Florida Room or Enclosed Porch

[Debora Lozano]

My previous supervisor would not count a Florida room or enclosed porch as heated sq. ft. if there was a slider door that separated the Florida Room from the main house. This was even if the Florida room was under central heat & air, finished as to rest of house (walls drywalled, similar flooring, etc.) and under the original roof. I had another supervisor that did count this room as htd sq. ft. Is this the appraiser's opinion or is there a guideline for this? Thanks.

 

[Chris Colston]

In my experience, if there is a step-down from the main part of the house, I do not include as part of the living area. If it is air conditioned, I account it for as "below the grade" living area. If the sliders have been removed I might reconsider the space as GLA, it depends on the finish quality and how the sliders were removed.

 

[Otis Key]

Debora, it would be helpful to get a regional answer to your question if you modified your profile to show your location or at least posted in your question. Chris gave the answer most reasonable to the Florida area but then it might be a little different a little further south or west.

Does it take on the appearance of the same quality, feel, look and design as the original construction? Does it have a heat/cooling source? Does it look like, feel like and/or act like an enclosed porch?

 

[Debora Lozano]

Well,I'm in the Central Florida area. And it's not uncommon to have a Florida room in this part of the country. My question was really for a general guideline to go by. However, at the moment I'm working on an appraisal for a custom home in an exclusive neighborhood. The subject dwelling does not have a "Florida room" but one of the comps does. And, from speaking to the listing agent and looking at the MLS pictures, it appears the Florida room looks like the interior of the house, does not look like it has a step down, is under central heat & air and roof line, but does have French doors that separates it from the rest of the house. The tax records does not include this room under htd sq. ft. but then the tax records are not always correct. It will make a difference in the sq. ft. for the comp as it is a large room.

 

[Chris Colston]

Well,I'm in the Central Florida area. And it's not uncommon to have a Florida room in this part of the country. My question was really for a general guideline to go by. However, at the moment I'm working on an appraisal for a custom home in an exclusive neighborhood. The subject dwelling does not have a "Florida room" but one of the comps does. And, from speaking to the listing agent and looking at the MLS pictures, it appears the Florida room looks like the interior of the house, does not look like it has a step down, is under central heat & air and roof line, but does have French doors that separates it from the rest of the house. The tax records does not include this room under htd sq. ft. but then the tax records are not always correct. It will make a difference in the sq. ft. for the comp as it is a large room.

Orlando?? or on the Beach?? I'm beachside....

Based on your information, I would use the tax assessor's square footage. Believe it or not, they are more often correct (in this area) than they are incorrect. Florida rooms and enclosed porches are taxed at a different rate than the main part of the house, as are porches and garages. Since it effects the taxes, the assessor usually does get it right. (Except my house, which won't be changed until I sell it...not likely to happen for a very long time :new_color_: ).

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Ditto what Chris wrote.

Doesn't mean it won't adjust at about the same rate as GLA would.

 

[Wally Jones]

In our market, a phone call to the county/city permitting office will sometimes reveal that a permit was pulled for such an addition but it may not yet have been added to the tax assessor's records. If that's the case, AND if it's typical for the market, I'd consider it as GLA. Our area has a lot of non-permitted additions so I always try to check on those sales the listing agent has "measured".

If I can't verify it, I do the same as Chris, go with the recorded data.

 

[Bill_FL]

Ok, REALLY stupid question:

This room is step down, connected to HVAC, has french doors, and finished to the same quality as the rest of the house, under main roof.

So, when you find formal living rooms/library/den with sunken floor, french doors, you subtract them from your GLA? What is the difference?

 

[Chris Colston]

Wally....I converted my side screen porch to living area without a permit, didn't need one.

All I needed to do was change out the one wall of screening to hurricane resistant windows and a thermal insulated door. My porch was the type where three walls were sliders (leading to the kitchen on the east, the bedroom on the west and the familyroom on the north) to the inside of the house, on the same roof line as the house and only one wall (the south wall)was screened. I removed the sliders, completely closed off one wall, raised 2 knee walls to 4 feet high, installed ceramic tile and extended the A/C. It's now a wonderful sunny room where I house my birds. The county still shows a screen porch and it will until, as I said, I sell it. There is a step down from the kitchen, through the opening where the sliders had been, and is now the only way to get into that room. It would be considered as "below the grade" living area and adjusted for on the basement line in the grid.

 

[Chris Colston]

Ok, REALLY stupid question:

This room is step down, connected to HVAC, has french doors, and finished to the same quality as the rest of the house, under main roof.

So, when you find formal living rooms/library/den with sunken floor, french doors, you subtract them from your GLA? What is the difference?

Only if the county assessor does. Sunken living rooms and dining rooms are not usually closed off by French doors or sliders.

The sunken library or den might have been a addiiton, not part of the original house or architechture. Florida Rooms (Arizona rooms, sun rooms) and enclosed porches usually are made up of at least 2 exterior walls and are treated, at least by me, and many other appraisers I know in Florida, just like converted garages......I keep them on the basement line and assess the quality of the finish. The adjustment might be the same as the GLA adjustment, but I'm acknowleding the contributory value of the enclosure or conversion by keeping it seperate. This also goes along with the ANSI standard of measuring. :glare: