Deck + screened porch combo

I got quoted about 180k (we live in Northern Virginia) to completely tear down our current deck (it’s an old wood deck and deteriorating/falling apart) and replace it with a 25x21 deck + a 20x20 screened porch. The flooring material will be composite and it’ll have quite a few “add-ons” like lighting, heaters, a feature wall to mount a TV, lattices for the entire area below, etc. Got multiple quotes and all the reputable “elite” deck builders land around that ballpark estimate.

This will likely be our forever home but this is still a huge investment! We’ve never experienced a screened porch before so not sure how much it’ll improve our day to day living…but we are a homeschooling family of 8 so more functional outdoor space is a must!

Please share your screened porch love and convince me that it’s worth it!! Or, share any wows and convince me not to spend that money!

Please be honest, but please don’t be mean 😬.