Garage Ideas for Small Lots
When you’re building a home on a small lot it can be difficult to find a way to incorporate a garage into the footprint that you have that will give you the space that you need. If you’re adding a garage to an existing home, it’s even more difficult to find a garage design that will work with the existing structure but still fit into the space that you have.
The first decision that you need to make is whether you want an attached garage or a detached garage. Both have advantages and disadvantages depending on your property size and layout.
Attached vs Detached Garages
Attached garages are nice to have if you live in an area where the weather can be cold, rainy, or snowy during the fall and winter. Not having to go out in the elements to get into your car or out of the car is great, especially if you have very small children in car seats that you need to transport.
But, attached garages can take up a great deal of the allotted footprint of your home. If you’re building a home and you want an attached garage then you can build a room or two over the garage so that you can have the garage that you want without sacrificing floor space. Many new home builders offer plans that have a separate in law suite or teen space over the attached garage.
With a detached garage, you’ll have to brave the elements to get to and from the house. However, you’ll have a lot more flexibility when it comes to where you put that garage. So you can add a small garage in an out of the way space on the footprint that won’t take away from the square footage of the house.
Or if you have an existing home you can sacrifice some of the driveway space to create a small garage without too much expense and renovation time.
When you add a garage to an existing home, you’ll be adding a detached garage that will be designed to fit into the space that you have and may not always be very close to the house but will still provide some cover and protection for your vehicles. It will also give you some extra storage space.
Front Facing Garages
One option for a garage on a small lot is a front facing garage. Front facing attached garages are often used on small lots because they can provide parking for two cars, sometimes three cars, without taking away too much square footage from the property.
Rooms can be built on top of the garage to increase the amount of livable space inside the house. The biggest benefit of a front-loading garage is that it doesn’t take up a lot of space and yet has easy access in and out so that drivers don’t need additional room to make complicated turns to get out of the driveway. Most new construction homes use front-loading garages in their home plans.
Rear Facing Garages
Rear-facing garages take up a bit more room than a front-facing garage but they are similar in design, they are just situated at the back of the house instead of the front.
If your property backs up to a lane or an alley, having a rear facing garage is an advantage because the lane or alley provides access and you still get to have a lovely front yard space for entertaining, living, or for kids to play in. Rear-facing garages can end up taking up most of the backyard space of a small home so if a backyard is important to you then you might want to choose another garage style.
Side Facing Garages
Side facing garages are the hardest type of garage to fit into a small lot but it can be done, depending on the size and shape of the lot. If the lot is small but L shaped a side facing garage can be the perfect garage style for that home. The primary benefit of a side load garage is that it’ll increase the curb appeal of your home.
Side facing garages make small home appear larger from the street and the uninterrupted view of the front of the house makes a better impression on anyone looking at it. If you entertain often when you have a side facing garage, you won’t have cars parked directly in front of the home cluttering up the view.
Because they do require more land both in size and in the amount of space that drivers need to get in and out, they may not be the right choice for some homeowners.
Simple Garge Ideas with Danley’s
When it comes to garage construction, there’s no one better than Danley’s. At Danley’s, we build detached garages with any size and garage styles to match your needs. Since 1959, we’ve helped thousands of homeowners with personalized garages and unbeatable value. Speak to a specialist and get a free quote online today.
