Better to move vs build pricey garage?

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Personally I've never seen a massive benefit from having a detached garage, but maybe it's just that the only one I ever had was kinda gross/crappy. Attached garage is super convenient, especially when trying to get out of the house with kids.

The way to make it really work financially might be to go all the way to a laneway suite if possible? Obviously that's a much bigger kettle of fish.

Let me know how much Charlie gets for your catalytic converter. Also scraping windows in the morning is superb.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by Twitchy15

I have a big garage note I’ve been keeping track of all kinds of stuff to remember good ideas I’ve read or seen. Wish I knew if we would stay here for sure because if I’m uncertain I will probably just build a basic garage but depending on cost we have a lot of space could easily have a parking pad triple car garage and if it was two storeys for storage or whatever the second storey would be level with the house that’s how sloped the yard is. Like needs 8 foot plus retaining wall

Realtors’ mantra is “location,location,location”. If you like the area build it. Having space for a large 2-story makes a rental unit feasible, if city allows, and will help recoup the cost.
Mother-in-law suites work well for independent teens also.

[CroFlames]

I have a heated attached garage and it feels like a personal win each morning I get into a toasty vehicle. That feeling is basically priceless. I almost feel like royalty.

Garages are the bees knees. Move or build, but either way acquire a garage somehow.

[DFO]

I'd build the garage regardless of how long you're there. I think it's a huge value add and you should be able to get it back on a potential sale. We're in the middle of a house hunt and garages have been absolute deal breakers for us. There have been 5 or 6 houses that we liked but the garages were rubbish. The most common problem is too small despite being advertised as oversized double. It's a deal breaker to have to move out one vehicle to get in/out of the second because the overall width is too narrow. Length is also a consideration with trucks or full size SUV's.

If you were to put up a 24'x24' garage with a 18'x8' door it would absolutely be a differentiator compared to other properties. The last garage I built was a 26'x28' with a 8' door. You can comfortably get in & out of each vehicle and still have ample room for work/storage space. The tall door is also fantastic for accommodating roof racks and boxes.

Personally I'd never consider leaving my vehicles out in the elements full time if I could help it - why expose them to snow, hail, UV rays, and CAT thieves?

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

For me the big question is how long you see yourself staying. If the garage keeps you in that house for 10+ years I'd build it.

But if you're likely to move in a couple of years anyway (eg because more kids, whatever) then I'd probably do the move now and let someone else deal with the building project.

This. If it is your "forever home" spend the money and build the garage, if not save the money for the right home when the time comes to move. This is straight out a Love It or List It episode.

[Table 5]

Wherever you do build a garage, go as big as you reasonably can, both in width and in height. Even if you don't drive, there's no such thing as too much storage space...especially when you have a growing family in your future. Bikes, sports gear, winter tires, tools, trailers, skis, camping gear, holiday decorations, extra fridge etc. etc. etc.

Personally I find that having a spacious and functional garage to be one of the best things about owning a house over a condo.

[greyshep]

Seems like a no brainer decision to build a garage. As others have mentioned, it will add value to your home in addition to making it a lot more appealing to future buyers. Essentially your overall value will go up and the amount of potential buyers will also go up.

Realtor and moving costs are brutal so I would do all you can to stay in your current home and make it more appealing, unless you really dislike your home, then thats another story. But if you dislike your home, chances are those you are marketing it to wont like it either.

[Twitchy15]

Originally Posted by DFO

I'd build the garage regardless of how long you're there. I think it's a huge value add and you should be able to get it back on a potential sale. We're in the middle of a house hunt and garages have been absolute deal breakers for us. There have been 5 or 6 houses that we liked but the garages were rubbish. The most common problem is too small despite being advertised as oversized double. It's a deal breaker to have to move out one vehicle to get in/out of the second because the overall width is too narrow. Length is also a consideration with trucks or full size SUV's.

If you were to put up a 24'x24' garage with a 18'x8' door it would absolutely be a differentiator compared to other properties. The last garage I built was a 26'x28' with a 8' door. You can comfortably get in & out of each vehicle and still have ample room for work/storage space. The tall door is also fantastic for accommodating roof racks and boxes.

Personally I'd never consider leaving my vehicles out in the elements full time if I could help it - why expose them to snow, hail, UV rays, and CAT thieves?

That’s the thing to we could move but sometimes older houses the garages are super small and decrepit. My parents built a two storey house and didn’t think about making the garage bigger … it was 20x20

I actually really like vehicles and want to take care of them the best I can. I hate having to park outside and don’t see a point of owning a nicer vehicle until I have a garage.

