Garage or Hardstanding

[breadfortea]

We have been renovating our house and as it stands have a 4 bed house with 1 bed annexe. The drive needs a revamp. Currently a very small garage with not great access and parking for 3 cars. Do you think its more desirable to have a single garage or would you be happy with just parking on the drive. We would need to get planning to move existing garage back 2.5m and then would be able to fit gates across the drive or we just pull it down and put gates on the drive. We would have storage space under the garage or hardstanding. We don't really want to go down the double garage route as it would mean moving all the utilities and make access in and out difficult. Just thinking of re sale. Husband would be carrying out all the work. Thanks.

Keep the existing garage for storage - useful for bikes/tools/stuff.

Parking for 3 cars is fine.

Most garages which aren't recently built don't fit a modern car - and even if it dies mist people seem to use the garage for storage.
I'd keep your garage for stuff and just have driveway parking.

Having the same dilemma, but it’s to gain more garden.

Most people seem to want garages for storage so if there are good secure alternative storage, big shed for bikes, garden stuff etc available that would be fine by me.

@BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush No it wouldn't be to gain more garden. The house is set down lower than the drive so steps down from the drive to the front door. There is a wall along the top of the drive with an opening to the existing garage. The house is on a busy road so at the moment access is difficult. I think the choice is either move garage back if we can to make better access or take garage down and have gates so the drive is secure. The storage that is already under the existing garage could stay either way. The dilemma comes down to what would be more saleable, single garage with drive or gated driveway.....

A garage is massively useful and puts a premium on resale prices even if a bit small for a modern car. Perhaps your next buyer will have a motorbike, a hobby, is a bulk shopper at Costco, wants somewhere to store a roof box, bike rack etc. If you can keep a garage and still make your other plans work, I definitely would keep it.