As a “Garage Guy” I am asked occasionally by builders and other about what the “perfect garage” might look like… I have a lot of answers, so I will break them down a little. I’d also LOVE to get reactions and input from anyone that has them.
For a two car garage:
- Find someone that makes a 17′ wide double door… or better yet an 18′ wide door. 8′ tall would be good, too. Just forget about single doors.
- Put in more than two outlets. In fact, two per wall is a good minimum… and then at least one more on the ceiling for the garage door opener.
- Add a 220v outlet. Two would be better… they can be next to each other, or not.
- Having a couple of feet on the side would be good. Rolling tool chests and other items need a home. A couple of feet at the back is good too. 24′ wide would be good. 25′ deep would be good too.
- (here is one for the builders). Vapor barrier under the slab. This allows the owner to put down epoxy on the floor.
For a three car garage:
- Many have a taller “SUV” door on the single. Those doors are generally 8′ wide… SUV is 6 1/2 to 7′ wide… mirrors have to be folded in to drive into the bay. Maybe the tall door should be the double.
- Make one deeper bay. A lot of people that want three car garages have either a boat of a long vehicle (Suburbans come to mind). A 25+’ deep bay would be appreciated.
- Again, keep a couple extra feet on the side for tool boxes and other storage.
- More outlets on the back wall… it is wider, so it needs more outlets.
For a four car garage (or more):
- Generally the same stuff.
- Splitting it into two garages is ok… maybe. Assume one is for the daily drivers and the other is for working.
For any garage:
- Size matters, and bigger is better.
- On new construction, adding the options for garage organization and storage would be a great idea.
- Ditto for epoxied floors or other floor treatments.
- A sink in the garage is a great idea.
- Real lighting is a necessity. A couple of little ceiling mounted lights for the garage are inadequate. At the very least having a few switched outlets on the ceiling would be good. Most fluorescent fixtures can be set up to plug in.
If you are a builder or developer, I hope that helps. If you are a homeowner, these might give you a few ideas on how to make your garage more inviting for auto enthusiasts.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Don’t hesitate to shoot Lane a message if you have any questions, or need any help. And check out the new links for FREE Property Searching, FREE Comparative Market Analysis and FREE Market Reports. They are near the top of the page…