[Twitchy15]

Originally Posted by Geraldsh

Realtors’ mantra is “location,location,location”. If you like the area build it. Having space for a large 2-story makes a rental unit feasible, if city allows, and will help recoup the cost.
Mother-in-law suites work well for independent teens also.

I’ve seen one or two rental suite garages around here and many two storey. I don’t think my wife likes the idea of having renters living at our house at all. But it would be super smart.

24x24 with parking pad beside is bare minimum but triple two storey would be cool if money wasn’t an issue lol

[Twitchy15]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Wherever you do build a garage, go as big as you reasonably can, both in width and in height. Even if you don't drive, there's no such thing as too much storage space...especially when you have a growing family in your future. Bikes, sports gear, winter tires, tools, trailers, skis, camping gear, holiday decorations, extra fridge etc. etc. etc.

Personally I find that having a spacious and functional garage to be one of the best things about owning a house over a condo.

Yeah our storage is a big issue at our house. So if we were being insane and build a triple car garage the second storey could essentially be storage or whatever. Been meaning to go talk to a neighbour about his second storey garage and find out about his.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Personally I've never seen a massive benefit from having a detached garage, but maybe it's just that the only one I ever had was kinda gross/crappy. Attached garage is super convenient, especially when trying to get out of the house with kids.

It's still better than no garage; for protection of vehicles and a place to store things. Unless you were planning a massive renovation or tear-down, older neighborhood lots are often poorly suited for an attached garage.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Twitchy15

Yeah our storage is a big issue at our house. So if we were being insane and build a triple car garage the second storey could essentially be storage or whatever. Been meaning to go talk to a neighbour about his second storey garage and find out about his.

Man, that'd be a decent idea if the second story was at ground level. You wouldn't need to finish it or have high ceilings, but just to be able to walk in and have it full of toys, bikes, storage, even a workshop...it would mean the "car hole" could be a bit smaller overall without suffering, since you wouldn't need to keep much down there.

[timun]

Originally Posted by accord1999

It's still better than no garage; for protection of vehicles and a place to store things. Unless you were planning a massive renovation or tear-down, older neighborhood lots are often poorly suited for an attached garage.

The "massive benefits" of having a detached garage are quite literally exactly the same as an attached garage, except for the perceived inconvenience of not being attached to the house.

The Land Use Bylaw prohibits attached garage access from an alley, and contextual rules under the bylaw prevent driveways from being poured in many older neighbourhoods. Generally if you have an alley you won't have driveways out the front, and therefore by extension attached garages are de facto not allowed. Twitchy15 said he bought "an older '60s home"; almost assuredly he lives in one of these areas with back alleys and thus detached garages in the back yards. He won't have a choice in the matter: either detached garage or no garage.




That said, I'm kind of in the same boat as Twitchy: I live in an area developed in the '50s-'60s, one of only a couple properties on my street with no garage out back. I have a massive (~3300 sq ft) back yard that I barely use, and desperately want to build a garage out there. However, my house is a little 1000 sq ft bungalow and admittedly a bit of a dump (other than a new roof it hasn't been significantly reno'ed in 30 years...), and building a garage will do essentially nothing for my property value; my property value would be maximized if the house was blevvied and I sold it to a developer. I can pretty much guarantee no one in their right mind would buy the property and keep the house. But it's a perfectly good size for me, I don't need any more space, and it would make it a lot easier to undertake renos to the house if I had a garage for storage space.

The rational part of me says spending well upwards of $50,000 (I don't have grade issues like Twitchy, but I have to undertake a complete electrical panel replacement in the house and service upgrade to make a garage happen...) on a garage is foolish, because I'll never get more "out" than what I put "in", but at the same time I don't foresee moving any time soon and I want a space to keep my cars in and have workspace to tinker with them, rather than borrowing other people's garages. I think my quality of life would shoot up tens of thousands of dollars' worth by having a garage. I think that's all that matters, and worrying about property values is a bit of a nonsense shell game. Like I said in my case there's a kind of reductionist absurdity to it all: it'd be worth more if I didn't live there at all and just tore the house down. But... I still need a place to live. And I might as well enjoy it.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Man, that'd be a decent idea if the second story was at ground level. You wouldn't need to finish it or have high ceilings, but just to be able to walk in and have it full of toys, bikes, storage, even a workshop...it would mean the "car hole" could be a bit smaller overall without suffering, since you wouldn't need to keep much down there.

