No one has ever (in 11 years) said these words to us: “I should have built a smaller garage!”
Quite the opposite, actually. We hear every homeowner lament about not having a larger garage. It could be that they wished their garage was wider, deeper, or taller, but that extra space will always come in handy - especially if you have a lot of stuff!
The Garage is the Cheapest Room to Increase Its Size
When building a new home, there is an average cost per square foot for the finished areas of the main home. This average will deviate significantly based upon the floor, wall, and ceiling finish. But, the garage doesn’t have marble tile costing $15 per square foot. Its lighting is inexpensive and the ceiling is just flat drywall.
So, extending that garage to make it two feet wider may only add a few hundred dollars to the home construction cost.
Planning for your garage to be a little bigger can be inexpensive during the construction of your new home, yet be extremely helpful down the road.
When we were constructing our home back in 1998, our builder (Barefoot Custom Homes) smartly suggested that we widen our garage by six feet. The additional space allowed us to have ample room between each vehicle and more storage at the far end of the garage. While I don’t recall the exact amount, I know this was the least expensive change we made during the entire construction cycle.
Bigger Garage = More Usability & Functionality
Adding that extra width has kept us from ever banging vehicle doors into anything. It also allowed space to easily walk between our vehicles so we never brush up against a dirty car or scratch the paint.
We also changed the roofline of the garage for better aesthetics, the byproduct being a taller ceiling. That additional height allows us to easily store kayaks using rope lifts and have ceiling mounted storage units over two of the garage doors. Our wall-mounted cabinets are also taller than normal, which permitted storage of many larger items that would normally have visibly sat out along the garage wall.
While we have our bicycles on wall hooks, the taller ceiling would easily accommodate bike lifts too. I’ve even considered getting a type of ceiling-mounted storage that uses a motorized lift – which would allow me to store heavy items such as a push mower or snow blower.
A completed decorative chip, epoxy garage floor coating in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Note the use of wall-mounted cabinets.
Throw in a Few Garage Extras Too
During the initial construction, there are a few other items to consider adding to your new garage:
- Extra lighting. Don’t settle for a few ceramic fixtures. Put in florescent lights in each bay and ensure that raised garage doors don’t block the light.
- Extra receptacles. Often times a garage may only have one or two electrical outlets. Add a few extra and ensure they have their own circuit. If you plan on having a refrigerator or freezer in the garage, add a dedicated 20 amp (or higher) circuit for that as well.
- Central vac port. If you are adding a central vacuum system for the home, add a port in the garage. This allows easy cleaning of your vehicles' interiors.
- Insulation. If you decide to add heat to the garage, insulating your walls and ceiling will make that solution much more effective. In another blog, we discussed several types of heat for a garage that may be added after the initial construction.
- Garage floor coatings. Of course, STRONGHOLD FLOORS always recommends a professional grade, polymer floor coating to protect the concrete floor and add that final, finishing touch! Request a free quote today to get started!
