[wendyquat]

We are looking at 2BR 2 Bath cyv and of course are running into the proverbial problem of where to put "stuff". This one villa has a screened in/roofed (what is a Florida room on some homes) and I was wondering if it would be feasible to close this in and make office/storage room. I know there's been a lot of discussion on these types of things and was wondering if anyone had done something similar and what the costs might be?
Thanks

[JohnN]

we were quoted $3,500 to put in windows on two sides (10' x 10') for a lanai.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by wendyquat

We are looking at 2BR 2 Bath cyv and of course are running into the proverbial problem of where to put "stuff". This one villa has a screened in/roofed (what is a Florida room on some homes) and I was wondering if it would be feasible to close this in and make office/storage room. I know there's been a lot of discussion on these types of things and was wondering if anyone had done something similar and what the costs might be?
Thanks

If this means you will no longer have a lanai that can truly be used as a lanai, be careful. I have been following a cyv that had the lanai turned into a den. It has been on the market for something close to 8 months and has not sold, even though the price has been reduced. CYV's generally sell very quickly so one can only speculate that potential buyers don't want a den, they want a usuable lanai for outdoor living.

[kandj]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

If this means you will no longer have a lanai that can truly be used as a lanai, be careful. I have been following a cyv that had the lanai turned into a den. It has been on the market for something close to 8 months and has not sold, even though the price has been reduced. CYV's generally sell very quickly so one can only speculate that potential buyers don't want a den, they want a usuable lanai for outdoor living.

I respectfully disagree. The villa we purchased had the screens replaced with knee walls and glass. That room is going to be my office once I/we finally get down there. Hubby is retiring but I will still be working. I do have the luxury of being able to telecommute and enjoy having an office with 2 walls of windows like we have in our NH home.

We did look at some other homes that had closed in their lanai, but there were other things about the villas that we didn't like. Besides, you can't just look at all changes in terms of perceived resale value. Not everyone likes the same things.

[VillagesFlorida]

Originally Posted by wendyquat

We are looking at 2BR 2 Bath cyv and of course are running into the proverbial problem of where to put "stuff". This one villa has a screened in/roofed (what is a Florida room on some homes) and I was wondering if it would be feasible to close this in and make office/storage room. I know there's been a lot of discussion on these types of things and was wondering if anyone had done something similar and what the costs might be?
Thanks

When we had what is now the Woodlawn courtyard villa built in 1998 we had the 8' X 14' lanai made into a room under heat and air. Pocket doors go from the living room into this small room. Also, we had the sliding doors from the master bedroom removed so that we would have more wall space in this room and in our bedroom. The sliding doors that would have gone from the living room into this space instead went from the new "Florida room" into the added-on 8 X 14 residential screened lanai. In this little Florida room we have a full-sized sleep sofa, a 32" HDTV, 2 desks, one that has a desktop computer on it. This small space serves as our computer room, den, and a guest bedroom. We don't know how we would have managed without it! The grandkids love to stay in this room when they come to visit. We enclosed the screened lanai with acrylic windows, which cut the cleaning in that room by at least 90%! Also, remember that you can add a lot more shelving to your closets to give you added storage. Go as high on the walls as you can. Store things up there that you don't need often, like luggage, etc. You'll be amazed at how much more storage you will get. Choose a model that has a pantry in the kitchen....mine accommodates a trash basket, broom, a lot of food and I can't imagine life without it! We floored over part of the attic over the garage and have been able to store heat-resistant stuff up there. I don't think The Villages allows any custom building of villas anymore but perhaps you can find a resale that has some of these features and add-ons.

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by kandj

I respectfully disagree. The villa we purchased had the screens replaced with knee walls and glass. That room is going to be my office once I/we finally get down there. Hubby is retiring but I will still be working. I do have the luxury of being able to telecommute and enjoy having an office with 2 walls of windows like we have in our NH home.

We did look at some other homes that had closed in their lanai, but there were other things about the villas that we didn't like. Besides, you can't just look at all changes in terms of perceived resale value. Not everyone likes the same things.

We may be talking apples and oranges here. It sounds from your post as if you will have an enclosed lanai with windows that you will use as an office. That means that if you ever sell, the potential buyers will still have a lanai that can be used as a lanai. The CYV I'm talking about enclosed the lanai with drywall, added windows and it looks as if laminate flooring was added-that is this lanai was turned into a room and it doesn't look as if any outdoor space such as a birdcage was added. If someone wants to do this that is their business but personally I would at least consider resale value before deciding to make changes. I can't say with certainity that this is the reason this CYV has not sold but one does wonder.

[kandj]

Originally Posted by Maryland Girl

We may be talking apples and oranges here. It sounds from your post as if you will have an enclosed lanai with windows that you will use as an office. That means that if you ever sell, the potential buyers will still have a lanai that can be used as a lanai. The CYV I'm talking about enclosed the lanai with drywall, added windows and it looks as if laminate flooring was added-that is this lanai was turned into a room and it doesn't look as if any outdoor space such as a birdcage was added. If someone wants to do this that is their business but personally I would at least consider resale value before deciding to make changes. I can't say with certainity that this is the reason this CYV has not sold but one does wonder.

Just out of curiousity, which villa are you referring to? We purchased in Sept so we may have seen it when we chose ours.