To garage, or not to garage??? (car insurance, houses, neighborhood)

[sswaring]

I've been idly browsing the MLS listings and I notice a surprising number of homes with no garage. I grew up in NC, and did not have a garage. When I moved north, a garage became very desirable in the winter so your car doesn't have to be cleaned off/warmed up every dang day.

I assume in NC a garage or carport is desirable to keep the car from getting too hot. Here I use autoshades everywhere I go. I hate a hot car.

So, how necessary do you feel it is to have your car under cover?

Is it worth the extra money on the purchase of a home?

[adlnc07]

I think many people keep their garage filled with junk, and their cars in the driveway! That said, I think a garage is still desirable, even with NC's mild winters. You will see a fair number of older homes (i.e 30+ years) that do not have garages, as well as smaller starter homes. My next door neighbor doesn't have a garage, which is unusual for my neighborhood. Most houses have at least a one car garage (like mine). His house is also more than a few years newer than mine, so I think a builder just came up with a plan that worked for the odd shaped lot. He mentioned that he had architect plans to add a garage on to his house (along with another bedroom) but I doubt they would go to that expense (at least I hope not, because his house would be that much closer to mine!).

Anyhow, I think you must be looking at less expensive homes, in which case it would not be unusual to not have a garage at all. In an expensive home (i.e. $300K+) I think it would be a real negative not to have a garage.

[playnice]

If a house does not have a garage it must have room for one to be built or it gets passed right on by in my house hunting.

[adlnc07]

Originally Posted by playnice

If a house does not have a garage it must have room for one to be built or it gets passed right on by.

I disagree - it depends on what the norm is for a particular neighborhood or subdivision. Many starter homes (i.e. $150K range) do not have garages nor the space to build one.

[MikeJaquish]

Here's a recent thread about garages:
//www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...ze-garage.html

When looking at the garage, make sure it is suitable for your needs.

[Claire_F]

When we built our house, we both wanted a garage. The day we moved in, I insisted that we were not going to be one of those homeowners who use their garages for storage for everything but the cars. We have parked our cars in the garage since the day we moved in.

However, we do have a basement that we use for storage, so that makes it easier. Even so, I would either find another place to store things, or toss them out. It's so nice to go out on a winter's morning and not have to defrost the windshield, or be able to get to the car in the pouring rain without getting drenched.

[T|K]

I would personally never buy a house without at least 2 car garage. I keep 2 cars in it, dirt bikes, air compressor and a lot of other tool, and do a lot of work on cars. Next house I get will have a 2 car oversized garage.

[DanielleNC]

Garages are very desirable around here. It protects you and your car from the snow, ice, rain, and heat, all of which we get here. You can also work on projects in the privacy of your garage, and helps keep the sound down for loud projects. And of course the extra storage space. We were looking for a two car garage as we did not want a one car, since we BOTH wanted to park in the garage. From what I understand, it is quite a bit more to build a garage than already having a preexisting one. So I would definitly go with the house that already has a two car garage.

[sacredgrooves]

I don't really care about parking the daily cars in the garage, but I do love to have one. Great spot for projects, and keeps the litter box out of the house!

[sundaze]

This isn't a big thing, but your car insurance will be lower if your car is kept in a garage. (whether you will recoup the cost of a garage is another thing.)