Upgrading to 3 car garage during construction

[ludakris04]

I can see some of you have not been paying attention to new construction in developments.

If you are on a budget and looking into new developments at a particular price point, you just cannot have it all.

Tract builders are unlikely to expand footprints, as that requires a lot of re-engineering, as well as re-doing city approvals, hard space requirements, setbacks, etc.

The fact that he even got an option to go larger is nice. Definitely go as large as the builder can go.

But thinking you are going to get (or even negotiate for) a nice 25x25 2 car or 25x35 3 car garage in a mid priced tract development is fantasy land. The majority of non garagejournal buyers do not desire that over more first floor square footage. And in a new development lots are not large, so between setbacks and impervious surface limits typically the house+garage+driveway footprint is already as large as absolutely possible.

The way around this? Either lots of $$$, or don't go for a development. If you value being in a development for neighborhood feel, lots of kids around, etc, your only option is a higher end development. Around here you have to spend $500k plus to get something with a decent garage in a development. All of the $250-400k new construction has your typical 19x20 (2car) or 19x30(3car) garage.

yup, this is why once the kid graduates HS, I want to move... where we are the development behind ours has larger lots and used to have a 3rd bay available (have since changed builders).. I wasn't willing to spend the extra $150K

 

[glend123]

I would prefer that the 3 car be 1 large open space. NOT a 2 car and 1 car separated by a wall but still under one roof.

 

[TPowell]

I'd add the extra bay. 16' door is tight for two SUVs and the extra bay would give you room for non car stuff.

If you can get them to insulate and finish also see if they can add outlets. Even if they are on the same 15 or 20a circuit that feeds the garage they'll be useful.

Having the builder do it means it'll just be added to the mortgage so it's not a big cash outlay like doing it later would be.

To me, it seems like we could use the single door to park a smaller car or small SUV as well.

 

[CombatNinja]

To me, it seems like we could use the single door to park a smaller car or small SUV as well.

Not practical if, like most of these 'add-on 3rd bays", the interior is not one big open space. Go inside one of those 10' wide singles, unless you drive something really, really small and or both you and your wife a good drivers. Try telling your average woman that she is going to park her Mommy mobile in a 10' wide single garage. Hope you paint the drywall the same color as the car because there's gonna be a whole lot of scraping' going on.

 

[TPowell]

Not practical if, like most of these 'add-on 3rd bays", the interior is not one big open space. Go inside one of those 10' wide singles, unless you drive something really, really small and or both you and your wife a good drivers. Try telling your average woman that she is going to park her Mommy mobile in a 10' wide single garage. Hope you paint the drywall the same color as the car because there's gonna be a whole lot of scraping' going on.

True, it would be for a car more than likely but we could also just drive in at an angle and use some of that space from the 2 car side.

 

[bigdave_185]

I flipped from the normal, I made the 10x10 door the wife’s, then took the 18’ door the full length 48’ all the way back.

She has her side and I have my side
Then added a mezzanine avocet here’s last fall after We moved in to avoid the inspection







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[yeldogt]

I'm confused. Does the design require the original outside wall stay .... so, the new single garage is just ... tacked on ?

If so -- does it flow with the overall design?

 

[Temaweaver]

These standard 2-car garages today are ridiculously small. You can't swing a door open without banging a wall or the other vehicle. My two car is 27x25 deep inside.

 

[Blind1]

My 20x21 is fine for two cars and nothing else or one car and the usual garage “stuff.” The 3 car garages in my neighborhoods are always terribly organized, but if you kept the 2 car portion completely clear of “stuff” along the walls you’ll be fine.