually originated in southern Europe in places like Italy, Greece, and Spain centuries ago. In the last 20 years, they’ve made their way to the U.S. from Florida and traveling all the way to what is now the California room. It can be found in the states from California all the way to Maine and back down to Texas.

How it looks and appears will be entirely up to you and our needs. Many people add electric lighting for evening use, maybe even adding a fireplace for cooler nights. You can add the traditional comfort of indoor living. People choose to put in a full bar, T.V., and carpet; it’s a living room for the outdoors.

The cost will all depend on those needs, size, amenities, and the construction costs. They tend to start around $15,000 and increase based on the decorations and additions to the interior. For those considering a California room, it can actually create a dramatic spike in the value of your home. It could attract future buyers that are willing to spend more for an added outdoor space to enjoy. Realtor.com noted that home owners can see an 80% to 100% property value increase of the building costs.

For more information and some picture inspirations, visit Realtor.com.