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Original poster

As a buyer would you be put off by no garage?

68 replies

Callingallskeletons · 08/03/2021 11:45

Our house has a separate garage, small back garden huge drive (room for at least 4 cars but not fully practical for more than 2 unless willing to climb out of the car via passenger door and jump out onto next doors drive) but as we only have 2 cars this is fine for us

The problem is our garage, it is set back from the house and takes up half the back garden - it is full to the brim of junk (not useful junk we can’t fit in the house but utter crap) and we very rarely set foot in there

Unfortunately when we bought the house the garage roof was damaged (survey didn’t pick it up) and it was letting water in, we tried to patch it as best we could and it has held for a few years (and like I said we very rarely go in there)

However now the damage has become quite significant and the inner ceiling is completely covered with black mould, We’ve had a few online quotes for repair work but now we are wondering if actually we’re better just knocking it down

The bonus of this would be it would virtually double the size of our garden, we could build a metal shed for the limited items we would actually keep (lawn mower, ladders etc) and we would have loads of room for a decking area and a much bigger area for the DC to play and keep their outdoor toys - The only thing putting us off is whether ultimately it would damage our chances of selling in the future/devalue our house??

Would it put you off as a prospective buyer to have no garage?

So not to drip feed we live in a great area, relatively low crime rates, fairly normal neighbours, brilliant schools, up and coming high street and great travel links to bigger towns/airports/train station etc which would all work in our favour but would we be shooting ourselves in the foot to get rid of the garage altogether?

OP posts:
WhentheDealGoesDown · 08/03/2021 12:37

I would knock down the garage and replace with a smaller shed, most garages are used as sheds anyway nowadays

NotQuiteUsual · 08/03/2021 13:25

I'm another who would rather avoid a garage. They're just wasted space that ends up full of shit. As long as there's a shed for storage abd a drive for parking, it would be a plus in my mind.

NewPapaGuinea · 08/03/2021 14:09

Is there potential to build a garage to the side and attached to the house? If it’s setback already sounds like there is.

TheOneWithTheBigNose · 08/03/2021 14:13

I’d rather have the bigger garden. We had 2 garages and converted 1 into a room. The other 1 is just full of junk and I’d happily convert that one too. We have a shed and loft for junk.

changingnames786 · 08/03/2021 14:44

Yes, garage is one of the top of our list of priorities.

Bells3032 · 08/03/2021 14:46

when we were looking most people had converted garages. personally i'd rather have the extra living space or garden than somewhere to store junk and encourage me to never get rid of anything

ExConstance · 08/03/2021 14:48

I'm not bothered but DH would never buy a house without a good sized double garage. He uses it as a workshop and all the gardening stuff, including loads of pots, the lawn mower and our bikes live in there. We do keep space clear for one car, just in case the weather is really bad in the winter and we need to get out without defrosting it.

Rollercoaster1920 · 08/03/2021 14:55

I love a garage, but I hate the typical 1930s ones that are in the back garden accessed through a shared drive because they impact on the garden right by the house. In that case I'd say demolish!

Also can the storage be moved? Say a new garage / brick store shed at the end of the garden for bikes, motorbikes, canoes and spider collections? Or even bring to the side of the house?

TalktotheFoot · 08/03/2021 14:59

As long as there is plenty of other available storage space for all the random clutter that you would usually keep in a garage, then no problem at all.

Watchitgrow · 08/03/2021 15:00

Is the rest of the house a good size? I live in a small house and we use our garage loads to store stuff. In a hypothetical house hunt I’d be looking for equivalent storage but I wouldn’t care to much if that was a cellar, accessible attic or bigger house. A big shed could also do the trick but id probably want a shed and a bit more house space for our stuff.

DramaAlpaca · 08/03/2021 15:02

It wouldn't bother me at all.

We don't have a garage, we have an enormous shed instead.

