Do I need a garage in the north? (Erie, Butler: real estate, how much)

[AButler2005]

Hello all,

I am from Houston, Tx and am moving to Erie, Pa in June or July. I have never seen snow in my life (other than the pathetic drizzles we have here once every few years) and know absolutely nothing about living in it. I am looking for a house between LECOM and Penn State Behrend, and I am noticing that many of them do not have garages.

Is it important to have one?

If you have any other advice, please let me know! Thanks

[susquehannock]

Originally Posted by AButler2005

Hello all,

I am from Houston, Tx and am moving to Erie, Pa in June or July. I have never seen snow in my life (other than the pathetic drizzles we have here once every few years) and know absolutely nothing about living in it. I am looking for a house between LECOM and Penn State Behrend, and I am noticing that many of them do not have garages.

Is it important to have one?

If you have any other advice, please let me know! Thanks

Well, Erie sits on the edge of Lake Erie and they get a lot of 'lake effect snow' in the winter. It probably isn't absolutely necessary to have a garage if you don't mind cleaning snow off of your vehicle on a regular basis.

I don't have a garage and I absolutely despise cleaning an inch or two of snow off of my car. With a garage, I wouldn't have to waste the time.

Of course PA garage owner are much like garage owners in other parts of the country. They fill their garages with junk and leave a $30,000 vehicle sitting out in the weather.

[jfeagin]

Also ask yourself if you think it is fun to start your work day scraping off ice/frost/snow on a freezing morning. I guess you could get the car started and leave it with the defroster on but I never felt comfortable doing that.

[snowny]

We have lived on Lake Ontario in upstate NY for 34 years and have had a garage for 13 years. If you can get a house with a garage I would recommend it. But many folks do without one. You do have to scrape ice and snow off if you park outside. It is also advantageous to have the car in the garage if you have to use a snowblower or call someone to plow your driveway after a heavy snow.
I guess if I was moving to Erie from Houston I would want a garage. The cold is enough to get used to. I used to live near Dallas and there is enough to get used to "up North".

[orrmobl]

In most places besides the Erie vicinity I would say no, but the threat of major snowfall would require one, not only to keep your car warm and clean but to house your snowblower...

[mawipafl]

I would put a garage high on the priority list. I lived in three northern cities, and only one of the houses had a garage. It was high on our list, but wasn't a deal breaker. But the benefits are vast - yes to, of course, added storage possibilities and keeping snow off the cars, but also a huge benefit if it's an attached garage - makes unloading groceries in the dead of winter a much-easier task.

[Ohiogirl81]

That's a pretty wide expanse of real estate. What neighborhoods are you looking in? At which campus will you be spending most of your time? How much can you spend?

It's not vital to have a garage, but it's nice to have one (says the girl who would race to beat her dad home from work so she could claim the garage). Brushing the snow off the car really isn't that horrific of a chore; what's more of a pain is chipping ice off the car after ice storms. But those aren't as plentiful as snowfalls.

If you live out closer to Behrend, though, your property may be big enough to add a garage if you like.

If it came down to a choice between two houses, though, take the one with the shorter driveway. Consider a snowblower. Don't panic unless the snow accumulates at more than a foot; anything less is just a mere annoyance in Erie.

More snow advice? Drive slowly, but not too slowly. Keep your foot off the brake. Clear your entire car of snow and ice, even the roof and fenders. Come September, get a good pair of waterproof boots. Dress in layers when the snow starts to fly.

Buy snowshoes, and enjoy the beautiful scenery in the snow. Learn to ski or snowboard. Take up ice fishing. Embrace the winter!

[Rtom45]

We live in Erie. It would be a mistake to move into a home without a garage. In addition to the snow (118 inches so far this season), it gets cold. You'll be scraping windows every morning. Not only that, but if you park on the street you'll get plowed in.

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by AButler2005

Hello all,

I am from Houston, Tx and am moving to Erie, Pa in June or July. I have never seen snow in my life (other than the pathetic drizzles we have here once every few years) and know absolutely nothing about living in it. I am looking for a house between LECOM and Penn State Behrend, and I am noticing that many of them do not have garages.

Is it important to have one?

If you have any other advice, please let me know! Thanks

You are in for quite a shock if you've never seen snow! Erie gets around 100 inches of snow per year, thanks to Lake Erie. I don't have a garage, and I wish I had one. It can get really old chizzling ice and snow off your car every other morning (I'm not exaggerating, it often snows at least a few inches for several days at a time.) Also because of the great lakes, winters are extemely cloudy, a lot like Seattle. It can get quite depressing, and Seasonal Effective Disorder can be a problem, especially if you are used to a sunny climate.

Have you ever driven in snow? Unless it snows well over a foot, you will still have to go to school/work and drive in snow.

On the bright side, we almost always have a white Christmas.

[Summering]

I don't live by Erie.......but in a snow belt non the less........
I've had no garage and garages.
It is tremendously easier to have a garage. No taking the snow and ice off the car on a daily bases is wonderful. Such a savings of time and effort..........
By Erie...........I'd put it first on my list of needs when buying a home.