This post is sponsored and contributed by HomeAdvisor, a Patch Brand Partner.

Your favorite cable TV show declares that "winter is coming," and this time it happens to be right. As the darker season approaches, you may find yourself wishing you could bottle up all that summer sunshine for future use. But you don't have to jet-set to the Caribbean every time you're craving a dose of vitamin D. Adding a sunroom can create a miniature oasis of welcome warmth right in your backyard!

A sunroom can be as simple as screening in a porch or adding a roof to your pre-existing patio, or as elaborate as constructing a from-scratch Victorian solarium replete with fancy scrollwork and fainting couch — and there are so many options in between! If cost considerations have prevented you from sunbathing all winter long, you may be surprised to learn how affordable it can be to add a room that always looks on the bright side of life. Here, the cost experts from HomeAdvisor help you weigh your options:

If you're fortunate enough to reside in sunny Florida, you may be imagining a breezy screened patio that keeps bugs out and beloved neighbors in. Looking down the barrel of a long, cold winter in Iowa or Maine? You probably want a sturdy enclosure with high-efficiency glass that traps heat in the chilliest months while giving plants (and kiddos) a sunny space to grow. Keep in mind that glass is generally the costliest aspect of adding a sunroom, so homeowners in northern or mountainous areas will generally have higher upfront costs (sorry, stoic types!).

Your sunroom can serve as a solo oasis just big enough for your favorite house plant, a table and chair, or a sprawling second family room with dedicated spaces for dining, entertaining, playing, gardening and conking out on the couch with a book on your chest. The larger your sunroom, the more the cost goes up: Think of all those extra building materials and manpower hours you'll need.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Unless you're screening in an existing porch or patio, adding a sunroom is usually considered as an addition; and with this comes the need to secure permits, ensure environmental safety, use large or specialized equipment, and make sure every aspect of the build meets or exceeds your town's building codes. It's always best to hire a professional for these reasons — not to mention the fact that a professional won't get distracted by your kid's macaroni art and forget to finish until spring!

If your back patio barely gets any use in the summer (and no, using it as an outdoor repository for coolers and pool toys doesn't count), you can give it new life by turning it into a sunroom year-round. By starting with the existing patio structure, you save money on flooring. And if there's already an awning and you don't need cold-weather protection, you could save big by not adding a roof. For a minimal patio conversion, you can expect to spend anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000.

Going the whole hog (turning your patio into a fully enclosed second living space with a solid roof, walls with big windows, and a new floor) will cost you more, probably between $20,000 and $35,000. But it still won't be quite as costly as adding a full new room to your home.

Your kids' dollhouse and the swing set in the yard came from a kit, and if you could have built your husband from one, you probably would have! Sunroom kits are a popular way to get a luxe sunroom for a fraction of the cost of building from scratch, and they come in an amazing variety of sizes, materials, and levels of fanciness. Depending on how crazy you want to get, a sunroom kit can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000. Labor will run you extra, but it's worth the cost to hire a pro — so all you need to do is click "buy" and start dreaming of restful hammocks and color-coordinated pillows.

Always dreamed of being a location scout for film or TV? While it may be too late for that, you can still be one for your sunroom! The best spot gets shade in the summer but makes the most of winter's warm rays. An area surrounded by leafy trees that shed in the winter (or, alternatively, a spot where you can plant some) is ideal. And if you live in a cooler climate, try to situate your sunroom facing south to take advantage of the warmest light.

Looking to spend January in your bikini even if you live in Wisconsin? Your best bet for a tropical-feeling sunroom is energy-efficient windows that lock in heat, such as ones that have been certified by Energy Star. Two more things to keep in consideration: U-factor, which deals with the ability to retain or lose heat (you want a low U-factor of 0.3 or less), and SHGC, which stands for Solar Heat Gain Coefficient and deals with the amount of solar radiation that comes through the glass. If you live in a cold area and want a sunroom that's toasty all winter, you'll want windows with a high SHGC rating.

Just because winter is coming doesn't mean you have to break out the mukluks and summon your wolfhound to sleep on your feet. A sunroom can keep you tanned and sun-kissed from October to June and provide a welcome extra room for the summer months as well.

No matter what your dream sunroom looks like, HomeAdvisor can help you figure out exactly how much it will cost, as well as match you with professionals in your area who can turn that dream into reality before sweater-weather arrives. Your future's so bright, you'll have to wear shades.

Image from WikiCommons by Tnytusa1

This post is sponsored and contributed by HomeAdvisor, a Patch Brand Partner.