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 08/03/2021 15:07

I hate garages. Just a place to accumulate junk. Love the fact that not having one forces me to be brutal and not keep stuff I don't use for years on end. Far rather have a bigger garden.

Minikievs · 08/03/2021 15:11

Storage matters. A garage doesn't.

It would only put me off if the house had a loft conversion so there was no loft AND no garage

HearMeSnore · 08/03/2021 15:12

We've just bought a new house and a garage was a "must have." Preferably detached, and we wouldn't have been put off if it was in a shabby state. The one we bought isn't great- we're going to pull it down and rebuild it anyway, but at least the fact that there is already a garage there means that we're likely to get permission.

It was a devil to find a place where we could even do that - so many houses we looked at had once had a garage but it had been converted or pulled down for garden space.

EnglishRain · 08/03/2021 15:14

No wouldn't put me off. I'd rather have a shed for 'stuff'. Would never put a car in the garage I doubt.

Lockdownbear · 08/03/2021 15:18

I wouldn't get rid of the garage to replace with a shed.
The garage properly maintained will look less shabby than most sheds, also garage is good for bikes, scooters and the mountain of other stuff our kids seem to have.

EL8888 · 08/03/2021 15:24

I would get rid. First house l bought had a garage and we knocked it down. It was crap and we would have filled it with tut (like most people do). It looked so much better and made the garden bigger. A lot of garages don’t fit modern cars in anyway

MaryIsA · 08/03/2021 15:26

We bought a house with a garage, but not because it had a garage.

We've filled it with crap - and it's useful for that and storing bikes.

On my to do list is to clear it out and see what we actually need in there. As I reckon there's a shed full rather than a garage full. And knock it down to replace with a greenhouse, potting shed/storage shed. And that would also make space for a small seating area with a view. Our garage is on the sunny side of the garden, takes up a long garage worth of what is already a small garden - and we have space for 2 cars on the drive.

It's also not in great shape, though does look quite nice - old 1930s style and looks nice with the house. Only big enough for a small car though. My golf would fit in it but you wouldn't be able to get out of the car.

I asked a similar question on here last week - garage or garden. It was pretty polarised answers.

Freshprincess · 08/03/2021 15:28

We did the same thing

Huge garage taking up loads of garden space and it was at an angle that made it virtually impossible to drive into. We got rid of it and bought a shed half the size.

We have terrible parking problems in my road, so off road parking would be a bigger issue.

Saz12 · 08/03/2021 15:39

I’d vaguely like a garage (but prefer a bigger garden!). It would be a very minor advantage but not worth £££ to me.

FuglyHouse · 08/03/2021 15:48

A garage was on our must-have list for secure motorbike storage. Not everyone who wants a garage wants to put a car in it.

MrsAvocet · 08/03/2021 15:48

We wouldn't consider a house without a garage as my DH has a classic car that needs to be kept under cover and a whole host of tools, a lathe, milling machine etc. But plenty of people wouldn't be bothered if there is off road parking and some kind of outdoor storage space. I would think that a garage in bad condition would put at least as many people off as no garage , so it makes sense to get rid of it really.

Podenco1 · 08/03/2021 15:52

Absolute must for us - bikes, outdoor equipment, tools etc all stored there.

2020iscancelled · 08/03/2021 15:54

A drive and a shed is enough for me

We converted our garage to a snug / second reception. Most of the village we live in have done the same because the houses all have off street parking for at least 2 cars.

I would like a garage next time but it wouldn’t be a priority over a lovely garden and good schools.

I feel like you might put off a tiny amount of buyers who want a garage for large storage - like the canoe PP above! - but the vast majority probably won’t care as long as you have decent storage by way of a good shed.

isseys4xmastinselcats · 08/03/2021 15:57

our priority was a house with a garage as OH has a motorbike, we cant actually get the car into our garage as the path down to it is too narrow for a car but after his last bike being stolen from outside our last house which didnt have a garage we feel a lot more secure with one and as both mid sixties and not moving from here wont be knocking it down

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