prefab garage over existing driveway?

[superkaz]

Hey all- the wife and I are in the market for our first home (and consequently our first garage). One of the frontrunners doesn't currently have a garage, and the only place for one would be on top of the existing driveway. Unfortunately, that would mean that at best is would be a 1 car (about 12x22). I think I could live with that, but the current driveway isn't entirely flat or level. My initial hope had been to drop a prefab at any house that didn't have a garage, but this doesn't seem like it would work here. I'm guessing that between the rear of where I'd like the structure to go and the front is probably 6 inches out of level. Could a stick built reasonably go over this? I know that any slope wouldn't be ideal, but I'm concerned about the cost of breaking out the old driveway and pouring new just to get a 1 car garage on there. I'll attach a picture shortly.

 

[Ign]

If you're wanting the slab to support the weight likely not a good idea as there's probably no stem wall anyhow. If you're planning on building around the slab you've still got some dirt work to support the walls. 6" slope is a lot, I think you're facing dirt work no matter what.

 

[ChevyEFI]

If you pushed it back on the property some, it might be more feasible to:
- make it a 2-car.
- include an over-hang in back over a shed area / concrete pad which would really help keep the back yard clean.
- include an over-hand in front of it semi-next to the house so 2 more cars could stay out of rain / sun.

Don't compromise because of what your wife and buyers agent think is a good idea. It's probably not.

 

[superkaz]

If you pushed it back on the property some, it might be more feasible to:
- make it a 2-car.
- include an over-hang in back over a shed area / concrete pad which would really help keep the back yard clean.
- include an over-hand in front of it semi-next to the house so 2 more cars could stay out of rain / sun.

Don't compromise because of what your wife and buyers agent think is a good idea. It's probably not.

I'd be all about putting a larger garage in the rear corner of the yard, but almost immediately behind that fence is a pool and pump house. There is sabout 4-5 feet between the fence and the pump house. I thought about maybe building a garage with a shed on the back to house the pump equipment, but then it would encroachnon the pool, unless I made the back also a cabanish thing.

 

[crewchief888]

personally, i'd be looking at another house for 2 reasons.

1 this one has a pool, (i assume it's an inground)
2 no garage, and no place to put one, within reason, as long as the pool is there.


to each their own, this is just my $0.02

when we were house hunting, i refused to look at a house that had a pool, i had 2 must haves, a full basement, and a usuable garage space, then we'd at least take a look at the house.
we looked off and on for 3 or 4 years before we found the house that met all our wants & needs.

 

[rburke65]

Your local building code may not permit you to build on the existing driveway.

 

[nolimits76]

I've owned a house with a pool before. It's a love/hate thing. I loved it when first buying. Seemed like paradise. Then the reality of the maintenance and added cost of chemicals, electric and water set in. When you go to sell, you learn quickly it takes a special buyer and many flat out won't buy your house because of the pool or submit an offer that requires you to remove the pool and fill up with dirt (no joke).

Financially speaking, they are horrible investments. You get maybe 50 cents on the dollar if you ADD a new pool. Maybe. In my case, I had a massive deck connecting the pool and hot tub together and the appraisal had that valued higher than the pool and hot tub.

Not to mention, most people live in areas where pools can only be enjoyed about half the year.

Just a few things to think about BEFORE committing to having a pool in your backyard. Not to mention, you have no garage and no real easy to add one. Me personally, I would keep looking for something that better fit your needs.

 

[superkaz]

I sure appreciate all the comments. We are feeling pretty boxed in by a lack of supply on the market, particularly in the better school districts. (In this area, they are generally either really good or bad--there isn't much middle ground ). Plus its in general not the best time to buy with prices still elevated and interest rates moving substantially in the last few months.

I know there is no way to give an accurate guess with all the variables that can't be seen, but what would anyone estimate to jack out the existing rear 20 feet of concrete repour to level it up for a structure?

 

[ChevyEFI]

I'd be all about putting a larger garage in the rear corner of the yard, but almost immediately behind that fence is a pool and pump house. There is sabout 4-5 feet between the fence and the pump house. I thought about maybe building a garage with a shed on the back to house the pump equipment, but then it would encroachnon the pool, unless I made the back also a cabanish thing.

Well, I moved the filter & pump for our pool a few years back. I come to find out from the daughter of the long-time owners of our house that her Dad didn't like the old location either.

I moved them against the wishes of my wife. We now have the old filter setup converted to suction so I can use a vaccuum more easily. A filter & pump that don't stick out (most here leave theirs sitting out in the sun.) A more open backyard because of it.

Pouring a new concrete pad & rebar is easy. Extending plumbing a little ways is easy. I did consult briefly with someone who had worked in designing pool setups in the past after thinking of all my options and he said "yep, that'll work."

So plan, design, and attack. Absolutely figure out what you can do to make the side of it cabana-like. What's inside is what matters. Even if you give up the back LH corner area to an outside notch area for pool equipment, that just makes the rest of the back of the garage perfect for a workbench.

Now did you really think a lousy pool filter was a valid excuse not to do a 2CG?