Knocking down garage for more garden

[MaryIsA]

1908 house, the garage is wide enough just for a small car, and 2 small cars long.

It’s a large store room really, in good nick, but has an asbestos roof.

I’d like to knock it dozen a few have the space back 8n the garden. We would need a shed to replace it.

Storage or garden?

Garden definitely for me

Garden

My OH and I have been pondering the same and have decided to knock ours down for more garden space. Asbestos roof, not the best condition so doesn’t look great whereas the extra garden, I feel, would make all the difference

Garage for me , I have a lot of stuff so storage is more important.

Depends on the size of the garden and alternative options for storage

The garden isn’t large and the garage is on a sunny bit.

It’s full of junk, if we cleared it out it’s a sheds worth.

I'm doing this too I can't wait, the added bonus of it being stbxh pride and joy has nothing to do with it

I honestly would not knock down a garage just to get a garage sized patch of garden back.
Demolition/groundwork costs aside, the financial hit on the value of your property would be significant.

Is losing a garage that can’t be used for a car that big a hit on the value?

Check out the cost of disposing of asbestos before you decide.

I've considered this, but like pp mentioned, I'm worried about the hit on the value of my property.

We can't fit a car in our garage. But it can fit the canoe, the trailer, the tents, the power tools, the bikes, the motorbike...
So it's a very useful storage place.

TBF whatever we replace it with has to fit 3 bikes, a potential kayak, garden furniture and act as a potting shed.

Garden, and put a shed on the non-sunny bit.

Not one person in our road ever puts the car in the garage. Off road parking is the thing that adds value here, not a garage built for a 1950s sized car.

Even if we knocked down garage and put a shed a bit further down the drive we’d have space for 2 cars in line on the drive. At the moment you could fit three.

Can you make it smaller? Seems wasteful to take it down and replace it - my builder always said use what you’ve got.

I would choose garden space. Especially if it's ugly (not saying yours is!). I'd much prefer an attractive looking shed at bottom of garden than a garage encroaching on the side, Your set up might not be like this but I've seen a lot that are and always put me off these houses, or I factor in cost of demolition!

I didn't even consider houses without a garage - we have motorbikes, cycles, garden equipment etc and need the storage

Are you selling the house in the next 5 years? If not then ignore the value hit and do what you want.
Personally I'd go for garden, storage space for stuff you will never use is just unused and wasted space.
Garage is a tick box thing to increase the value of a house by a few percent, in the same way that higher number of bedrooms does despite the square metres being the same.
You may be able to dispose of the asbestos yourself at the local dump if you know what you're doing. Otherwise it's a little bit more expensive to get a company to do it properly.
You don't need a licensed contractor for that kind of asbestos, but make sure they follow the HSE guidance rather than smashing it up and chucking it in a skip!!

contact council & ask for advise first - they might come out to check
but we were told get proper mask (DIY) & overall (throw afterwards) & cover hair & have shower & wash hair afterwards
wet asbestos don't cut or break it up & bag rubbish & check council about how to dispose of (you may have to pay for disposal)

& you could always get a wood garage if you sell?

Currently house hunting and we don't consider any properties without a garage. We are also noticing that many of the properties that have been hanging around for a while are those that have got rid of their garages for whatever reason.

We have same situation. Can't wait to get rid of the horrible garage. I don't understand how a big shed in a dull part of the back garden isn't as useful as an ugly garage taking up prime garden space.

@BrotherlyLove would you consider a large shed instead of A garage if moving?

Well, I never say never, but the house would have to be better than average or have a spectacular garden.
Obviously you have to do what's right for your family, but don't risk devaluing your house if/when you come to sell