New house opinions needed

[pesphoto]

So.....all you home owners out there, would you buy a house with no garage?
Do you have a house without one? Not that big a deal is it? One can always buy a big shed for shovels, movers, etc. Am I wrong?
Anyone have a carport for coverage from the snow, etc?

 

[Stu W]

My house is right across from the water so I don't have a basement. I do have a garage though, and it's filled to the brim. You need one or the other-both of course would be better. Stu

 

[peterc]

I got a house with a garage and turned it into another room.
Put a shed in the back for stuff that would normally clutter the garage.
The car hasn't complained once about being outside and it makes a spot on the driveway that I don't have to shovel.

Peter

 

[pesphoto]

Its a house that we are going to go look at. Supposedly it has a large basement, but no garage. The wife doesnt care that there isnt one, and is kind of talking me into that. But....

 

[pesphoto]

I got a house with a garage and turned it into another room.
Put a shed in the back for stuff that would normally clutter the garage.
The car hasn't complained once about being outside and it makes a spot on the driveway that I don't have to shovel.

Peter

Peter, good points. It does have a pretty big yard so a nice big shed would be doable for sure. We have lived in a apartments forever and have lived without a garage. So its not like we're not used to it.

 

[w3rk5]

Since you never had a garage before you shold be okay. Myself, I love my garage. That right! Love it! 😀

Sometimes that's the only place you can get away from things.

 

[FrankS]

Garages rock. It typically becomes a guy's space. Try to hold out for one.

 

[pesphoto]

Garages rock. It typically becomes a guy's space. Try to hold out for one.

As you can tell, Im kind of going back and forth on this, but Im leaning towards wanting a garage. I dont think the wife gets it, you know?:bang:

 

[Finder]

Just rip out the front wall to the living room and put in a garage door. Problem solved.

If you like the house, price, neighborhood, etc., AND you like DIY, then I would think about a barn kit from a place like Shelter Kits in Tilton, NH. (Just do a search.) An excellent project and an excellent space.

 

[Ken F.]

A garage is a must, for me anyway.
West Coast man, rain, rain, rain! Drive in, then walk into the house!

Cheers,
kf

 

[FrankS]

A garage is a must, for me anyway.
West Coast man, rain, rain, rain! Drive in, then walk into the house!

Cheers,
kf

Garage space is much to valuable to waste on a car!

 

[Robert Price]

Trust me... You will want a garage. I lived in a house with out a garage and it sucked. Now I have a garage and it is the best. Where will you put all your out door stuff? Sheds just don't cut it, unless you don't have much.

 

[FrankS]

As Finder said though, if everything else is great, you can always build a garage, or a shed the size of a garage. It is a great space for a guy to have.

 

[pesphoto]

Just rip out the front wall to the living room and put in a garage door. Problem solved.

If you like the house, price, neighborhood, etc., AND you like DIY, then I would think about a barn kit from a place like Shelter Kits in Tilton, NH. (Just do a search.) An excellent project and an excellent space.

Thats the thing, it's in a GREAT neighborhood, price is right. What is DIY?
Havent been in the house yet. Hopefully in the next couple days though.

 

[peter_n]

Well pesphoto you live in Providence so you get the same weather as me more or less. I'm lucky enough to have an under-the-house two car garage. When I come to sell my house (hopefully in many, many years time) I will save showing the garage to prospective buyers until the very end of the tour. I will stand at a door in our finished basement and say "this is the very best feature of this house" and open the door into the garage.

I've lived in my house for 20 years. You cannot imagine the number of times I have given thanks for the garage. The cars are protected from the elements and the bodywork always remains in wonderful condition. When you leave there is never any snow or ice on the cars; no scraping, nothing. When you return you step out of the car and you are instantly in the warmth of the house. I tell you, my garage is a beautiful thing. 😀

One thing: the garage is best if it's connected to the house in some way so that you don't have to brave the elements to go back and forth to it. In your case I'd look at the feasibility of using some of the basement space if it is possible. My garage houses two cars in line and takes up about 20% of the width of the total basement area of the house.

 

[JohnM]

I would think long and hard about buying a house without a garage - especially in the northeast. Forgetting about the convenience of it and the joy of not having to scrape the ice and snow off of your car every winter morning, not having a garage will make it more difficult to resell the house.

In addition to having spent my adult working life in commercial real estate, I am the proud owner of a two-car garage that I dream of turning into a three-car garage.

 

[gb hill]

DIY...Do It Yourself... Listen to Frank. He's right. I don't have a garage, but if I did it wouldn't be for the car. I do have a shed and a basement.🙂

 

[rover]

Its a house that we are going to go look at. Supposedly it has a large basement, but no garage. The wife doesnt care that there isnt one, and is kind of talking me into that. But....

How does she feel about scraping ice and snow off her car? I never had a garage until I bought my house. How about getting into a car that is 35ish degrees inside in the morning, not 5, a big difference. Or, not getting soaked walking into your car. It does make a difference.

How big is this carport?

 

[rover]

As Finder said though, if everything else is great, you can always build a garage, or a shed the size of a garage. It is a great space for a guy to have.

Heck, you would only have to build a one car garage. The wife has no use for one. 😱

 

[ChrisN]

When my wife and I went shopping for a house, in 1989, a garage was high on the list of priorities, along with enough space for three kids. Well, we found the right house, but it didn't have a garage. Finally, about three years ago, I got to build a garage. It's a beauty; 9 meters long by seven meters wide, a big shed. And it's not for the cars, either. Here in Oz we have a saying - "Every boy needs a shed!" It's a workshop, a refuge, a place to hide in. I have a beer fridge, TV, lighting, room to store things and work on things, and a stationary bicycle. It's perfect.