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A lot of people in my area have people living in their garages illegally so they can't park in there. These are the garage doors that you never see open, even for a second.
A carport is easier to use for a vehicle and nicer in my opinion. Garages are built right in front of a the home and are usually ugly. I wont even consider a home with a garage in the front.
A carport in the front of a house is more of an eyesore than a garage, imho.
A carport is easier to use for a vehicle and nicer in my opinion. Garages are built right in front of a the home and are usually ugly. I wont even consider a home with a garage in the front.
A carport does not offer as much protection as a garage from thievery, vandalism, animals and weather.
During a storm wind can blow rain and snow into a carport and onto the car and you accessing the car.
And, unless they are built as part of the home originally, they look cheap.
So no, carports are not nicer than a garage by any stretch of the imagination.
I by and large don't care overmuch--I may find it bewildering myself, since I made a point of looking for a two-car garage when I moved so my sister and I could both keep our cars sheltered, but I overall don't care until it actually causes *me* any problems. For example, if my neighbor is parking in his driveway instead of his garage--eh, whatever. Don't care. If my neighbor has one car parked along the street instead of in his garage or driveway....still kinda 'eh', so long as he keeps it in front of *his* house. But when said neighbor is parking two or more cars on the street, making it difficult for any guests or service people I might have coming over to find a parking space, then I do get ticked. And yes, I know I don't own the street, but neither do they--it's called 'common courtesy' in that instance.
And I think I reached my 'ticked off' point. To give the background--I have 'newish' next-door neighbors (they've actually been here a year now.) The parents and two sons. One of the sons is 14. The other is in his mid-20's, and I know he works full-time at a local grocery store on shifts (with housing costs being what they are in Denver, I'm not surprised he lives with his folks.) Their house, like mine, is a paired unit (not paired to mine). Three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. And the family has *5* vehicles: Mom, Dad, and Older Brother each have an 'everyday' car. Dad also has what I mentally refer to as the 'midlife crisis' car. And either Dad, Mom, or Older Brother has a motorcycle. (I've seen it, but I've never seen it ridden, so I don't know whose it is.) And like me, they have a two-car garage and a driveway.
Motorcycle and midlife crisis car were always in the garage. Mom and Dad's everyday cars were in the driveway. Older Brother's car was parked on the street (which, given his work hours, would have made sense in any event--this way nobody's in each other's way when somebody else is trying to sleep.)
A few weeks ago, I noticed a lot of activity in their garage, but didn't think much of it. I figured they were probably just cleaning it out.
Turns out they turned most of the garage into another room. They had the garage door open, and I saw a solid wall about three feet back, with a regular door. There's just enough space that the motorcycle can fit into that three-foot strip between the new wall and the garage door, but now Dad's midlife crisis car and everyday car are in the driveway, while Mom and Older Brother's cars and parked on the street. With one of them being far enough in front of my house that if anybody comes to visit me, they can't park on the street in front of my house without blocking my driveway.
So now I'm a bit irritated. I don't own the street, so there's nothing I can do about it, but I find that inconsiderate.
Is a garage a non-negotiable for you when house hunting? It sure is for me.
Even when I was in an apartment, only buildings with garages were even considered.
I'd never buy or rent a house with no garage. (Not if I could help it.)
My days of cleaning snow off the car, or parking on the street (at home) are over.
As the thread title says, I just continue to marvel at the number of people who have garages but don't park in them. Either:
-- they enclose the garage for more living space, OR
-- have so much junk, uh, have so many belongings they need the garage for storage. Some garages are packed to the door. You can't even step inside.
Obviously in Florida, I suppose people don't need to worry about snow. But in parts of the country that get snow people are freezing, leaving their wipers up, heating up their car......while I go to the garage, press the opener to lift the door, and pull right out.
And just as convenient, when I leave something in the car and need to go back to get it, I don't have to get fully dressed to go outside do it.
You worry about yourself and I'll worry about me!
I don't have a basement and WILL NOT rent a storage shed!
I don't care about digging car out of snow so don't worry about me
And I think I reached my 'ticked off' point. To give the background--I have 'newish' next-door neighbors (they've actually been here a year now.) The parents and two sons. One of the sons is 14. The other is in his mid-20's, and I know he works full-time at a local grocery store on shifts (with housing costs being what they are in Denver, I'm not surprised he lives with his folks.) Their house, like mine, is a paired unit (not paired to mine). Three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. And the family has *5* vehicles: Mom, Dad, and Older Brother each have an 'everyday' car. Dad also has what I mentally refer to as the 'midlife crisis' car. And either Dad, Mom, or Older Brother has a motorcycle. (I've seen it, but I've never seen it ridden, so I don't know whose it is.) And like me, they have a two-car garage and a driveway.
Motorcycle and midlife crisis car were always in the garage. Mom and Dad's everyday cars were in the driveway. Older Brother's car was parked on the street (which, given his work hours, would have made sense in any event--this way nobody's in each other's way when somebody else is trying to sleep.)
A few weeks ago, I noticed a lot of activity in their garage, but didn't think much of it. I figured they were probably just cleaning it out.
Turns out they turned most of the garage into another room. They had the garage door open, and I saw a solid wall about three feet back, with a regular door. There's just enough space that the motorcycle can fit into that three-foot strip between the new wall and the garage door, but now Dad's midlife crisis car and everyday car are in the driveway, while Mom and Older Brother's cars and parked on the street. With one of them being far enough in front of my house that if anybody comes to visit me, they can't park on the street in front of my house without blocking my driveway.
So now I'm a bit irritated. I don't own the street, so there's nothing I can do about it, but I find that inconsiderate.
HoA mah friend! Easy as 1-2-3. One of the things I check before buying a property is the HoA rules. I am specifically looking for "no parking on the street" wordings (of course except for occasional guests). If they do not have those lovely words, they do not get my moolah.
I always found lights was the #1 deterrent of a burglar, then cars, then animals while I was an police officer
Thats why its nice to have automated lighting to ensure you always have your garage lights/porch lights on. Even better some systems have scheduled dusk/dawn lighting to turn on and off, but it doesn't do it same time everyday, it will vary the times so people cant track if they come on at 8pm and off at 6am everyday. one day 7pm, one day 9pm etc. I guess what I am saying is, cars+dogs barking but no lights= still robbed more than any house with nice bright light.
We called them timers back in the day.
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Solly says — Be nice!
. But in parts of the country that get snow people are freezing, leaving their wipers up, heating up their car......while I go to the garage, press the opener to lift the door, and pull right out.
