I wish we had a garage! It is possible but, we would have to spend $$$ to get one and it isn't worth it. Next house ( especially living in any cold weather town) is totally worth it. But, in the back or the side. I don't like the garages in the front.

It's a non negotiable for me and my husband.

Cars that are kept garaged maintain "their looks" better--the paint doesn't fade or rust from being out in the elements. Less likely to get dinged up by hail or a neighbor kids ball. Or little foot prints from outdoor cats climbing on the hood.

When my kids were little, it was so much easier to bring them to the car when it was right in the garage. The temperature transition wasn't as drastic during the really cold or hot times. And since I had multiple young kids at the same time, it made it easier to bring them in one at a time. I wouldn't have felt as safe doing that if my car was parked in the driveway or in the street.

Having a garage is a "must have" for me in a home search--specifically a garage I can actually park a car in. In our home search, we found some homeowners had "upgraded" cabinets/workshop in their garage, making it impossible to park a car in it. Those were immediately off our list.

I don't like a prominent garage, but I do like either a detached garage or side-loading. A place to put cars during big storms, store bikes and tools, etc.

We are DIY-types. It's a nice place to store tools, or to work on things when it's raining or cold outside.

Anonymous wrote:They're great in the cold, snow and rain. This area isn't so cold or snowy, so it's less of a plus than it would be farther north.

+1 Though I also appreciate having it in the summer as well, a cooler shadier spot to get in and out of car. Car does not broil in sun. My husband insisted we get a garage--I didn't care but now am so happy to have one.

Anonymous wrote:Never thought much about garages until we bought a house with one. It is such a convenience. In addition to all of the other reasons pps have listed I like being able to load up the car with all the stuff my kids and I need the next day in my pajamas the night before, I can load up screaming kids in privacy, storage for trash cans so I can take out the trash in my pajamas, less risk of having your car vandalized/stolen.

PP here, yes, this! I liked being able to walk to my car in PJs or looking like a disheveled mess to clean it out, load for the next day, etc.

Never thought much about garages until we bought a house with one. It is such a convenience. In addition to all of the other reasons pps have listed I like being able to load up the car with all the stuff my kids and I need the next day in my pajamas the night before, I can load up screaming kids in privacy, storage for trash cans so I can take out the trash in my pajamas, less risk of having your car vandalized/stolen.

They're great in the cold, snow and rain. This area isn't so cold or snowy, so it's less of a plus than it would be farther north.

Anonymous wrote:Garages protect the cars in cold, show or rain. They make it more pleasant to go from home to car in inclement weather, assuming garage is attached to the house. They come in handy for storing items like bicycles or yard equipment, although this can be stored also in a basement or separate shed on the property. I like garages. Is it essential to me? No. But it's nice to have.

I love my garage for these reasons.

Loved having a garage when I was transporting my newborn in and out of the car during cold weather.

No need to heat up the car or shovel off snow.
Extra storage space.
Keeps car cleaner.
Nice place to store all the tools, gardening things nearby.
Good place to keep the trash without little creatures getting to it.
Easy alternative to letting cleaning people, family, dog walkers, etc. come to the house by using the garage code and not having a key copy floating around out there.
Did I mention you don't have to warm up your car in the snow or clear any of it off?

I don't want to spend time scraping ice off of my windshield in the morning. I also don't really want to have to shovel out a parking space. I don't enjoy getting into blazing hot cars in the summer. When it's raining and I have things to unload from the car I'd rather do it where it's dry.

Pretty much it in a nutshell.

Garages protect the cars in cold, show or rain. They make it more pleasant to go from home to car in inclement weather, assuming garage is attached to the house. They come in handy for storing items like bicycles or yard equipment, although this can be stored also in a basement or separate shed on the property. I like garages. Is it essential to me? No. But it's nice to have.

I've long had a dim view of garages as a feature for (most) houses, but I think I am in the minority. I might weigh in with my reasons not to like them later, but I'd really like to hear why people think they are good use of $$$.