Many times, while getting to know a buyer’s wants, especially when they are relocating to Florida from a northern home, the square footage needs differ greatly from what they originally specify to what they ultimately buy…People forget, or don’t realize, what an intricate part of their home’s living space the lanai [also known as a screened porch] becomes. Downsizing from a 4 or 5 thousand square foot home into less square footage may seem daunting to some, until they get here and begin to recognize the lifestyle that outdoor living provides throughout most of the year. Here in Naples people decorate their outside living areas with outdoor wicker & teak and other moisture resistant materials and create wonderful entertainment areas with ‘summer’ kitchens and bars, dining areas, TVs with comfortable seating arrangements as well as open air patio areas that incorporate the landscaping and lighting. Most rooms in a home open up to the outside and even in private yards, those without views, an outside environment can be created to incorporate the inside out and the outside in. Chip and I have coffee on our lanai almost every morning…we love to sit outside at the end of a long day and enjoy our evening meal together…we cook outside, watch TV outside…much of our home life revolves around our backyard.
So, the next time your real estate agent tells you that you cannot get a 3,000 square foot home in your price range, don’t consider it “settling” for less–consider it opening up the possibilities to the true Naples lifestyle of outdoor living–Sometimes less really is more!
Please let us know if we can help you find a pretty lanai in Naples Florida where you can have your coffee each morning! 239.370.0574
Make it a great day,
The Naples Real Estate Blogger
