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Budget Bliss or Luxe Living? Choosing the Right Pergola or Veranda for Your Wallet

Budget Bliss or Luxe Living? Choosing the Right Pergola or Veranda for Your Wallet

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Have you been thinking of adding a pergola to your property? Many people love pergolas and feel that they make their properties more aesthetically pleasing.

You might be torn between installing a pergola and going with a veranda. These two things are very similar and you might not even be sure what the differences are.

What is a veranda and how does it differ from a pergola? Are the two structures essentially the same?

Continue reading to learn about both both of these popular types of structures. This should help you to make up your mind about what you want to do.

What Is a Veranda?

When you see someone that has a property with a veranda you’ll typically see a structure that is similar to a covered porch. Verandas are attached to homes or other types of buildings.

The veranda will be attached to the building at the ground level. It can have many different types of roofs such as a curved roof, a slanted roof, or even a flat roof.

This area will be accessible from the inside of the house. So you might have a veranda that is attached to your living room or your kitchen.

Sometimes the veranda will be accessible from multiple different rooms of the house. It just depends on how big it is and how the veranda has been designed.

Verandas are very interesting because they give you a convenient place to relax and enjoy looking outside. You can easily stay cool while sitting in the veranda area and you won’t have to worry so much about sun exposure.

For many, a veranda is going to be ideal. This could be exactly what you’re looking for, but it depends on what your expectations are.

What Is a Pergola?

Pergolas and verandas are similar in some ways, but they’re also distinct. A pergola might be attached to a building, but it can also be a free-standing structure.

You’ll find that pergolas can be used in many versatile ways. They might be attached to houses and be used as a sitting area in place of a traditional porch.

However, it’s also common for pergolas to be freestanding structures out in the yard. People often put pergolas in the middle of the yard or in the middle of a garden area.

Generally, pergolas are used as sitting areas and they offer you a little bit of shade. Also, pergolas are simply meant to be aesthetically pleasing.

They’re designed to look nice and add to the overall vibe of your garden area. Some people incorporate pergolas into the garden by growing vines on them.

Pergolas have beams and rafters that provide you with a bit of shade. Sun still gets through the gaps so you’ll not be getting as much shade as you would with a veranda.

You can use a shade cloth on the pergola for extra shade when you find it necessary. It’s common for people to enjoy lunch underneath the pergola or to host little parties with the pergola as the main sitting area.

The Pros and Cons of a Veranda

As you’d expect, there are positives and negatives when it comes to building a veranda on your property. For many, this will be preferable to a pergola, though.

You can enjoy using your veranda without even having to truly go outside. The veranda can be accessed from the inside of your home and it can make a very nice sitting area.

It’s easy to go outside and enjoy the view when you’re in the mood. You can use it as a sort of lounge area that allows you to enjoy looking at your yard and your garden.

Some people use verandas as an additional living space. You might even use it as a second living room depending on how large it is.

It’s easy for verandas to get plenty of natural sunlight. This is superb for houseplants and you can place houseplants that need ample sunlight in the veranda area.

You’ll find that it’s fantastic how versatile the veranda is as a living space. It’s possible to get verandas built in a variety of different price ranges as well.

One potential problem is that the veranda might heat up quite a bit when it’s summer. The room might feel like a sauna if you live in a very hot area.

Also, the veranda can heat up adjacent rooms which might be a little inconvenient. In the winter, it might make adjacent rooms cooler than normal.

So the potential is there for you to need to use more energy to keep your home comfortable. That’s certainly a downside that’s worth considering.

Some people ensure that the veranda is heated and cooled like the rest of the house. You might wish to go that route depending on how you plan to use it.

The Pros and Cons of a Pergola

Pergolas are nice because they can be made in many different ways. A pergola can be attached to your house or your garage if you’d like to do that.

They can also be freestanding structures that are placed in the middle of your yard somewhere. A pergola is pretty good for providing you with a bit of shade and it gives you a nice little sitting area.

