Domestic Garages - function?

Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

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On the 'Shiny Shiny' Thread we have mentioned 'Function over Form' in relation to car design.

That got me thinking about domestic garages. I only have a single garage (last house on development - no room!) and it was built with the house. It's detached and has a proper pitched, tiled roof and lights/power but it's not big enough for a car!

My Datsun sits in it but most modern cars would be too big. How stupid is that, bit like car park spaces?

That got me thinking, how many of you have a single garage that you use for your modern car? Around me at least 90% of people (many with double garages!) don't put a car in the garage - it's too awkward and the space is useful to store other stuff like bikes, ladders, garden furniture etc.

It seems a garage is provided in name only when it really functions as a storeroom.

Any builders on here, are there minimum measurements for new garages?
 
So true. There are two single garages at the back of my house, one has my Z in it and there is literally 10" space front and back, the other garage is smaller still. Actually, that's not strictly true; both garages have my Z in, just different pieces :p. But you couldn't fit a family car in either, no chance. Single garages are just glorified garden sheds, somewhere to keep the lawnmower and hide from the missus.
 
A real annoyance with me at the moment Rob. I've been looking into buying a house, and that is my one stipulation, a big enough garage. New build houses have tiny tiny garages, which basically rules them out, and older houses with double garages in this area are probably out of my budget.

I don't think it form over function with small garages, it's just cram as much as possible into the smallest space! My mate lives in a new estate, and honestly, the whole estate feels claustrophobic.

Oh, and estate agents don't seem to consider garages as the slightest bit important. Try searching for one! :(
 
Dale said:
I've been looking into buying a house, and that is my one stipulation, a big enough garage.
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Dale I bought my house 20 years ago and before it was built so I didn't really understand how small the garage would be. A large garage was on my list too and most of the similar houses on my development (posh word for estate) have a double garage. When I realised I could only have a single I asked the builder to make it longer but that would affect my neighbours view so it wasn't allowed.

However the house was perfect in every other way so I accepted it.

My next move (only had 2 houses in 32 yrs) will be a small rural cottage with some outbuildings for tinkering :thumbs: Wife wants a smaller house, I want a larger garage.

Whilst out and about recently I looked around a 'development' at Melboune near Donington. The houses were the modern 3 storey style (retro really) and it looked lovely but I realised that when everybody had moved in the place would be spoilt by all the cars. Artist impressions etc don't show all the cars that people have these days.
 
our z31 fits in our garage,,with nose touching a chunk of carpet and a whopping 1.5 " to spare at the rear when the door shuts :thumbs: The great thing is if you exhale violently you can JUST get in and out the drivers door :eek:;)
 
My 260Z fits in the garage - just about, but it hinders me when trying to work on it.

I recall when my car was having it's exhaust fitted and was with the fabricators for a few days I thought I'd stick the wife's car in it.
It fitted in but I couldn't open the doors to get out - it's a Merc SLK !!

Hope to move later this year / next year and a double garage is definately on the cards - or the space to build a decent one.
 
zpuppy said:
The great thing is if you exhale violently you can JUST get in and out the drivers door :eek:;)
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I line my 240 up and push it in! I have a rollcage with side protection which makes getting in and out a bit difficult in a garage.

Put my lads Clio Cup in when we went to Le Mans in 2008 - we had to push that in and it seemed massive compared to the 240Z.

How do builders they get away with it, are we not demanding enough?

Pmac has my dream garage (as long as he's not in it ! ).
 
My last estate/development house had a single garage of adequate proportions but with a three foot passageway to the side for garden access. Knocked the whole thing down and built it three foot wider and nearly six foot longer. It wasn't a double garage, but it was a very comfy work space to build cars with access all round and a good sized workbench to the rear. The house was a lucky choice as the option to extend wasn't there on any other property in the close.

I looked at a local property the other day advertised as having two garages - the integral one would have difficulty accommodating the smallest vehicle and the second (purpose built) needed knocking down and extending to make it useful - again a modern development.

Those who have visited MJP will know that I don't suffer from lack of garage space here, but I would assure anyone that your accumulated "stuff" just expands to fill whatever space you have...
 
I have a relatively new build house (5 yrs old) which we bought new and are surprised at how roomy the garage is.

It's a single garage, and the RX7 fits in nicely, with a push bike either side (so getting in and out is possible although the doors don't open all the way obviously!) and I have a bench and storage at the far end (so a good probbaly 2 meters of space were I to push the RX7 right up to the wall).

I was amazed for a new build single garage after all the stories about them. I'm guessing though I got lucky!
 
morbias said:
Move the wife into the garage and move the car into the house - problem solved!
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:thumbs:

Mr F, going sideways is my option (like Matt's garage) but I have a side window in the passage plus going from back to front garden would involve a trip through the garage with the bins etc

No the above solution is best :lol:
 
My wife keeps going on about moving house but she must know there's about a snowballs chance in hell that I will leave my garage
 
Some of the problem comes from the latest planning guidance.

I did a couple of 3 bed semis on a narrow one way street where we showed two parking bays for each. They came back and said we could only show one as the planning guidance had reduced the parking requirement to encourage people to use public transport. Needless to say we put one in and they park the other car on the grass next to it....

A parking bay is normally sized at 2.4m x 4.8m but this assumes that door opening can use some of the adj bay.

We would usually not show anything less than 2.8m x 5m, (and preferably 3m x 5.5m)

On some larger house this is increased to accommodate the Disco/X5/Range Rover.:)

Another factor is that cars seem to be getting larger. Compare the size of the Mk1 Golf to the current one for example.
 
I've seen a house for sale, unfortunately too far away, that has a single garage that's big enough not to need to push the car in, but instead of having a rear wall it has another garage door so you can move the car onto a strip of driveway into the back garden. How good is that for a classic car owner? :thumbs:


Oh, and I forgot to mention, at the back of the rear garden is another garage. A double one! :eek:

Hmm, is it worth the extra commuting costs and being away from the friends and the family? :unsure::D
 
Dale said:
I've seen a house for sale, unfortunately too far away, that has a single garage that's big enough not to need to push the car in, but instead of having a rear wall it has another garage door so you can move the car onto a strip of driveway into the back garden. How good is that for a classic car owner? :thumbs:


Oh, and I forgot to mention, at the back of the rear garden is another garage. A double one! :eek:

Hmm, is it worth the extra commuting costs and being away from the friends and the family? :unsure::D
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That's brilliant, go on then give us a link?
 
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