Why I Wish I Had A Porch... - Hannah Marie Brankley

A few years ago, I saw Zoe Sugg or, as some may know her, Zoella, decorate her front porch. I was instantly jealous.

In the UK it isn’t as common to have homes with porches styled like we see in America. Most newly built homes now do not even include the UK style of porch as off-road parking is considered more of a necessity. Especially when it comes to city living.

Also, the space it would take for a wrap around porch or even a bigger front garden with porch, could be another house. It’s a shame that architecture in the UK doesn’t see the benefits of having a porch and with Autumn coming I wanted to share some of the reasons I think we need to bring them to the UK.

The Extra Space

Take a standard three-bedroom house, with two parents and two children. One child always ends up with the smallest bedroom. When they want friends over, they then take up space in your living room or garden. I was the child who had the bigger room and I still would plan friends coming over and essentially kick my parents out.

Image of a porch from Classy Girls Wear Pearls — 📸 Classy Girls Wear Pearls

Look at all this space on the porch. Whether you have this at the front or back of your house, it is a great entertaining space that’s comfy, covered and it’s not just for those with kids. But, there is that element of knowing where they are and keeping them safe. Having the extra space when you’d like some quiet time, to actually sit and drink that cup of tea, to sit out and read a book. Not to mention the delivery possibilities too. I’ve seen many porches with secure drop off boxes for packages, meaning less knocking on the door, possibly waking up the baby, spooking your dog or disturbing you in the shower.

An Extra Barrier

As I said above, having the safety of knowing where your children are is one security benefit, but another is having that extra barrier between the front of your property and your front door.

Image of a porch for blog post Why I Wish I Had A Porch... — 📸 Sunny Side Up

Look at all that space. Even on a smaller stone-built porch. It becomes more of a deterrent because any potential criminal acts can be caught quicker. I also like that those perpetrators could become boxed in. Making it easier for the police.

Boost A Community Feeling

Going through a pandemic taught us many things about how to spend our time, to have a better work-life balance and to take opportunities around you. In my street, we’ve always been people who talk to their neighbours, help out and get together for celebrations but, I found a lot of my friends only started to do that because of covid. Most people took out their garden chairs and sat out front chatting to neighbours at a distance. How much more comfortable would that be if you had a porch? Also, how much more often would you take the time to go and sit and chat with them? I think they’d definitely help when it comes to loneliness.