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Garage addition ideas (pics)

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bzaster

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Jul 28, 2011
Messages
11
Hi all,
I recently bought a house with a TINY attached garage. The garage is accessed from an alley into the backyard. Currently I can't fit my small car into it and would like to expand outward toward the alley. I know I'll need to check with build codes etc but I'd love some advice/ideas/thoughts with what I should do. As you can see from the pictures, I have a long iron rolling gate which opens to the alley. Here are my measurements.
Garage=16' wide x 12' deep (8'2" floor to ceiling).
Garage door=8'11"w x 6'11"h
Asphalt in front of garage=21' wide x 28' long (garage to gate).
Gate opening is about 20'.

Fiancee and I are just starting to fix the backyard (foreclosure), and I'm not allowed to expand wider into the grass area :mad:



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Stuart in MN

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Minneapolis
Was the garage always that shallow? I've never seen anything like that before, I wonder if a previous owner walled off the front part of the garage for a utility room or something. It does look like you could extend the garage towards the alley, but like you say it will depend on local codes.
 
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clkimmel

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Aug 17, 2010
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Location
Suffolk, VA
Stuart in MN said:
Was the garage always that shallow? I've never seen anything like that before, I wonder if a previous owner walled off the front part of the garage for a utility room or something. It does look like you could extend the garage towards the alley, but like you say it will depend on local codes.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, it looks like the garage was shortened inside. It also looks like you could add on to the end going toward the alley and regain the length.
 
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kyle242gt

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Jan 5, 2010
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Norcal
Figure out your setbacks before you do a single thing. No use getting all excited just to find out it's a no-go.

Another vote for shortened garage - the off-center expansion joint is a giveaway. Depending on how valuable whatever's on the other side is, reclaim the space.
 
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GarageEnvy

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Fresno
That almost has to be a conversion. I see them all the time in my area. The owner wants to sneak in a conversion and doesn't want to remove the door or arouse neighbor and city official suspicion so they wall off behind the track. Based on the window, I'd say there's a bathroom to the rear. My first step would be to compare the square footage of the house from your appraisal and/or the listing of the property to the county records. If they're off by about 120 sf that's another clue. The appraiser would have had to make mention of this in the report and you might not have to re-investigate this. If that's an illegal conversion, you may want to think twice about adding on and inviting inspections. Hopefully it was all done by permit if it was a conversion.
 
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Jeff Ivers

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Apr 9, 2010
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Location
Oklahoma
Ditto the other responders. In addition, what do you mean you cannot expand on the grass side - I have never heard of building codes preventing one from expanding towards the center of the yard? If the building code will allow it, I would add about an 18' wide by 15' deep extension with the additional width split between going to the block wall and the center of the yard. This width would allow a 16' wide door.
 
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SuperSocket

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Michigan
Jeff Ivers said:
Ditto the other responders. In addition, what do you mean you cannot expand on the grass side - I have never heard of building codes preventing one from expanding towards the center of the yard? If the building code will allow it, I would add about an 18' wide by 15' deep extension with the additional width split between going to the block wall and the center of the yard. This width would allow a 16' wide door.
Click to expand...

Property can not be consumed by an "x" factor of ratio of floor footage to property footage. Not sure if this is common in all the areas, but it is here where I am. You can not have say a 1,500sqft home on a 3,000sqft property for example... so if you are already consuming a lot of land then you might have a problem expanding anywhere.

Cryptic1911 said:
Hm.. either have to add on or buy an old mini cooper to park in there
Click to expand...

Yep. Buying a smaller car is cheaper.


Additions will cost a lot and it looks like you are pretty close to that back fence, I would rather reclaim the space than to add, but that is just me.


I wonder if this was approved by the city? Also, check if your neighbors has their garages close to the alleyway.... that might be a good indication if you can get permits for such close construction. I have seen some cities that allows garages to be placed nearly on the property line against the alleyways.
 
