Would you buy a house without a garage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you in a close-in suburb or farther out? Almost none of the houses in our neighborhood have garages, but we’re close-in and the lots are smaller.

Op - not sure what is considered close in? Not arlington but our house is 12 miles door to door from downtown dc.

[Anonymous]

I live in Arlington and for the most part only new construction around me has a garage and even then some of the new homes only have a one car garage. So I would say a garage isn’t a “must” for suburban living, but we are close to the metro and some walkable amenities, so perhaps a different market of buyer than if you’re in a neighborhood further out where almost all the homes have garages. Personally, I would choose more living space for my family than a living space for my car (and you said you can barely even park in there anyway).

I’ve seen some beautiful additions using the old garage space where you can’t even tell it used to be the garage. I think the curb appeal is nicer without a garage. I imagine you still have a driveway to park in, some off street parking is nice and my kids like the driveway for sideway chalk, bouncing a basketball, etc. so we did want a home with a driveway.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people live in the city and close-in suburbs in this area without garages. I don't think a lack of a garage is a dealbreaker at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

+1 I was open to no garage since I like more historical homes, but it was a dealbreaker for DH. Now that I've had one for years wouldn't consider going back to life without one.

Can you expand you current garage to two car and do a smaller addition on top?

[Anonymous]

I bought a house without a garage but would love to have one.

I don't see a problem with your plan given how you describe the other houses in your neighborhood. However, my question is: where will you store all the bikes and such once you no longer have a garage?

[Anonymous]

I have bought eight houses and none of them have a garage, so yes, I would certainly buy a house that had only a one-car garage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you in a close-in suburb or farther out? Almost none of the houses in our neighborhood have garages, but we’re close-in and the lots are smaller.

Op - not sure what is considered close in? Not arlington but our house is 12 miles door to door from downtown dc.

How close are you to the nearest metro? Grocery store? Bus stops? Are there sidewalks? These are the things that make a big difference regarding the necessity of cars/car storage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a 1960s colonial house in the DC suburbs. Estimated value is $900k right now. We need more space and are debating about moving (don’t really want to) or doing a huge renovation where we convert our small garage into a two store addition. House is 4 bedroom and 2.5 bathrooms. Would add an additional office, bathroom and bedroom over the space and then below would add a workout space and a mud room.

Would you buy a close to 4000 sq ft house with no garage?

I will never again live anywhere that lacks dedicated, covered parking.

[Anonymous]

You have enough space to add a bedroom, an office, and a bathroom above. That sounds like a much bigger footprint than a one car garage. Instead of converting the garage into a workout room, why not keep that space a garage, and just put your gym equipment in it?

[Anonymous]

Depends on what’s the norm for your immediate neighborhood. We moved from a McMansion in the Midwest with a 2 car garage with bump out to a smaller 60s home without a garage relatively close in (none of the homes in our neighborhood has one). I thought we’d really regret it and miss having one, but honestly it hasn’t been a big deal and I don’t mind not having extra crap I don’t need just hanging around. I think most people are fairly adaptable.

[Anonymous]

Garages really aren’t necessary in an area that gets as little snow as DC. We don’t have one here and don’t really miss it but it would be a dealbreaker in my Midwestern hometown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need 5 bedrooms and an office? How old are the kids? How many people live there?

Op here - we have 3 young kids who are 8 years old and under (only 4.5 years between oldest and youngest). So all the kids will be living at home for their teen years together. DH and I both work from home the majority of time so need dedicated office spaces. And we have a lot of out of town guests since our families aren’t from here.

It sounds like suburban living would better suit your family's needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have bought eight houses and none of them have a garage, so yes, I would certainly buy a house that had only a one-car garage.

OP will not have any garage.

[Anonymous]

Can u fit a shed?

Where do people put bikes, kayaks, tools?

[Anonymous]

We wouldn't -- we are long past the point of living in a home with no garage. We put our cars in the garage -- I know that's unusual in this area as so many people use them as storage, but we like using our garage.