It doesn’t provide as much shade as a veranda since it’s not totally covered. The shade is provided by the rafters and beams, but there are gaps between the beams where the sun will shine through.

This isn’t a huge deal and you can even attach a shade cloth to the rafters when you want more shade. So it’s easy enough to make the pergola completely shaded when you feel the need to.

You can grow plants on the pergola and it’s common for people to let vines grow on these structures. It can make your pergola look like it’s become part of the landscape.

You’ll find that pergolas are very aesthetically pleasing. They’ll add a bit of charm to your yard and it doesn’t cost too much to buy or build one.

There are many different materials that are used to make pergolas as well. You can choose between options such as vinyl, wood, and even aluminum.

On the downside, pergolas don’t do a great job of protecting you from the elements. If it starts raining you’ll probably not want to keep sitting underneath the pergola.

It can be tough and kind of annoying to try to attach an awning to a pergola. Even so, there are options that you can look into.

Some people even install retractable roofs on pergolas. Doing so would add to the overall, but it might be worthwhile.

Which One Is Right for You?

Determining which one of these structures is right for you will be tough. They’re both worthwhile and good for different reasons.

Some people might gravitate toward verandas, but others might see the charm in having a pergola in the garden. You can even have both of them on your property if you’d like to.

Before making a decision, it’s best to examine your desires. Try to think about what you really want so you can make the best choice.

It’s important to spend your money wisely. Buying a pergola might disappoint you if you want what a veranda has to offer.

Consider How You Will Use the Space

Considering how you will use the space makes sense. What do you plan to do once you build the structure?

If you plan to spend time outside and enjoy your garden, it might be more practical to have a pergola installed. Those who want to enjoy looking outside without actually being outside might prefer having a veranda.

Verandas are fantastic when you want to enjoy watching the sunset with your significant other. You can also host friends and family and have lunch there from time to time.

Pergolas will be very useful when you’re hosting outdoors. It’s a great sitting spot where you can place patio furniture.

You might want to have outdoor barbecues during the spring and summer. Having a pergola will surely come in handy during these functions.

Try to envision what you’re going to do with a pergola or a veranda. If you see yourself using one more than the other, it’ll be easier to come to a conclusion about which you should go with.

Shade

Verandas are much better at providing you with shade. A veranda is essentially an enclosed space with a proper roof that will keep the sun from bothering you.

A pergola only provides minor protection from the sun. It offers a bit of shade, but you’ll still be fairly exposed when sitting under the pergola.

If your goal is to have a shaded area where you can still enjoy looking at your garden, a veranda might make sense. However, you might feel like you’ll enjoy a pergola more if you want to truly be outdoors.

Do you want to look outside or do you want to be outside? There’s a difference between using a pergola and using a veranda.

Both can be very nice, but these spaces are used for different things. Keep this in mind so you can decide how to proceed.

Consider Your Budget

Considering your budget is another important thing. You need to understand how much money you can comfortably spend to build a pergola or a veranda.

Note that having a veranda installed on your property will cost much more. While it’s true that verandas are available in many price ranges, it’s also true that pergolas are far more cost-effective.

It takes a lot more time to have a veranda installed on your property. It’s simply a much bigger job.

A pergola could easily be installed in one day by professionals. Installing a veranda is going to be a much larger investment in both time and money.

You can buy pergolas from home improvement stores and install them yourself. Or if you don’t want to do that you can hire people to do it for you.

Having a veranda added to your home is a big job that pretty much always needs to be handled by professionals. It’s not something an amateur should likely attempt to do.

Final Thoughts

You’ve learned all that you need to know about verandas and pergolas now. It’s time to make a decision about which one is best for your property.

If you’re on a tight budget it’s likely better to stick with a pergola. You can get a pergola built and installed without spending nearly as much money.

Having a veranda added to your property is a significant undertaking. Even so, many people find it to be worthwhile.

Both verandas and pergolas are rather neat. You’ll likely enjoy both and you might even choose to install both on your property if you have enough cash.

Now you know the differences between the two and what they’re used for. Be sure to think about what you learned and then make your decision.

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