We had been using a very scary, rickety porch that was obviously built just to be temporary by the previous owners. A very dear friend of ours, Barbara, had given us some 2 x 6's so we threw them together and built a nice deck that measures about 8'x 8'. We probably should have thought about the low overhanging eave off the front of our house more when we placed it so there isn't a step down from the house. Just watch it, if your tall, when you walk out to the edge...lol

This was the porch we had......scary!