What's worth more: Detached without garage or link-detached with single garage?.

[KentishMama]

Hi!

Were in the process of applying for planning for two new build houses. The houses will sit side by side on approx 450 sqm plots each with a shared driveway. Because of the width of the plots, we have two options:

1. 2x fully detached houses, just over 150 sqm each, 3x bedrooms upstairs and 1x decent size study downstairs. Parking in front of the house, off-road, but no garage or car port.

2. 2x link detached houses, connected by two garages in the middle (so each house has one single garage). The house would be slightly smaller, just under 140 sqm. 3x bedrooms upstairs, but the study downstairs would be pretty poky. You would struggle to market it as a 4-bedroom house. Additional parking in front of the house would be identical to option 1.

As we're planning to sell, which option would you say is the higher value?

I personally think that link-detached houses are much less attractive than detached ones. But is not having a garage a huge detractor?

Thanks!!!

For me option 1 would be best.

Option one.

If everything else was equal I would say option two but then you start talking about pokey studies, etc. Go for the bigger square footage houses.

Ask a local estate agent.

(FWIW I think option 2).

For what it's worth, when I say pokey, I mean something like 2.5 x 2 m, rather than 2.5 x 3 m if we don't do the garage. The hallway and upstairs landing would also be much better if there's no garage.

I don't care for a garage but do the houses in option 1 have enough storage inside the house? Around here no one uses a garage for a car it's just storage.

But neither would be 4 bed OP, irrespective of garage?! Not quite sure I understand why you've referred to 4 bed.

I think the bigger house style would be more valuable.

I disagree. People love a garage. The slightly smaller downstairs is IMO offset by having somewhere to store bikes, garden tools, sleds, ladders, all that shit. Apparently some people even use them to park cars! Lack of garage was a total dealbreaker for DH when we were moving (he had a motorbike then). We also have an outside freezer in ours and my parents keep their chest freezer and tumble drier in theirs.

Oh man, this is hard!!!

I think of it was option 1, you could call it a 4-bed house because the room downstairs would be big enough for a generous single or smallish double. In option 2, you would need very very very cheeky to call it 4-bed because the downstairs room would barely fit a bed. Does that make sense?

Storage. Need to look at that again. There's a very good sized utility room in both designs and the garden is large enough for a shed etc. Upstairs has good storage under eaves etc.

I wouldn't (and dont think many people would!) class a house with a downstairs study (even if it was big enough for a single bed) as a 4 bed, so I wouldn't factor the 4 bed thing into your decision. It's to do with storage / desirability of detached/ garage etc.

If you have two houses exactly the same one with and one without a garage then the garage apparently adds ten percent value.....that is a Phil Spencer fact! But obviously this would be offset by the smaller house and it being link detached which personally wouldn't bother me at all.

I dislike link detached because if people start converting their garage or extending above it you'd feel like you're in a semi detached house surely? I live in a terrace house btw so not being snobby!
And i wouldn't market it as a four bed if one room is downstairs however a three bed with study or small games room for the kids would be ace so option 1 for me.

Option 1 but I do like a garage for all our junk. Have you thought about another option? One huge detached house with large garden and garage.

What are the gardens like? Is there room for a big shed?

I have never had a garage but I do have a big shed to store kayaks, bikes, camping stuff etc in.

Option 2, but I'd have the utility in the back of the garage and then bigger living space if it was my choice...

Why not bite the bullet and go for a pair of 4 /5 bed semis with loft rooms and integral garages?
Pretty sure that a 5 bed semi well done would fetch more than a 3-bed detached.

Personally I'd prefer option one, as a decent shed would solve my storage needs.

But, I think that a garage is a deal breaker for a lot of people.

Having read so many horror stories on here, the shared driveway would put me right off!
Sorry, I know that's not what you asked.

Thanks for your comments, everyone!

There would be space for a shed in the garden for sure.

Properly semi detached homes are fairly rare for the area, so we don't think the council would favour them. It's in a village where the majority of houses are detached.

One big home is an idea we've toyed with, but if someone can afford a massive 5 bed detached home, then our plot isn't picturesque enough to be first choice, I think.

And the numbers stack up too. 2 x 3/4 bed homes would sell for around £400k or even £450k each depending on quality etc. One 5 bed would sell for £550k to £650k max if you do an amazing job.

Another problem with one big house might be that it would be significantly larger than most other houses in the road. The council might argue that it's not in keeping with the character of the neighborhood then.

This is a really interesting process, I'm learning so much!

I don't know. A garage is a deal breaker for me. It's to store all the power tools, bikes, bbqs, gardening tools, pots, compost. A shed won't cut it.

PS: I wouldn't be hugely keen on the shared drive either, but there aren't many plots / houses available in and around our village, so I think some buyers would be okay with it...

Do the two houses need to be identical / mirror image? Would one proper-4-bed-with-garage and one 3-bed-with-off-road work.

Would it pay to get a professional designer to get the maximum out of the space.

Really would rule out any house with a shared driveway, no ,after how high spec it was inside. Is there any way around it? If you'd be link detached with garages in the middle is there no way to part the driveway down the middle too?