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Community and Q&A

Attached or detached garage

PLIERS | Posted in General Questions on

Hi, currently have a 2 car detached garage. I’m adding an addition and contemplating taking down my 2 car garage and adding an attached a single car garage to the side of house on new addition. So was wondering:

Attaching a garage to an addition, is that going to explode my cost or is relatively inexpensive with the overall cost of new footing, foundation etc. 

Any opinion on detached vs attached garages. Anyone have both scenarios and can tell me what they enjoyed more. Is attached garages a source of headache with rodents, vermin, etc. not planning on building any rooms above the garage. Assuming this could affect overall heating costs.

My wife is set on the idea of having more grass, I know happy wife happy life. Is there ways to make the garage more functional or part of the outdoor living space? Is it going to be impossible to add the garage later on like a couple of years later or is that going to be too costly? I know I asked this in a previous thread but would it make sense to cut the garage more narrow and rebuild the roof?

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Replies

  1. jollygreenshortguy | | #1

    So much depends on your location and personal preferences. Here's my preferences in descending order.
    1. Climate and neighborhood permitting, no garage at all, just a carport. And detail it out nice enough that you can leave the car on the driveway during good weather and enjoy using the space for outdoor living.
    2. Detached garage with a breezeway connecting it to the house.
    3. Attached, with the connection to the house being through a mudroom/utility space, so that there are 2 weather stripped doors between the garage and main living spaces of the house.

    Don't store flammables or toxic stuff in the garage, whatever you do. Instead invest in a small, well built shed for that, and keep it locked. Also don't store foodstuff in the garage. Design a pantry into your addition.

    I hope that gives you some ideas and more people pitch in with theirs.

  2. gusfhb | | #2

    A happy wife may also like getting into the house from the garage when it rains, snows, is cold hot or buggy.

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