New House with Attached Garage

[dcuthill]

He Guys,

We have been looking into building a house for a few years now. We have also looked at tons of houses on the market, most houses just arent for our tastes or they sell really quick.

We have been talking to a builder and found a piece of land we like. Here is our first draft of the house plan. Approx 1600ft plus, with a full 9ft height basement for future and of course 30 x 30 attached garage. I have asked for prices on scissor trusses and 10 ft a 8 ft doors.

Anything you guys notice or recommend? This would be a place we stay for long time.

Thanks

 

[blkhonda1991]

if you want more garage room id shrink that mudroom a few feet...seems like a lot of wasted space in there.

 

[dcuthill]

if you want more garage room id shrink that mudroom a few feet...seems like a lot of wasted space in there.

I agree with you there. Wife seems to think we need lots of room in there.

 

[CombatNinja]

He already has a planned 30' x 30' garage on a 1600 square foot house. I think you have done well and should let the wife have her big laundry room.

 

[The Cobbler]

re the mudroom, aesthetically from the outside, I think 8' would be good, less than that think it will look crowded . by time you add in storage etc I bet that mud room would be a nice size

I din't see a door from the mud room to the garage?

 

[AV8OR]

I hate to ask a dumb question but how do you get from the garage into the house?

If you plan on staying there for a long time I would make the house and especially the baths wheelchair accessible.

Even if it is just making the doors a little larger and installing backer boards behind the drywall around the toilet and bathtub you can screw into for handholds etc.....just in case.

 

[CombatNinja]

Oops, missed that. Yeah, how do you get inside? Please don't tell me that you think it is a good idea to not have direct access to the house.

 

[ard]

Totally agree w the wife. You will be AMAZED at how much stuff gets done/stored in the mudroom. You should plan on floor to ceiling shelving or counter tops all the way around...

Years ago I had a home with a 'breezeway' between garage and home. SLab, contiguous roofline. But otherwise open. Great for kids toys, firewood, dogs, etc, etc...just to stay out of the weather. Like 16 ft wide and 30 long. Always thought it could be nicely enclosed. Next buyers did that. Not free, but very functional space.

 

[dcuthill]

There will be a door in the back corner of the garage that enters the mudroom. As well as access to the basement from the garage. The drawing is in the rough stages, we just copied and pasted a bunch of plans together.

We had a discussion about mudroom. and we think taking a foot off the width would be fine. Might go down to a 28 x 28 garage as well.

 

[wasfast]

Might go down to a 28 x 28 garage as well.

What is this heresy you speak of when you REDUCE the size of the garage. This flies in the face of all things holy, Garage Journal, and some other things I'm sure.

 

[dcuthill]

What is this heresy you speak of when you REDUCE the size of the garage. This flies in the face of all things holy, Garage Journal, and some other things I'm sure.

Agreed

But there is only so much money. Maybe one day I could dream to have another garage/shop. We will have 7 acres so lots of room.

 

[CombatNinja]

If you drive a full-size truck or large SUV, don't go down in size. That 30' gives you room to put cabinets, benches, etc anywhere you want around the perimeter and still have plenty of room to park cars without worrying about scrapes and dings. As soon as you give up those 2', life becomes a never-ending game of Tetris if you have large vehicles. My garage is 26' deep and a full-size truck (2018 Ford Raptor crewcab) barely fits as I have a workbench against the back wall. If the hitch is installed, I have to get out and double check things before I close the door it is that close. It is so inconvenient that I rarely park that vehicle inside for this reason. I did not custom build so I was kind of stuck with what I had but I would find the money to get that extra space if I were starting from scratch. My rule of thumb for building a garage is give your best estimate of how much space you are going to need and then add 10%.

 

[el monte slim]

He already has a planned 30' x 30' garage on a 1600 square foot house. I think you have done well and should let the wife have her big laundry room.

This is "The Garage Journal" after all, where some of us prefer the idea of a 900 ft² house with a 1600 ft² garage. That being said, I fully support the notion of "happy wife, happy life."

 

[DynoDave]

That 30' gives you room to put cabinets, benches, etc anywhere you want around the perimeter and still have plenty of room to park cars without worrying about scrapes and dings.

Totally agree. I'm 26 deep, and would have loved 30, but was an max size per code.

 

[dcuthill]

Builder came back with reasonable pricing so we will be going ahead with scissor trusses and the 30x30 garage. Hopefully we can get rolling soon!

 

[CombatNinja]

Scissor trusses, huh? Is a lift in your future? I could cram 4 cars into a 30' x 30' no problem with a big 4-post parking lift with scissor trusses. Unfortunately, I am cursed with attic trusses at a little under 11' to the ceiling.

Good luck with your build!

 

[Krauts]

I drive a full size F150 and 24 deep is enough to walk around it yet. Just a thought but you could drop off 4 feet across the front, add it to the side and go for 3 garage doors. We built last year and went extra wide, but I'm regretting not having a 4th door. You will accumulate to the size you have and being able to drive multiple cars, trucks, mowers in and out without having to move something is great. Money is always tough when building because there are no limits, but some things can be changed later easier than others.

 

[dcuthill]

Scissor trusses, huh? Is a lift in your future? I could cram 4 cars into a 30' x 30' no problem with a big 4-post parking lift with scissor trusses. Unfortunately, I am cursed with attic trusses at a little under 11' to the ceiling.

Good luck with your build!

It is a possibility. However a separate shop down the road may be in order, and that would be a candidate for a lift.

 

[dcuthill]

I drive a full size F150 and 24 deep is enough to walk around it yet. Just a thought but you could drop off 4 feet across the front, add it to the side and go for 3 garage doors. We built last year and went extra wide, but I'm regretting not having a 4th door. You will accumulate to the size you have and being able to drive multiple cars, trucks, mowers in and out without having to move something is great. Money is always tough when building because there are no limits, but some things can be changed later easier than others.

Agreed, I believe I will go with a smaller roll up door in the back. But also plan on a shed for the mower and ATV