I'd do the basement if my kids visit. Have housecleaners come once a month to keep it tidy and run water when you're not up to it anymore. You'll need their help on the main level by then, too.

How often do you need the extra bed/bath? How would you use this 3-season room?

I don't understand why it's only a 3-season room. I have a sun porch off my LR. It was originally a screened in porch, built on a concrete slab with brick put on top. A previous owner added sliders and heat. His heat source was cumbersome, so a few years ago, I added a hardwired electric baseboard heater with a thermostat. The AC in the house takes care of cooling in the summer. I adore this room - I use it year-round. It's a perfect place to bring in large pots from the terrace to winter-over. And in the summer, it's a great spot to sit and enjoy my garden outside. I used to close the door to the LR and open the sliders, but due to allergies, I don't do that anymore. It doesn't get quite as cold here as it does in MA, but a sun room with proper double-glazed sliders/windows and a heat source should be fine.

You're really asking if we prefer apples or oranges. As to re-sale, this is an over-55 community. I'd find out what sells houses there the best - extra space for visitors or extra main floor space.

Is this a custom home or a builder plan? If custom you can do a lot to make the lower level functional, inviting and accessible. Make the stairs gentle with at least one landing and create an elevator sized closet with a removable floor in case you ever need or want an elevator.

Virgil's advice is good. We can't sort out which will be better for you. As far as re-sale goes square footage always makes a house more valuable.

The three season room would be used daily mid-May thru mid-October. The room is build off the back of the house on pillars. The home has a walkout basement. Without a basement or crawl space the weather in Massachusetts will not allow it to be used in the colder months; the floor gets to cold.

Thanks

Psst. You can insulate slabs now. :)

As an appraiser, I see you having two issues, which option will be the best value and which option suits your needs? The basement will provide the best return on expense. The reason is it will be heated and can be counted as finished living space below grade. The three-season room will be designated as unfinished area such as a deck or porch and valued accordingly..

If all of the other units have a basement and your unit doesn't, it may be harder to sell. Flip that statement to if all of the other units have a three-season room and yours unit doesn't it may be harder to sell.

Having said that, you need to install whatever best suits your needs and desires. Life is too short. Put in the item that you think will improve the quality of your life.

Sorry for the poor description. The porches are not on a slab, the homes have walkout basements thru a set of sliders to the backyards. The porches are elevated on 6" x 6" pressure treated post, the floors have R-30 insulation that is covered with pressure treated sheathing from the under side. Also HVAC system duct work heat and cool the porches with dampers that can be closed when the porches are not in use during the winter months. There are approximately 20 home in the community. I would guess that 70% of the homes either have 3 season rooms or screened porches. I know of only one other home with part of the basement finished. We can not afford to do both; so we are looking for the best option.

thanks

Is the 3 season porch at the basement level, then?

No the 3 season porch is up one story in the back of the home.

Okay! That makes so much more sense!

It sounds like you want the porch but feel like you ought to do the basement. Do the porch.

Do your children and grandchildren come from out of town? Or can they go home nearby after a visit?

Is there another room to put them in if they need to stay?

if there is another bedroom without having to access the basement space then build the porch. If you have no other room for guest then if it were my house I would choose the guest space over the porch.

Good luck on your new home!

It wouldn't take me more than one second to make the decision: the 3 season room, of course.

• It's on the same level where you plan to live.
• YOU are living in the house, not your grandchildren.

• You say you will use the 3 season room approximately 180 times a year.
• You are building in an over-55 community where other buyers would expect to live on one level, just like you.

Such a confusing thread. Best advice for the year: "... Plan your home for yourselves; not for others..."

FWIW, when buying 2 years ago we faced just this option. We chose the main level sunroom over other choices available with finished walkout basements. Maybe 3 times we've had a couple of teen grandkids on the LR sofa while their parents were in the guest room. They survived nicely. We have also used a local hotel a couple times for parties of multiple adult guests...works just fine. So we would make the same choice again...the sunroom is more valuable to us, though the walkouts appraise a little higher.