Which Type Of Garage Should I Select For My New Custom Home?
Garage door facing the street, front side entry, motor court or side entry. Which type is best?
Garage Door Facing The Street:
I would consider this the worst garage door positioning for a home. The garage door itself is an unattractive feature of a home. This can be minimized by the type of door selected and how it’s painted. Accentuating the garage door is one of the worse things to do. Some Owners choose to paint the door a contrasting color which draws even more attention to the garage. It’s better to down play the garage door instead.
Additionally, a street facing garage door puts all your garage storage items on display when the door is open. Not only is that unattractive but it’s also advertising your valuables to the local crooks.
The advantage of this position, it’s less expensive. There is a significant saving if the driveway is short. This position provides the shortest length but usually places the garage door close to the street.
Front Side Entry:
This positioning means that the the garage door is close to the front door but does not face the street. This is the second worst garage door positioning. It has many of the same disadvantages as a front entry garage combined with an extended driveway that passes in front of the main entry. Guests have additional parking but unfortunately it's basically in your front yard. The long curving driveway requires excellent backing up skills and it's possible for your guests to end up off the driveway and on your front lawn on a dark night.
The advantage of this positioning, your garage storage items and not as prominently displayed to passers by as a front entry but it’s almost as unattractive.
Motor Court:
In Central Florida this positioning has become very trendy. Many Owners request a motor court for their new Custom Home. Two garages are positioned across from each other creating a motor court in the area in from of the main entry.
Frankly, I don’t get it! The driveway becomes huge with this positioning and that much hardscape takes away from the beauty of the home. The opposing garages dominate the front elevation taking away from the over all look of the home. Also, the garage doors face the same space as the front entry to the home.
This garage positioning became popular as developers created subdivisions with narrow lots. The building lots are not as wide as they were previously but it's helped to keep the price down.
One advantage of this positioning, your garage storage items and not as prominently displayed to passers by as a front entry but it’s almost as unattractive.
Side Entry Garage:
This is the best garage position as far as I’m concerned. The garage doors are moved around the side away from the front of the house and the doors can be opened without distracting from the beauty of the front elevation.
The length of the driveway is a disadvantage of this positioning and it normally requires a turn around area that you can back into when pulling out of the garage. This will enable drivers to motor down the driveway to the street instead of backing out. This is the most expensive driveway position but I think it’s worth it for the positive impact on the home.
This option requires a minimum of a 25' wide driveway in order to make the swing into the garage comfortable for most drivers. That's the distance from the garage door to the edge of the drive. The rest of the drive can be narrowed down to minimize cost.
One little considered aspect of garage positioning is the magic impact upon the eye. Stand in front of a home where the garage door and it’s positioning isn't readily apparent. Your first impression, this home is huge! It’s only after you study the front elevation of the home that you realize 1/3 of what you are viewing is actually the garage. The garage door is tucked around the side of the home and the initial impression, the home is larger that it actually is.
When a home is perceived as being larger it's a good thing. Buyers think they are receiving more for their money than they really are. Perhaps, it’s slight of hand but not really, as the deception is quite obvious after exploring the home. In fact, the eye is tricking the mind and that’s a great thing, especially when it’s time to sell.
Now you know which garage position is best if the size of your lot will accomodate it.
Have an awesome day!
Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment