Add Instant Kerb Appeal to Your Property

Darren Hook, Managing Director of The Porch Specialist, discusses how porches can instantly boost your home’s kerb appeal.

As winter approaches, porches fast become a doorstep must-have for homeowners prone to either fumbling for house keys at the bottom of their bag or juggling with the shopping after a weekly trip to the supermarket. Porches can be a real benefit at this time of year, but they can also prove to be a great asset for a home’s overall aesthetic.

Generally speaking, you won’t require planning permission if your porch falls within a certain criteria. However if it exceeds 3m², is 3m above ground level or is within 2m of any boundary or highway, then planning permission must be sought. For Listed buildings or those within Conservation Areas, it is worth seeking professional advice or consulting the guidelines in your official documentation.

Acting as the main exterior element to a building’s façade, a porch is constantly subject to the forces of nature, therefore the material’s longevity and durability is key. If you’re looking for a timeless addition to your property, then an oak-framed porch carries many advantages. Unlike other materials, green oak ages beautifully, developing a stunning silver patina. As the material dries out and loses its moisture content, the joints shrink to create an exceptionally strong and stable structure.

An oak frame porch itself is incredibly quick to assemble and can even be carried out yourself if you possess a good level of DIY knowledge. Depending on the style of your property, you may wish to incorporate more detail into the design of your structure, such as a high brick plinth. This can easily be accomplished yourself or with the help of a local builder.

Here at The Porch Specialist, we have a range of porch kits available to order through our website. Using our easy to navigate product portal, we’ll take you through each step to achieve your dream oak frame porch, from size and elevation detail through to roof pitch and finally onto beam style. All of our kits contain posts, braces, tie beams, rafters, pegs, nails, staddle stones if needed and full assembly instructions. Felt, battens, tiles and wall fixings can be purchased separately from any reputable DIY store or merchants for trade customers.