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Original poster

To those people who would consider buying a 4 bedroom house

41 replies

jayne10b · 10/01/2011 18:58

Would you still consider it if it had no garage?

We have a largish 3 bed detached house with double garage. We are thinking of converting the huge double garage into the mother of all kitchens with dining space and chill out zone. Separately we have an option to extend for a fourth ensuite bedroom upstairs.

There would be alternative storage space so this isn't an issue, but just wondering if this would make you dismiss this house straigth away.

There is parking for 2 if not 3 cars on our drive.

What do you think? We wouldn't really want to convert just half the garage as we would completely loose the wow factor.

So four bedroom house with mother of all kitchens and no garage or,

four bedroom house with ok kitchen and garage.

OP posts:

ClaireDeLoon · 10/01/2011 20:00

Would never consider buying a house without a garage.

dessen · 10/01/2011 20:03

great idea - lots of room inside for the people rather than the car. You've got good parking so better to use the garage for living space imho

elliott · 10/01/2011 20:07

I agree though that it depends on what is the norm for other houses around your way. Where I live (big Victorian terraces) most people don't have off street parking let along a garage (and these are not small cheap houses).
But in a village or suburb with big gardens and outdoor space then it would probably be expected.

QuintessentialShadows · 10/01/2011 20:26

(Thanks Tracy, I shall keep that in mind. )

lizziemun · 10/01/2011 20:35

As long as you have enough parking it shouldn't be a problem.

We converted our single garage into a office for DH, to free up our 4th bedroom.

To be fair our garage was just filled with DH junk, it was where computers went to die .

Bunbaker · 11/01/2011 07:52

Why do people fill their garages with junk? Why not recycle it or throw it away? I don't get it. I have always used my garage to put my car in. Our current house has a one and a half garage and it houses my car, our bikes, car accessories and all our garden equipment.

There is no way I would buy a house without a garage. Ideally we would like a double garage then we can keep both cars off the drive.

GrendelsMum · 11/01/2011 10:17

Is the garden an appropriate size for a large shed? We have a secure large shed with lighting, a window, plug sockets, etc, and that's where we keep everything that would otherwise go in a garage. But our garden is large enough that it doesn't look odd.

lizziemun · 11/01/2011 10:58

Bunbaker,

Because it may come in useful one day .

To be fair our car doesn't fit in the garage.

TigerFeet · 11/01/2011 11:04

We're currently looking for a 4 bed house. A garage would be a bonus but is definitely not on the "must have" list. As long as there's off street parking for two cars, we'd be happy.

ivykaty44 · 11/01/2011 11:13

A garage would be a must whatever bedroom house

DisparityCausesInstability · 11/01/2011 12:09

We have a garage but only the smallest of cars would ever fit in it. We are converting it too. We have off road space for parking and we have on street parking too. We will have 2 large storage spaces made to fit the side passages creating a lot more space than the garage...so storage will not be a concern.

Looking down our road, there are a few people who keep their car in garages - they all seem to be pensioners. None of the people in my social circle use their garage for housing their cars - even the people with double garages don't bother, mostly because it's a pain opening and closing the door (even with a remote option) and driving carefully into and out of it.

Overall our house will have a contemporary feel so even if we were to sell - the old folk would never choose it anyway - so it matters not.

wehavenothingtoenvy · 11/01/2011 12:12

As long as it has off street parking I wouldn't be bothered. We are looking at relocating and I am keen on a 4 bedroomed house with no garage, a garage is a nice extra but by no means essential. I would much rather have decent living space.

llareggub · 11/01/2011 12:15

We live in a new-build and have a single garage which is too small for most cars. Quite a few of the houses with double garages have converted them into living space but have kept a storage area at the front for bikes etc.

nagynolonger · 11/01/2011 12:21

It must vary with area but when we extended from 3 bedrooms to 5 we would not have been given planing permission without providing off road parking for 4 cars. The garage counted as one space. I would not buy a house without a garage because even with a large garden and 3 sheds we still need one for the DC bikes etc.

DisparityCausesInstability · 11/01/2011 12:35

I think our local council used to have very strict guidelines for number of parking spaces, but I think they have relaxed these rules now - we are trying to discourage car use...why insist that people change a green space in the front of their houses for a concrete area for parking cars they don't have - it's just plain daft.

Housemum · 11/01/2011 12:56

Pretty much as everyone else has said - if you have enough alternative storage space for the average garage contents, and you have sufficient off-road parking, then go for it - have you nosed on the Rightmove website to see what other houses in the area are like, and the prices of those without garages?

the only consideration I would have is could you really fit more than 2 cars on the drive? Not just for visitors, but if this is a long term house your DDs will be learning to drive one day (not such an issue if they are still toddlers but I don't know how old yours are!) One of our neighbours converted their garage a few years back, but now their oldest DD is driving they have to shuffle around every day to shoehorn 3 cars on the drive.

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