I think you will spend more to get it heated than you will get in return for the benefit of the room. It sounds like an enclosed patio or deck...

Just because you include it in your sq footage doesn't mean it will be worth a home with that actual, true, sq ftage.

If it has a window, just install a window AC that both heats and cools. Those are not expensive, especially for a room that size.

Just because it's heated doesn't translate into that being considered habitable space. It would have to meet several other conditions as well.

I think people will look at it and know immediately it's not on par with the rest of the house. You may get more foot traffic, but it's not going to translate into sales, instead it will make people mad. People know what they're looking for a in a certain square footage.

Just make sure the room is featured in the description and photos, a large space of the type you describe would be very attractive to a number of people.

To be included in the living area, the additional space must be heated and cooled in the same manner as the rest of the house. This is a requirement of appraisal.

Heat pump?

Before you spend any money, check with an appraiser who is licensed to do conventional, FHA, & VA loans.

You may need to actually get an appraisal to determine how much difference heating & cooling would make.

As someone said above, even if the room is useable as living space, appraisers often value it at a lower price per square foot than they value the rest of the house.

I hope it works out well for you!

Electric baseboard? Electric is a very expensive way to heat things, but usually the easiest to set up.

You will probably lose A LOT of heat from that room...consider adding curtains or blinds to the glass doors.

Is the room insulated? How is the rest of your house heated?

"To be included in the living area, the additional space must be heated and cooled in the same manner as the rest of the house. This is a requirement of appraisal."

This is simply not correct in some if not all jurisdictions. In this area it is common to build additions and heat/cool it with ductless mini-splits.

YMMV

It is an actual requirement for inclusion on the long form home appraisal. Individual appraisers may add it to the total heated and cooled sq footage because it is customary in your area, but it is not correct to do it that way.

"but it is not correct to do it that way."

But yet it is done all over the country? Sounds arbitrary.

What about Radiant Floor Heating or Heat mats?

Links that might be useful:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1548320,00.html

http://www.heattrak.com/

I don't know whether it is done all over the country, saltidog, but I will say that people are often surprised and dismayed when their bonus room or enclosed porch, heated with an alternate method not common to the entire house, is treated as basement space with respect to value.

It is done all over the country, I have bought and sold (and resided) in CT, MA, WA, SC, ID,VA, CA, and now MD.

I have neighbors on my current street with massive permitted additions - in some cases they've added separate furnace and A/C or heat pump and now more typically, ductless mini split heat pumps. They've all got the square footatge included in their State Real Estate Appraisal for Property Taxes and also when they come on the market, the footage is claimed for MLS purposes.

Now, I do see people that finish a room in the basement and include that on their MLS listing - I believe inappropriately, but that is a different matter. lol

This post was edited by saltidawg on Wed, Sep 24, 14 at 14:50

Also make sure the buyer will value the room as same as the rest of the house. What I'm reading sounds undesirable, I would probably not value the room when considering buying such a house.