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B

bzaster

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Jul 28, 2011
Messages
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Thanks for the responses guys. The original garage was in front of the house, but that room was made into a dining room. The section of the house with the current garage was an addition, you guessed it. Behind the current garage there is an attached bedroom with bathroom and kitchenette. I'm pretty sure the previous owners used this garage as a grow room. Great grow room, ****** garage.

I guess a mini cooper could solve my problem, though my car is a BMW Z3 Coupe, poor thing sticks out the back about a foot :(
 
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bzaster

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Jul 28, 2011
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kyle242gt said:
Figure out your setbacks before you do a single thing. No use getting all excited just to find out it's a no-go.

Another vote for shortened garage - the off-center expansion joint is a giveaway. Depending on how valuable whatever's on the other side is, reclaim the space.
Click to expand...
Other side is a pretty nice bathroom and kitchenette. Would hate to lose that kind of value.

Jeff Ivers said:
Ditto the other responders. In addition, what do you mean you cannot expand on the grass side - I have never heard of building codes preventing one from expanding towards the center of the yard? If the building code will allow it, I would add about an 18' wide by 15' deep extension with the additional width split between going to the block wall and the center of the yard. This width would allow a 16' wide door.
Click to expand...
I can't expand on the grass side because wifey won't let me...:bowdown:

ockie said:
Property can not be consumed by an "x" factor of ratio of floor footage to property footage. Not sure if this is common in all the areas, but it is here where I am. You can not have say a 1,500sqft home on a 3,000sqft property for example... so if you are already consuming a lot of land then you might have a problem expanding anywhere.



Additions will cost a lot and it looks like you are pretty close to that back fence, I would rather reclaim the space than to add, but that is just me.


I wonder if this was approved by the city? Also, check if your neighbors has their garages close to the alleyway.... that might be a good indication if you can get permits for such close construction. I have seen some cities that allows garages to be placed nearly on the property line against the alleyways.
Click to expand...

I'll check into it all. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
O

OhioSiouxFan

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Oct 17, 2011
Messages
110
Location
Northwest Ohio
Great pics and nice car! I don't see how you'd be hurting the house any by extending that garage back another 4-6 feet, if your set back permits (try for a variance if it doesn't). You'd only be invading current driveway space. Although, looking at your pics again, you might not have enough room to park in the driveway without sticking out to the road/alley, unless you could carve out a bit of space on the right of the garage door for outside parking.

If you did extend the garage, it looks like you could replace the garage door with a bigger one and have a two car garage.
 
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csp

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Mar 23, 2010
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Franktown, CO
bzaster said:
The section of the house with the current garage was an addition, you guessed it. Behind the current garage there is an attached bedroom with bathroom and kitchenette.
Click to expand...

I would bet anything that the addition was 100% garage at one time too. The expansion joint on the floor leads me to believe that.

Regardless, like someone said earlier, check the setbacks on the property. No sense dreaming if you are already as close to the property line as the county will allow.
 
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B

bzaster

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Jul 28, 2011
Messages
11
ockie said:
Oh this is easy to park... just get four of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1250-lb-capacity-mechanical-wheel-dolly-67287.html

And then roll your car in the garage sideways. Looks like you are simply just storing your car (not daily driver), so this is a simple fix.
Click to expand...
Haha, thanks, but I do daily my car.

OhioSiouxFan said:
Great pics and nice car! I don't see how you'd be hurting the house any by extending that garage back another 4-6 feet, if your set back permits (try for a variance if it doesn't). You'd only be invading current driveway space. Although, looking at your pics again, you might not have enough room to park in the driveway without sticking out to the road/alley, unless you could carve out a bit of space on the right of the garage door for outside parking.

If you did extend the garage, it looks like you could replace the garage door with a bigger one and have a two car garage.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
csp said:
I would bet anything that the addition was 100% garage at one time too. The expansion joint on the floor leads me to believe that.

Regardless, like someone said earlier, check the setbacks on the property. No sense dreaming if you are already as close to the property line as the county will allow.
Click to expand...

Checked it out, looks like I can build all the way back to the alley (A few people on my block have garages backed all the way. Yay!
 
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