Detached or attached garage?

[JDgreen227]

What is your preference, a garage attached to the house, or detached? All our neighbors have homes newer than ours and they all have an attached garage. However, the majority of them use the garages as a storage area and leave their cars outdoors which pretty much cancels out the convenience of having an attached garage. When I built our garage in 1990 there wasn't any really practical way to add it to the existing house without a lot of extra work, so I ended up with a detached garage and after 20 years it has basically proved itself nearly as convenient as an attached type would have been. It is sometimes a headache toting stuff the 100 feet from garage to the house, and a PIB when it is raining, BUT:

I can store flammables in the garage and not worry about them causing a house fire.

I can do noisy things out there without it bothering the wife, and the privacy is really convenient.

The detached garage blocks out much of the neighbor's yard.

I can sit on the back deck and admire my toys parked in the garage.


If you had a choice, which type of garage would you prefer to have?

 

[jdfire]

Ummm....How about both?

 

[2458n]

Detached. For all your good reasons. Plus I would make it tall to allow future extensions off the sides. Just wishing.

 

[milkman636]

Both is good.

Our vehicles sit nicely inside our attached garage, plus I have my detached pole barn for all the noisy and flammable stuff. Until 6 years ago I had never had an attached garage, now I would not want another house without one.

 

[DKCDKC]

I had the full garage/cars outside bit for years. When we retired to a larger tract, I put in a two-bay garage large enough to hold my full size pickup and a full size car with room to spare... Then bought one of those tow in garages (35 by 14) for a workshop and junk storage. I built a big shed on the side of it for tractors and stuff... And am happy with the arrangement. I might wish I had put the shed/workshop closer to the house - its about 150 feet. But having an attached garage is fantastic in falling weather and the winter generally.

 

[TripleR]

I have had both and when we built our new home 17 years ago, we went with attached and love it. My truck and my wife's car are always out of the weather and it's great in the winter time.

 

[mikim]

Around here a best bet would be an attached drive through carport with garage attached to that. You could still keep cars in garage and be able to walk to them out of the rain....or just use the carport.

 

[MoKelly]

From my experience:

--- Attached is best if the primary reason is parking the cars and storing household type stuff like bikes, mowers, yard tools, etc. It is more convenient and will typically work with a 2 car unit sized for the house.

--- Detached is best if you need a bigger facility or a higher roof (something that would look strange attched to a house) with a larger door. If the primary reason is a shop with larger tools, a tractor, a boat or other toys, a detached structure works the best.

Just my 2 cents worth.

MoKelly

 

[Pete Judd]

Hard to say without seeing a picture of your house. And how a attached garage wold look from the street or road. It can effect values quite a bit.

 

[jymbee]

If you had a choice, which type of garage would you prefer to have?

Ask me that question on a balmy summery day as I stroll out to the garage to tinker around-- I'd say detached. The same question in the middle of a winter night with below zero temps outside, and wind whipped snow piling up in the driveway?? So I'd have answer the qestion with a resounding "it depends".

We don't have any garage here in our main house yet so we're looking at the same question. Probably go the detached route and deal with the winter night thing given an attached unit wouldn't fit in that well with the house as I built it.

 

[dodge man]

Like others, we have both. My detached garage is about 250 feet from the house. I wish it was closer, but because of the terain around our house, it was the nearest flat area to build a garage.

 

[oldnslo]

Not sure in your area but here the insurance cost difference was substantial so my garage is 6 feet from the house, eaves are only 3 feet apart. Just far enough to lower the premiums yet close enough on rainy days not to be to big of a hassle.

Pole shed is around 100 feet which is the where the tractor an plow is kept for the "snow days".

 

[farmfun]

Ummm....How about both?

Yes the REAL way to go ...:applause:

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Ummm....How about both?

I was going to say "How about All Three"

David

 

[mpham]

Both for me. Attached holds work vehicles and some tools. Unattached holds tractor,mowers and fuel plus more.

 

[radioman]

Both?! this way if I had a detached garage I can dream to add on to make it bigger if needed. An add on to a attached garage is a challenge to make it look good.

 

[cdaigle430]

Insurance cost increases? I dont think so. I have both-a 30'x24' attached to the garage and a 12'x20' detached garage. Here in maine-if you dont have an attached garage then you dont have a garage-residentially speaking. A commercial larger style garage would be detached in my opinion.

I love th fact that I have a breezeway in between my garage and house-so many uses and it keeps my heating bill down. Gotta have an attached garage-I am currently working on adding heat to mine.

 

[cdaigle430]

I am adding a pool jouse to the back of mine I dont see where the challange is though?

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Both is good.

Our vehicles sit nicely inside our attached garage, plus I have my detached pole barn for all the noisy and flammable stuff. Until 6 years ago I had never had an attached garage, now I would not want another house without one.

That is what we are doing also. :thumbsup:

 

[Fi-Q]

I am just building the house ( well, ok been building for 3 years no ). I just build a small samll garage 12x16, or ee can call it a shed. My next 'mreal'm garage will be detached, minimum of 20x30 and hopeully 32x50. And eentually if ever i can agford it, there will be a attaches garage on the house, maybe, when i ll get older .....