By: Mark J. Donovan
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Building a garage addition has many
benefits. If you live in a colder climate, and
don’t have a garage, you know what it is like to step out of your house into a
-10o F morning to go start the car.
Sometimes the door locks are frozen,
the car seat is stiff to sit in and the engine is sluggish to start, if it does
at all. After about 5 minutes of running the engine, the car is usually warm
enough to begin to see the windows defrost.
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If you change the oil and perform
other maintenance tasks on your car, and don’t have a garage, you know what it
is like to crawl under the car out in the driveway and roll in the dirt and have
insects crawling on you while you're loosening the oil pan nut.
If you live in a
neighborhood with teenagers, and you don’t have a garage, you know what it is
like to go out to your car on the occasional morning and see it vandalized in
some way.
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For years I went
without a garage. Then one day, about 10 years ago, I said enough and began
plans for building a garage addition onto my home. It was the best investment I
ever made. Today when I walk out to my garage in the middle of the winter I read
the temperature in my car before I start the engine. Then as I drive down the
road I watch the temperature drop. Sometimes it drops as much as 30oF
in just 5 minutes of driving. Every degree the temperature drops I smile a
little more knowing my car was safely protected during the night in my new
garage. I also enjoy the fact that I don’t have to defrost or scrape the windows
in the morning, nor have to worry as much about theft and vandalism.
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For me, building a garage addition
has also provided other benefits to our home. In addition to being a great place
to perform maintenance on the cars, it is also a great place to do home
improvement projects. I can park the cars out of the garage and set up my table
saws and benches to work on various home building projects.
The kids have also
found some other useful benefits of the garage. In the winter they’ve used the
open space of the garage for playing. Sometimes using their skates, and even
bikes in the garage. |
Building a garage
addition has also provided us with some additional storage space. When planning
the garage, I made sure it would be large enough to support two cars, along with
benches, cabinets, lawnmowers, and a snow blower. Prior to the garage addition all these
items, less the cars, had to be stored in the basement.
Costs of Building
a Garage Addition
The cost of
building a garage addition is relatively low compared to other home or room
addition projects, as garages typically do not require plumbing, insulation and
sheetrocking. Off course insulation and sheetrocking will provide a more
finished and warmer garage addition and space during the winter months, and as a result I would
highly recommend it, but the choice is yours.
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Photo by Mark Donovan |
So if you have been
holding off on building a garage addition onto your home, consider the
aforementioned and talk to an architect and general contractor. You may be
surprised on the affordability of building a garage addition, and you will
certainly experience the same benefits that I have.
For more information on building a
garage addition see the
Garage Addition Bid Sheet from HomeAdditionPlus.com.
The Garage Addition Bid Sheet includes an extensive questionnaire (Request for
Quote) that a homeowner can provide to prospective general contractors and
subcontractors for bidding the garage addition. In addition, the
Garage
Addition Bid sheet also includes estimated costs and time intervals
for constructing a garage addition as well as a list of key home material
manufacturers. Finally, the
Garage
Addition Bid sheet includes an extensive
set of helpful tips and advice on making sure the garage addition is built
properly and on time and budget.
How to Finance your Home Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Information on Building a Garage Addition
Additional Resources from Amazon.com on
Building a Garage Addition
Free Garage Addition
Price Quotes with No Obligation!
Fill out our 3-5 minute quick and easy form, and receive a free price quote
on building a garage addition from one of our prescreened and licensed garage addition
contractors. This process is free and there is no obligation to continue once
you receive your garage addition price estimate.
