| Garages came into being as an outbuilding to keep both the horse and the carriage out of the elements, hence the name “Carriage House.” Since carriage houses were already there at first, many cars were kept next to the horses. As the car evolved and its numbers increased so did the need for somewhere better to store it. |
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During the first years of the 20 th Century the initial generation of garages were multi-vehicle buildings, some publicly-owned and some privately-owned. The privately-owned places would charge $15-$20 a month for a parking space. For this amount you’d get a parking space along with dozens of other cars, in a heated garage that was maintained and cleaned by the owner. Around 1910-12 people started to build outbuildings in the image of the carriage house in their yards. The word garage comes from the French garer – to shelter or protect. |
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The Modern Garage |
Styles changed: attached garages; folding doors; flip-up doors; and remote control doors Then in the late 1960’s and into the1970's there were two trends that prevailed when it came to garages:
- Converting a garage into a living space
- Two-car garage
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Three (3) reasons to have a garage other than to shelter a car: |
1) Today's home buyers want garages: More and more potential purchasers are passing over homes that do not have one. Unlike the belief in their parents' day they do not think that garages are a place to hide your unwanted items, those that fall under the “Should I or shouldn't I get rid of them?” These would include: unused wedding gifts; boxes of old clothes; beer signs; old bicycles; and a stack of tires for a car you had two cars ago .
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2) Conversions to Living Space = Slow Sales: Statistics in today’s market show that sellers who have a home where the garage has been converted into a bedroom, living or studio will sell for less than a similar home with an empty garage – and that is after the homes sat for a while.
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3) No Parking Rules: There is a trend in homeowner associations for not allowing parking in the driveway for more than a few hours.
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More than Just A Garage |
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| In today’s market the two-car garage, once a 70s luxury, is too small. In the days of Mork and Mindy trendy families had two cars but now it is common to see a family of four with a car for each member. Many baby boomers have bought collector cars and motorcycles, not to mention other toys that need attention like: ATV's, 17-foot boats, "summer" and "winter" cars. |
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| Twenty years ago a standard-sized garage measured about 21 feet by 21 feet and was 7-8 feet high. Back then few people owned a large SUV like a Suburban, Excursion or Hummer H2 which are around 15 feet in length. Now if you put one of these vehicles in a “standard garage” you have to find other places for your bicycles and lawn mowers, and you have a tight squeeze to use your work bench. |
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So What is the Perfect Garage? |
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Designs found at http://www.designconnection.com/ |
1) Four (4) Car Garage Space: Mom, Dad, two kids. Do the math.
2) Hobbyist or Business: room for a workshop with power tools and a lift for working on vehicles. |
3) Auto Elevators and Garage Basements: Some garage companies can install a car elevator in the garage. Here's how it works: drive into the garage; exit the vehicle; push a button and the vehicle rises. Now you can park another car underneath. You can even get a basement made in your garage and the lift lowers the car and you can drive another car over top .
4) Behind the Home: To get the increased space builders are moving the garage to the rear of the home.
5) Additions: Space allotted for sheds for garden work, greenhouses, and RV parking.
6) Organizational Systems: cabinets, shelving, workbenches and wall hooks.
7) Finished Interiors: Painted or vinyl tiled floors, paneled walls and tiled ceilings. |
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Design by http://www.designconnection.com/
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Rather than an “either-or” situation for a garage, how about a “both?” Garages and outbuildings are becoming ports for living space as well as car ports. There are some great designs for a multi-use outbuilding that can accommodate both vehicles and a fully-functional apartment |
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