There was an awesome house we looked at in Bridgeland/Renfrew on the ridge on Colgrove Ave with a massive drop from front yard to alley and the detached garage’s second floor was at the backyard level which was basement walkout level of the house. Would have been an awesome family room, workshop and art studio away from the house.

[Twitchy15]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Man, that'd be a decent idea if the second story was at ground level. You wouldn't need to finish it or have high ceilings, but just to be able to walk in and have it full of toys, bikes, storage, even a workshop...it would mean the "car hole" could be a bit smaller overall without suffering, since you wouldn't need to keep much down there.

Yeah we will see when I do get some quotes it will be basic 24x24 all the way to a tripe two storey lol see my options for the money. It would be the best use of space for sure. Most people in my neighbour the roof of there garage is a deck and level with the main part of the yard.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Twitchy15

Yeah we will see when I do get some quotes it will be basic 24x24 all the way to a tripe two storey lol see my options for the money. It would be the best use of space for sure. Most people in my neighbour the roof of there garage is a deck and level with the main part of the yard.

Sweet, build a tunnel from the garage to the basement. Best of both worlds.

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

[Twitchy15]

Originally Posted by timun

The "massive benefits" of having a detached garage are quite literally exactly the same as an attached garage, except for the perceived inconvenience of not being attached to the house.

The Land Use Bylaw prohibits attached garage access from an alley, and contextual rules under the bylaw prevent driveways from being poured in many older neighbourhoods. Generally if you have an alley you won't have driveways out the front, and therefore by extension attached garages are de facto not allowed. Twitchy15 said he bought "an older '60s home"; almost assuredly he lives in one of these areas with back alleys and thus detached garages in the back yards. He won't have a choice in the matter: either detached garage or no garage.


That said, I'm kind of in the same boat as Twitchy: I live in an area developed in the '50s-'60s, one of only a couple properties on my street with no garage out back. I have a massive (~3300 sq ft) back yard that I barely use, and desperately want to build a garage out there. However, my house is a little 1000 sq ft bungalow and admittedly a bit of a dump (other than a new roof it hasn't been significantly reno'ed in 30 years...), and building a garage will do essentially nothing for my property value; my property value would be maximized if the house was blevvied and I sold it to a developer. I can pretty much guarantee no one in their right mind would buy the property and keep the house. But it's a perfectly good size for me, I don't need any more space, and it would make it a lot easier to undertake renos to the house if I had a garage for storage space.

The rational part of me says spending well upwards of $50,000 (I don't have grade issues like Twitchy, but I have to undertake a complete electrical panel replacement in the house and service upgrade to make a garage happen...) on a garage is foolish, because I'll never get more "out" than what I put "in", but at the same time I don't foresee moving any time soon and I want a space to keep my cars in and have workspace to tinker with them, rather than borrowing other people's garages. I think my quality of life would shoot up tens of thousands of dollars' worth by having a garage. I think that's all that matters, and worrying about property values is a bit of a nonsense shell game. Like I said in my case there's a kind of reductionist absurdity to it all: it'd be worth more if I didn't live there at all and just tore the house down. But... I still need a place to live. And I might as well enjoy it.

Exactly our house is small and would not impress many people. But it is really all we need but we always want more. A slightly bigger house with better storage would be great but the hassle of moving and the costs, increased mortgage etc. makes it a hard choice. The portion of our useable yard is quite big compared to new houses the slope is probably 30 feet by 55 feet of the yard.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by timun

The "massive benefits" of having a detached garage are quite literally exactly the same as an attached garage, except for the perceived inconvenience of not being attached to the house.

If your use case is limited only to a place for your car to sleep then they aren't far off (though your shoes probably got wet today), but there are dozens of reasons attached is legitimately more convenient - especially if you have young kids. I'm too lazy to list them all right now, but there are tons of seemingly trivial differences that really add up.

[cam_wmh]

Reading the complaints about detached vs attached garages, why aren't 'Breezeways', more of a thing in Calgary?

And Twitchy, a Carriage house with nanny suite, and triple garage has my vote.

[timun]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

If your use case is limited only to a place for your car to sleep then they aren't far off (though your shoes probably got wet today), but there are dozens of reasons attached is legitimately more convenient - especially if you have young kids. I'm too lazy to list them all right now, but there are tons of seemingly trivial differences that really add up.

Or one can choose the easier solution and simply not burden themselves with children.

As I explained there are (essentially) no rear-access attached garages in Calgary, so most attached garages are stuck on the front of "snout houses" in the 'burbs. That in and of itself is a pretty big inconvenience.