Three Car Garage and other things (Plano, Frisco: selling a house, neighborhood, buying)

[GHJohn]

Have a few questions regarding some of the pointers most of the experienced homeowners on here have made

1. Three Car Garages - why?

2. Media Rooms - I've heard a lot of people claim that they are a big plus to have in a home. Why? A game room/entertainment room i can understand but why have an extra room to create a theater at home? Please understand I'm just trying to understand the logic behind this and not really putting down anyone else's preference.

Talking about homes that are priced between 350K and 400K

Also, what opinions do you have of Avery Edwards Custom Homes? My wife and I looked at one last weekend at La Cima in Prosper and were rather impressed by what they had to offer. Would like to know if anyone has had any good or bad experiences with this builder.

[unexpected]

1) You have a car. Your wife has a car. Maybe you have a kid? What if he gets a car?

Also, as being discussed in another thread currently, tx houses don't have finished attics or basements. A lot of people use their 3rd car garage for storage.

2) You're right, it's not necessary. I think this goes along with the fact that most of the North Texas suburbs are pretty much the same. There's really not that much of a difference between living in Frisco or Plano (10 minutes of traffic in the morning!). As such, when buying or selling a house, certain features that are optional become must-haves, b/c they make your house stand out from the crowd.

[GHJohn]

Ok the storage reason is perhaps the best I've seen yet. We don't have kids, yet but I can see if eventually down the road you want to sell it you would most likely be targetting the family with kids demographic.

We're really trying to wrestle around the idea of having a media room or not. My brother lives in Friso and he has a media room in his home but his wife and he barely use it. Think the only time it is used is when they have guests who sleep over and use it as an extra bedroom. I guess we will have to see about that one.

[momof2dfw]

In certain price points a 3-car garage and a media room are going to be expected. As mentioned above the 3-car garage is used as storage by some people. I've always used my attic as have the rest of us natives . Don't like parking my car in the drive or street while the garage stores stuff that could be replaced much easier than a car and worth less than my car. When it comes to the 3-car garage if you store both family cars in there you still have room for bicycles and lawn equipment along w/ pool stuff during the winter. Many communities do not allow storage buildings to keep your lawn equipment so that 3rd bay comes in handy. Now, you might also be shocked to find that down here there are MANY car collectors. Their everyday drivers might be in the drive and you think their garage is full of worthless junk. Till the day you drive by and the door is up and you see sitting in there some fine looking machinery . It will not be uncommon to find in the more upscale acreage communities to see seperate HUGE garages for these collections. For some that 3-car garage is as worthless as a 1-car garage. If they have their "collector" garage then the wife can park her daily driver in the garage.

Media room depends on the community "standards" and price point. If the majority of the homes in the communities your looking at have a media room and a study then they are going to be expected by future buyers in that area.

[GHJohn]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

In certain price points a 3-car garage and a media room are going to be expected. As mentioned above the 3-car garage is used as storage by some people. I've always used my attic as have the rest of us natives . Don't like parking my car in the drive or street while the garage stores stuff that could be replaced much easier than a car and worth less than my car. When it comes to the 3-car garage if you store both family cars in there you still have room for bicycles and lawn equipment along w/ pool stuff during the winter. Many communities do not allow storage buildings to keep your lawn equipment so that 3rd bay comes in handy. Now, you might also be shocked to find that down here there are MANY car collectors. Their everyday drivers might be in the drive and you think their garage is full of worthless junk. Till the day you drive by and the door is up and you see sitting in there some fine looking machinery . It will not be uncommon to find in the more upscale acreage communities to see seperate HUGE garages for these collections. For some that 3-car garage is as worthless as a 1-car garage. If they have their "collector" garage then the wife can park her daily driver in the garage.

Media room depends on the community "standards" and price point. If the majority of the homes in the communities your looking at have a media room and a study then they are going to be expected by future buyers in that area.

Once again a lot to think about. I'm sold on the 3 car garage, no sense in not doing it because storage is held at such a premium.

The Media room still bugs me simply because I've had builders tell me that it is really important to have it in your home as a selling point (which I figure they will tell me because lets face it, they want me to spend money on the upgrade) but I've also had people tell me that more and more families are moving away from the media room and using the game room as an entertainment/tv watching area. I have no idea how accurate this info is.

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by GHJohn

Once again a lot to think about. I'm sold on the 3 car garage, no sense in not doing it because storage is held at such a premium.

The Media room still bugs me simply because I've had builders tell me that it is really important to have it in your home as a selling point (which I figure they will tell me because lets face it, they want me to spend money on the upgrade) but I've also had people tell me that more and more families are moving away from the media room and using the game room as an entertainment/tv watching area. I have no idea how accurate this info is.

I also know people with the media room that don't use it (and those who do). For me personally, the media room is a detraction, not a selling point, because sellers will be trying to recoup a lot of the money they spent on all that projection and sound equipment that I have no interest in. What can I say, TV in the family room is good enough for me!

[GHJohn]

Originally Posted by Debsi

I also know people with the media room that don't use it (and those who do). For me personally, the media room is a detraction, not a selling point, because sellers will be trying to recoup a lot of the money they spent on all that projection and sound equipment that I have no interest in. What can I say, TV in the family room is good enough for me!

My brother and his wife happen to be among the group of people who have a media room but never use it. Only time they use it is when they have guests who sleep over. I must say having a dark room is rather nice to snooze in. I know realtors say that media rooms are one of the toughest expense to recoup, the worst being a pool (although in texas I don't know how true it is).

[Grainraiser]

I never wanted a media room but I would love to have a 3 car garage. Many folks in Texas have boats so it would be a great place to store it. I have a woodshop and a 3rd bay would be a godsend. Since we don't have basements here storage is at a premium. I know very few folks in my neighborhood that park both cars in the garage because of storage issues. My next house is going to have a 3 car garage for sure.

[5stones]

why not have the space for a future "media room" roughed out. ie flooring and wiring avail the dry up etc...but still unfished space for storage.
That way you don't put in a ton of extra money for the equipt etc...and not actually use the room, but down the line for re-sale the space is there and just needs "finished out".

We don't have a Media room...we are not big "media" people... we are however going to partly finish out the attic over the garage...for our kids to use a "teen space" esp for sleepovers. Right now the "game room" is over the mst bedroom and open on the stairs...too much noise for us, as we have 3 kids!

It will also help with the re-sale as not many houses in our neighobrhood have "media rooms".

3 car garage... that one is a no brainer... go for it. Better yet 4 car!! we have 3 cars (mine, hubby's and a govt work car) one sits in hte drive...bikes lawn equipt etc... take up one bay.
as someone else pointed out MANY HOAs won't let you have a lawn shed and if they do it'll be a very small one.

[GHJohn]

I don't want the media room either. I am nervous about not getting it and then having it come to bite me in the rear.

Would much rather have the third car garage since I think I'd get more use out of that. My wife and I don't hoard things but I assume that when you live in a home you tend to have more "stuff".