By Nicole McLaws, SunMedia
April 25th, 2010
Without a front attached garage, homes have a more traditional, inviting look, with verandas, eye-catching front doors and oversized front windows.
However, homeowners still need to park their car, and the street doesn’t often cut it.
In Calgary, snow, rain, ice and wind can wreak havoc on a vehicle, which is why, for many, a garage is a must.
That’s why we asked the experts: When someone has a garageless home, is it worth adding a garage to the backyard?
“It’s simple to add a garage to a laned home,” says Shane Homes’ Candice Albo.
“It can be constructed at the same time your new home is being built — and in Drake Landing, we have lots wide enough for a four-car garage if you wish.”
However, most homeowners prefer a double-car garage, as they’ve got space for two vehicles and seasonal storage, while leaving plenty of outdoor room for grass and a patio.
“Our lot inventory with lane access can accommodate both attached and detached garages,” Albo says.
“And it’s nice to have the garage completed and ready with your new home, especially when the winter months are upon us. It’s also easier to plan your rear yard landscaping.”
However, some homeowners opt to build a rear garage after they’ve already moved in — and those who do often go to a specialized garage-building company.
“People build garages for a few reasons,”
says Amanda Lavigne, sales andmarketing manager for CarShacks Garage Builders.
“One of the main reasons is to have a place to store your car and another big reason is the added indoor space.
There’s storage space for bicycles, off season storage and extra working space for things like wood working.”
And while a garage can cost an average of $20,000, Lavigne says the investment is well worth it.
“It really adds to the property value — we usually see people getting close to 100 percent return on investment,” she says.
However, in order to recoup costs, it’s important to have the garage built properly — there are codes and rules to follow and a building permit from the city is reuiqred — otherwise, it could end up as money down the drain.
“In Calgary, there are a lot of rules and regulations about the size of the garage you can have on your property, there are rules like you can’t build over a gas line and there are a lot of other things involved in the process such as code, materials or even how long it takes to build a garage,” Lavigne says.
“It’s good to get a professional involved because that way, you know you’re protected.”