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The focus on $$$/SF by too many buyers helps support small garages.
Added expenses in construction on items that don't add SF of living area raise the $$$/SF of the home.
It shouldn't be that way, but it is one factor.
Again... spot on.
Here oversize garage or even having a garage is a marketing tool to those looking to covert legal or illegal so as to rent out living space.
People really do live in illegal converted garages...
There was a notable case in San Jose where a home owner rented out his garage to a family for $1000 a month... it had a toilet and sink... $1000 doesn't rent anything here.
Anyway... when code enforcement got involved the Judge order the owner to vacate his home as the tenants provided a enforceable rental agreement and he Judge noted there is only one legal dwelling a 1234 Elm Street...
Our current house has a 440 square foot garage. We keep both cars inside along with the yard tools and some tote boxes. The 2 bikes, bike trailer and bike rack are hung up to clear enough space for both cars. I refuse to park cars outside and "stuff" in the garage. That seems to be a common theme nowadays. It is a little cramped with both cars parked in there, not too much wiggle room on each side.
The house we moved from had a 520 square foot garage and had plenty of space so I didn't have to hang anything and had plenty of wiggle room on either side. I miss that garage...
In most areas, garage square footage is taxed, but at a reduced rate.
In most areas, garage square footage is taxed, but at a reduced rate -- in my town, it's a 55% discount compared to "conditioned space".
I had a tough time finding a "small" house with a large garage, ended up getting a house with more bedrooms than I'll ever need, as anything smaller also came with an undersized garage.
My garage is +900 sq. ft. and if anything I wish it were deeper (front to back) so I could fit one more car.
The term "oversized garage" was first written by a life-long apartment dweller who saw a space with no wallpaper for the first time. I have a 24 by 36 garage and a 24 by 40 pole barn. I also have a 10 by 14 shed for small stuff. If this property came up for sale in this market, nobody would ever describe it as having an "oversize garage". It is barely adequate for the vehicles, camper, boats, snowmobiles, ATVs and airplane.
In most areas, garage square footage is taxed, but at a reduced rate -- in my town, it's a 55% discount compared to "conditioned space".
I had a tough time finding a "small" house with a large garage, ended up getting a house with more bedrooms than I'll ever need, as anything smaller also came with an undersized garage.
My garage is +900 sq. ft. and if anything I wish it were deeper (front to back) so I could fit one more car.
I don't think garages are even included in square footage here in the SF Bay area.
I have a small house, but my 2-car garage is 23 feet deep.
Newer places I have seen often have garages that are only 20 feet deep, plus the driveways are really short.
Last edited by SFBayBoomer; 05-06-2018 at 11:25 PM..
If you can, build it with more size than just what you need.
My garage was built as big enough to put the Forester on one side, the F-250 Crew on the other. As things go, right now, they fit in there pretty well with room left over for the diesel generator, my MTB, the garbage bin, the chest freezer, work table, camping tables, etc..
So what's the problem?
A flaw in the design of the ranch was that while the well storage tank is located uphill from the house, there is insufficient gravity flow to provide water pressure. I would get flow no pressure. So a boost tank had to be built into the garage and that took up the room for the -250's cattle guard, so that had to come off.
As it is, the -250 fits into space like a glove. Once inside and the door is down, if I want something from the chest freezer without opening the bay door (which requires a pet check to ensure no one is in the garage), I have to crawl through the cab to get to the other side. I might climb over the pickup bed or shinny around the rear bumper but I'm rather afraid of missing a step and doing a leg or two harm.
Even without the boost tank addition, I would have had the same problems.
So if you can, get your garage to fit your vehicles...............and then some!
Where I live, about 2/3 of the residents are retirees. Oversized grages are "top-of-the-lidt" mentions in realt estaet listings. Seniors like the idea of finally having a workshop in their garage (or a refrigerator for extra beer). Plus the older you get, the more you appreciate having nice wide areas to park.
In my current two-car Dallas garage, my skinny-azz daughter cannot get out of her Corolla when parked on the left side, and the passenger would not be able to get out if she parked on the right.
It's a two car garage and is practically unusable as convenient parking for even one compact car.
I keep seeing so many MLS listings where the agent says “oversized” when referring to a 2, or even a 1 car garage, when they clearly are not.
Your average 24x24 garage is NOT oversized. I can barely fit my Ram 1500 in there and close the door.
Oversized to me would be something like 30x40 feet.
And while we’re on the subject, I’ve also noticed that most listings never show pictures of the inside of the garage. People care about this stuff!
Everywhere I look, "standard sized" is 20x20 or 20x40 (two car) or 20x30 (three car). "Oversized" means you also have space for things such as snowblowers, tool chests, work bench, ski storage, parts storage, pressure washer, shopvac, paint & painting supplies, power tools, trash & recycling containers, sink, maybe a fridge, luggage etc. etc in addition to your cars.
At the same time, you're right in being frustrated, and it will just get worse because automobiles & trucks are getting larger because of EPA Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules.
The EPA changed its rules for CAFE in 2011 to use a “footprint rule”—which refers to the area within the perimeter of the four wheels. So, the larger the footprint, the more gas the EPA allows the vehicle to consume before punishing the manufacturer. The rule change effectively incentivizes building larger vehicles by holding them to progressively easier standards.
So, the average new vehicle on the road is longer, wider and taller than the vehicle it replaces, and of course your garage is still 20x20 per vehicle so it sure feels small.
A 2008 Ford Explorer XLT measured 193.4 inches long and 73.7 inches wide. The 2018 Ford Explorer is 4.9 inches longer and a whopping 5.2 inches wider than its prior model. The 2019 Ram 1500 Crew Cab is 3.9 inches longer than the previous model on a 4.1-inch longer wheelbase. The 2019 Chevy Silverado pickup is 1.6 inches longer than before on 3.9-inch longer wheelbase.
The end result: we see lots of homes where the owners park their vehicles in the driveway rather than inside the garage, and the garage becomes more progressively full of stuff.
Last edited by SportyandMisty; 05-07-2018 at 10:18 AM..
My garage is +900 sq. ft. and if anything I wish it were deeper (front to back) so I could fit one more car.
Mine is 1100+ sq.ft, and if anything I wish it were larger. It's my man cave. Pics from when I finished epoxying the floor:
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In most areas, garage square footage is taxed, but at a reduced rate.
