Strange Question: Why do some people park outside their garage? (how much, to buy)

[FueledByBlueBell]

To tell you the truth, I think Synopsis said it best. I think parking in the driveway looks totally trashy and I can't stand it. But, we do it on occasion when we have projects in the driveway.

Old Toliets- you sound very much like me though. I want to move away from an HOA but where I don't have to worry about anyone else.

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by FuledbyBlueBell

To tell you the truth, I think Synopsis said it best. I think parking in the driveway looks totally trashy and I can't stand it. But, we do it on occasion when we have projects in the driveway.

Old Toliets- you sound very much like me though. I want to move away from an HOA but where I don't have to worry about anyone else.

very interesting, we are polar opposite on our asthetic choices.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by FuledbyBlueBell

To tell you the truth, I think Synopsis said it best. I think parking in the driveway looks totally trashy and I can't stand it. But, we do it on occasion when we have projects in the driveway.

Old Toliets- you sound very much like me though. I want to move away from an HOA but where I don't have to worry about anyone else.

I don't think my husband's Audi looks trashy in the driveway. And even our crazy-anal HOA (Steiner Ranch) doesn't think so either. Besides, I hate that thing, so with any luck it will get stolen.

Another reason - My neighbor has a 2 car garage. They have 3 cars (his, hers, and their daughters - a freshman at Concordia). So, they have no choice. But it's not like they're junkers or anything.

[Cardiff Giant]

I noticed last night that a house across from us has parked a pickup on the lawn on the side of the house

I hope that it's not there very long.

[texastrigirl]

One of the few houses on my old street in Circle C that had a clean enough garage to get both cars into had to join the rest of us when they bought two new Toyotas in one day (a truck and an SUV) and both of them were too long for their garage. It was a pretty funny moment when they tried to pull both of them in because they were always ragging on the rest of us for parking outside our garages. That being said, I have a much bigger garage in WA and I still don't have a car inside because we still have too many bikes and now a sailboat in it, a woodworking area, and the list goes on. But I do aspire to be someone who can one day get a car in my garage. :0

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Ahh, but that is my point. At my car's age, it is worth about $4,000 for a trade in, might get $5,000 if I tried to sell it. The stuff in the garage is, at least in aggregate, much more valuable. Yeah, sure, it cost a lot when I bought it, but no matter how it gets there, it is going to get down to the minimum trade in value eventually before I part with it. MY wife's bicycle is now worth a bit more than my car - and that is just her GOOD bike, not her mountain bike or my hybrid bike or her tri-bike. The pottery wheel, the back up fridge, the camping stuff, the kayak, etc. are all used too often to convienently go in the attic and can't hang out in the driveway. Nor is there really a place for them in the house.

My car is also a commuter vehicle - I get in before the sun rises and once I get home I do not get back in it. Weekends we do take my wife's vehicle, which is in the garage.

My hail protection is my insurance policy, although a few dings are hardly worth the time it takes to fix em. I think I still got a bit of redneck in me .

Btw, calling a car an investment is kind of a stretch...it is your most expensive expense. Investment implies a return on your money. Of course, with the market of late, my money might have done better invested in a car .

amazon.com sells ceiling racks that are hung by wires. You use a crank to raise and lower it. It actually is really nice to store stuff out of the way and it is extremely quick to get down. I wouldnt use it for bikes, but for camping gear or kayaks they would be great.

[Trainwreck20]

amazon.com sells ceiling racks that are hung by wires. You use a crank to raise and lower it.

Believe me, we looked, but the kayak is 21' long, which is wider than our garage. It would theoretically fit in from front to back, but then the garage door would hit it when it opens . We have a wall mount which allows you to rack the kayay up on its side, and it takes up one entire wall above the pottery table. We did get rid of our 21' aluminum extension ladder which used to be there. If I need to get that high up on the house, I need to hire someone...I am too old for that stuff anymore .

[mimimomx3]

This thread is further proof to me that we have too much stuff.

[cleverfun3000]

[woodinvilleguy]

Do they hold up table saws? :-)

If they would let me build a seperate shop, I totally would but those aren't allowed either.

This topic reminds me of a topic about street parking that got as far as saying that children should play inside the houses and shouldn't ride bikes in the street.