Have both
 

We built our home 20 years ago. The “lanai” that came with the house, we extended and made into our “sunroom “ overlooking the lake and golf course. We later added a lanai for the hot tub and/ or company picnics. We use the sunroom daily and now the lanai rarely. It is too hot to s it outside most of the time and besides you’re busy doing stuff here in the Villages!

Tax basis is NOT based on just whether the lanai has AC or not. Much more involved than that. Call your county tax collector’s office and they can give you the facts! In Sumter County we enclosed the lanai, put in a split ductless ac, got all the permits and it did NOT affect our tax basis!

We bought our house right before the pandemic. We are not retired yet so we haven't been down here much. I am down here for a month and we have been getting estimates to glass in the lanai. The way to go is double pane glass. We have a north facing lanai so its nice. I wouldn't enclose it unless we add a birdcage. If you leave the sliding doors from the house its not considered part of the living space and call the split AC/heater a dehumidifier, so again, not taxable. We have had about 4-6 companies come and each had different ideas and different materials that they use. I definitely don't want it to look like a sunroom. One company was saying to add a wall around the bottom of the lanai. to me, that's a sunroom, Someone else said top to bottom sliders. You definitely want that cross ventilation. Also remember, if you have a grill, you cannot grill in the enclosed lanai unless you get that rated inferred grill. Why bother grilling then! Best to live in the house for a year and see what your needs will be. That's what we are going to do. We will be full timers next year, and now that I know what some of my options are, I will see what suits us best.

Most lanais have a ceiling fan(s). This helps some. There are two ways to enclose a lanai. This has to do with taxes. If it is enclosed and there is No air condition and heat and/or there is a step down to the lanai it is taxed at a lower rate. If it is enclosed and there is air condition and heat and No step down to the lanai it is taxed at a higher rate. If you decide to install an HVAC system for the lanai you will have to insulate the ceiling above the lanai. If you get a glass enclosure it might be tempered glass because there is a door single or double pane is a big price difference. It might cost $10,000 - 20,000. Prices are high right now because all the contractors are busy and the supply chain is slow.

Very happy with our sealed-in lanaii
 

We decided long ago - 2 years into our 12 year residence here in The Villages to get rid of the screens and make a permanent ‘room’ out of our 10 x 24 ft lanai. Double glazing and 4 huge picture windows (looking NNW onto Lake Paradise). We now spend most of our time there using it as a dining area, reading/listening room, nature ‘hide’, art studio and workshop etc. We have never regretted investing the $11,000 it cost us. Before that it was too hot in Summer and too cold in Winter to spend much time there. I also believe we will recoup the cost (if we ever sell) with ease, as all visitors are ‘gobsmacked’ by our water view year-round. We certainly enjoy it!! Do it, you will never regret it.

Personally, I would buy screened. I love being outdoors without the bugs. If you are unhappy, enclose it later. We may stain the concrete or add deck tiles. We will definitely be adding gutters to help keep it dry. We may also add a roll down shade to just one side where the sun hits the lanai in the afternoons.
Like another poster, we have a good-sized front porch as well - perfect for breakfast. :) Outside is more fun. It's a personal decision - the sun only hits our lanai from one side part of the day and we have a fence, so there are no privacy concerns.

Our lanai is not enclosed and we love it! Spend quite a bit of time every morning out there reading paper with coffee. Lovely in the evening! Make sure your lanai is facing east though, west facing is brutal. We’ve had both.

Florida is the allergy capital of the USA. If you are from out of state, you may discover this very quickly. A screened lanai is something you won't be using very much.

If open birdcage your. Biggest issue is rain and heat. If roofed no rain and a little cooler. Enclosed expensive but must be under AC

We enclosed our lanai to keep it clean. Before enclosing we had to dust it down in order to use. Now we just open it up, use it whenever we want the close again and it is always ready for use. The pollen here is a killer of cleanliness. We did a glass enclosure

We have a west facing screened lanai and even with very expensive and comfortable furniture we almost never use and I have a pool. That said unless the space has been incorporated into the house and is heated and cooled I would still just go for standard screened.

We have ours enclosed with a mini split A/C and solar shades east facing and we love it. We sit out there every morning with our coffee and newspaper. With all the rain and wind we have had this year so far, the open lanais must be a nightmare.

We bought house with enclosed lanai and wished that previous owner had not installed windows and air conditioned it. It is a now a "too" bright living room that we do not use. Considering adding a hot tub/jacuzzi. Good luck with your endeavor. There are a lot of variables.

Totally agree!

Totally agree with everything you said. I love to play cards and MahJongg on our enclosed and temperature-controlled lanai. We don't have to be concerned about getting wet, cold, or hot so our game is not in jeopardy. We have a bar there as well so if someone is losing badly, s/he can still enjoy oneself.:icon_wink: