Do not paint your porch white!

Deborah, yep, the nice fresh look disappears too quickly...

David, yes, even if the porch is stained in a dark color it needs touch ups and new paint jobs. It needs cleaning and TLC regardless of paint color used. But white color will make all the imperfections much more obvious. 

Brian, white just does not want to stay put :)

Kwee, natural looks great IMHO

John, I wish it wsn't white...

Valerie, yes, grey, or dark brown... I guess at this point it's all about taking a plunge and sanding it down.

Liz, yes and no. Some buyers cringe when they see a white porch, because they are either very familiar with what happens rather soon, or they don't like the look as they are used to brown / natural toned porches. I heard people even say "who in his/her right mind would EVER paint their porch white". Besides, the porch is often in the back of the house, so doesn't necessarily add to the awe of first impression moments and curb appeal.

Sandi Nichols, absolutely. And what is sad - you need to redo all your hard work quite soon, whereas with a  dark colored porch you save on labor

Sandi Gerrard, it does look very pretty.

Janet, yes, that's a good point - South seems to be more forgiving, and lots of sun is probably bleaching the white and the color is holding up better in the long run.  Of course it also depends on how well the painting job was done.

Jim, grey is a great idea. Our last landlord was the porch master, or so it seems. He painted the porch every 4 years, and cleaned it twice a year (spring / fall usually) with soap and water, or some type of cleaner, but with a broom, he never power washed. He painted it reddish brown... I wonder if this is a winning recipe?