Browse Forums Increasing Home Value 1 May 09, 2011 10:24 am We have a fairly limited budget with building and have been advised by our builder (an independant) to keep our house size to no more than 25sq - including garage. We're yet to meet with a drafty but have been drawing up some floorplan ideas ourselves for now. We were considering building a single garage (or a little larger than single, but not double) to increase living space. Could this be a big mistake in the long run? We're not worried about storing the cars in the garage all the time, as long as we can fit in one we're happy, but should we consider what is best for resale? We do plan to live in this home for quite some time so we aren't neccessarily building it to sell quickly but I guess we want to make sure it's not going to leave us with a house that will be hard to sell simply because of the garage. Would like to hear peoples thoughts on this. Thanks Building in Bacchus Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 2May 09, 2011 10:41 am I think if you are planning to live in the house and not sell now, you should build what you need. If you only require a single garage and that's all you can afford then that should be what you do. Ify ou are worried about comparisions however, what do the other houses have around you?? Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 3May 09, 2011 10:47 am I think you have to build what suits you for your purposes - however a house only having a single garage would put me off buying it - we only park one car in the double garage but we like to have lots of room around the car for kids to get in and out etc so if you were only doing a single garage but did it a bit wider than it would probably be ok. Hope that helps. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 4May 09, 2011 10:49 am What about a double carport which you may be able to get for the same price as a single garage? You can always enclosed it yourselves at a later date - one of the reasons we moved because we had a single garage and we were constantly moving cars around. We have a double now at the rental and it's heaven except when DH parks in the middle!! For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 5May 09, 2011 10:58 am BayBuild I think you have to build what suits you for your purposes - however a house only having a single garage would put me off buying it - we only park one car in the double garage but we like to have lots of room around the car for kids to get in and out etc so if you were only doing a single garage but did it a bit wider than it would probably be ok. Hope that helps. We're building on stumps with a 3 metre rise so there will be a LOT of under house storage - would that change the way you might feel about the place? We'll be enclosing the under house storage so it'll be like a large shed which is where we'll store the kids bikes, lawnmower, etc. Building in Bacchus Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 6May 09, 2011 11:01 am Mclaren What about a double carport which you may be able to get for the same price as a single garage? You can always enclosed it yourselves at a later date - one of the reasons we moved because we had a single garage and we were constantly moving cars around. We have a double now at the rental and it's heaven except when DH parks in the middle!! I'd love to be able to do that but I think the shape of our block will limit us from doing so. It only has a 9.5 metre front so the space we have at the front is quite small. (The rear fence is 30ish metres and the shortest side fence is 28ish metres - so it's like a big triangle ) Building in Bacchus Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 7May 09, 2011 11:04 am kdgirl I think if you are planning to live in the house and not sell now, you should build what you need. If you only require a single garage and that's all you can afford then that should be what you do. Ify ou are worried about comparisions however, what do the other houses have around you?? I love the idea of just doing what suits us but a part of me can't help but worry about what seems like a really big decision. The street we're building in is a new extension of a street that is about 20-25 years old. A lot of the homes are on big slopes so have been able to build garages under their homes. I have noticed some without garages but most seem to have a double. Building in Bacchus Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 8May 09, 2011 11:34 am Scout BayBuild I think you have to build what suits you for your purposes - however a house only having a single garage would put me off buying it - we only park one car in the double garage but we like to have lots of room around the car for kids to get in and out etc so if you were only doing a single garage but did it a bit wider than it would probably be ok. Hope that helps. We're building on stumps with a 3 metre rise so there will be a LOT of under house storage - would that change the way you might feel about the place? We'll be enclosing the under house storage so it'll be like a large shed which is where we'll store the kids bikes, lawnmower, etc. Yep it does - also being a new house in an older area would make not having a double garage as noticeable (new estates around here all the house have double garages so if one had a single garage it would look different and you would wonder why). So I think if it suits your family and budget now - go for the single. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 9May 09, 2011 11:42 am I'd go for a single. We only ever park one car in our double garage. One suggestion is make it about 9m long so you have room for a workshop/storage at the back. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 10May 09, 2011 11:54 am I'd say go with what you can afford and need/can fit. Personally, I wouldn't keep my car outside, but that's just me. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 11May 09, 2011 12:05 pm Our last home had a single garage, and the build we did a few years ago had to have single also due to the width of the block. I would never build again with a single garage, it puts alot of buyers off. We did ok selling both homes, but would have done better if we had a double garage. The agent's favorite conditioning tool was " oh you only have a single garage" they never said it at the start, but both times, it was said in the first week. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 12May 09, 2011 12:37 pm Is there room to put a driveway down the side of the house and put in a separate colorbond garage in the backyard later? A single garage as part of the house with an external double lock-up garage/shed in the back yard is pretty much the norm in our neighbourhood (but might not work for yours). Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 13May 09, 2011 8:56 pm go for the widest single garage you can. single and a half if possible is that's all you have room for. If You've got the room I'd got for a double carport in preference though as it can be enclosed later as someone else said. Re: Could building a single garage be a big mistake? 14May 09, 2011 9:02 pm Quote: A single garage as part of the house with an external double lock-up garage/shed in the back yard is pretty much the norm in our neighbourhood (but might not work for yours). Where I live, there are many newly built houses of the smaller size, on cottage blocks with single garages, not to mention older homes with single garages/carport. Within reason, I am always a fan of building what you want yourselves - but I agree that for re-sale value, it depends on what is the norm in your area. I'll look into different shower heads and ask the plumber about some engineering and see what he says. Thanks 2 9535 Unless there were unforeseeable issues with the site, I dont think you should have to pay for contractors errors or poor planning. I'd probably try and be reasonable and… 5 4504 |