re: Why don’t people build houses with wrap around porches anymore?

We have a covered front porch that I enjoy from time to time but I get a fair amount of road noise.

My goal is to have a nice, big garden out in the backyard (especially since we don’t have young kids or a dog). Going to take some time to cultivate that for sure though.

When we bought this place, the front facing the road had a porch the entire length. It was known locally as the one place that would have a cooling breeze when no one else had. It faces east. It had one swing. We took that one down (it's now on the porch on the west facing front of my husband/s wood working shop) and we built two swings from Louisiana cypress, one for either end,

The miracle (snark) of porches is that they give shade. Shade drops air temperatures and cool the houses faster than that maple tree you just planted in the front yard that you'll start appreciating in fifteen to thirty years.

A friends camp had nice porches on 3 sides. After Ida they renovated and most of those porches became bunk rooms, shop/storage and a dining room.

It is more comfortable now, but I do love the look of wraparounds.

There is a cost associated to building a porch. If this comes at the expense of living area that's a bad investment.

A smaller porch on the front for architectural interest can be good.

A porch with enough depth to allow outdoor seating is good. Many front porches are only 6' deep which isn't really adequate. As others have pointed out, the direction as it pertains to the sun is important. A western exposure in south Louisiana is a killer.

Porches also require maintenance. It's like owning another car or a boat that has to be washed several times a year. Columns and spindles made of wood with caulking must be maintained or the wood will rot out. Replacing is a drain on resources.

FTR, I used to be a OT Baller Builder. I used to be somebody .