Converting into a two car garage

[S.Hasty11]

So I am in the house hunt right now. Just looked at a house that is looking promising however it has a one car garage and I would like for it to be a two car garage. Its an attached garage that is located at the right of the house. There is also a good length drive way from the house to the street. Im not interested in a car lift. It looks like there may be just enough room on the right side to extend it but may have to get an easement to get it done. What are some cost efficient ways that any of you would recommend?

Thanks for the help

[S.Hasty11]

Also, if any of you know what kind of price range I would be looking at then that would help out a ton!

Thanks again

[ddawg16]

Welcome to GJ....

It would help to put your aprox location in your profile....helps fine tune the right answer...the way things are built varies from area to area....

Pictures would help.

Easement? You mean Variance? Big red flag....we hear about them all the time....but the general concensus is that they get denied more often than not....

Can you go back or do you have house behind the garage? (see why pics are nice?)

My first thought would be to go as far to the side as you can, typically within 5' of the property line, (varies by area...that is another reason to have your location in the profile)....and then build forward. Basically, you end up with a long garage.

A common problem most stock garages have is that there is no room in the front of the garage when a car is in it. 20' is just not enough....I have 25' and I would still like more room.

Edit...price? Depends on where you live and how much work it takes to modify what you have....like, how you tie into the existing foundation. Range could be anywhere from $15K to $50K.

[Joe B.]

There is a great thread on the top page right now with people discussing the property value return on garage construction. If you are looking for something spectacular you might need to build it yourself but for just a two car garage, you will be much better off just finding a house that already has one.

[Gary S]

The rule of thumb with garages is that a one car garage is never enough. Converting it to a two car garage is better. A 3 car is even better, but eventually, even an 8 car garage might not be enough.

So, take a serious look at your finances. Sometimes it is better to buy less existing building on more property so you are in a situation to build "more garage" in the future.

[Carl B]

Originally Posted by Joe B.

There is a great thread on the top page right now with people discussing the property value return on garage construction. If you are looking for something spectacular you might need to build it yourself but for just a two car garage, you will be much better off just finding a house that already has one.

Completely Agree. IF you are a qualified BUYER - it is a buyer's market. Put the work into finding and buying a home with a 2 Car garage - rather than putting the work into trying to fix a mistake you made in the first place.

Even if you like that house because of its current price - you won't be all that happy a year or two from now if you leave something out that is important to YOU. Homes are way to easy to buy - and way to hard to sell..

The alternative is to find a house with a one car garage that includes enough property for legal expansion.

FWIW,
Carl B.

[S.Hasty11]

Here is the link to the house I am looking at. The appx sq ft is 2700. The location is in Arkansas. And there is some house behind the garage. Let me know what other stuff I need to find.

Thanks

[S.Hasty11]

http://homes.arkansasonline.com/sale...-rock-ar-72207

For some reason it didnt post the link in the previous post...

[S.Hasty11]

And yes I meant variance not easement, sorry for the confusion.

[slopecarver]

Build a 2-car in front and leave the existing bay as a work area.

[Colonial Cobra]

I had the same thing. Take a look at the link below.