Finding a house with a big garage

[Osmoliver]

Hi all,

I've just accepted a new job in South Yorkshire, so plan to move from Nottingham in the foreseeable future.

I currently have a 2 bed flat with a single garage. It's lovely, but the garage only fits one car and working on the drive/street in the wind and rain is not the most pleasurable.

For my next property I would love a double garage or larger. However, I am not eager to increase the size of my living space.

Does anyone have any advice for searching properties?

I think my options are:
A - Buy a property with a double garage
B - Buy a property with a single garage, extend it or knock it down and build a bigger one
C - Buy a property with a large plot and build a garage

Is there anything I should be mindful of when looking?

[sociopath]

Yep, moving to south Yorkshire!

Make sure you move to a nice bit and not a stty bit (and I speak as someone who was brought up in a nice bit that is now a stty bit)

As for your question you're unlikely to find somewhere smaller with a large garage as most people aren't petrol heads, and after looking for myself I'd go for space to build a large garage rather than modify a smaller one. You'll probably have to build a bigger concrete pad and modify the garage structure etc, and its probably easier and cheaper to just build a new one.

Just don't compromise.

I did with my wife and ended up in not the house I wanted, and not the garage I wanted, so instead of the barn conversion with a triple garage and a view, I ended up with a country cottage with a single garage and no view

[jet_noise]

You have to do a lot of through-the-chaff weeding. Estate agents (incl. online search engines) generally don't have this level of filter.
I've visited a few houses and have always asked for garage entry with a tape measure when I had a large car. Rejected a couple as it wouldn't fit.

Having said that you never know that THE house might trump even that!
My current (and likely forever) place doesn't have a garage.

[Osmoliver]

sociopath said:

Yep, moving to south Yorkshire!

Make sure you move to a nice bit and not a stty bit (and I speak as someone who was brought up in a nice bit that is now a stty bit)

As for your question you're unlikely to find somewhere smaller with a large garage as most people aren't petrol heads, and after looking for myself I'd go for space to build a large garage rather than modify a smaller one. You'll probably have to build a bigger concrete pad and modify the garage structure etc, and its probably easier and cheaper to just build a new one.

Just don't compromise.

I did with my wife and ended up in not the house I wanted, and not the garage I wanted, so instead of the barn conversion with a triple garage and a view, I ended up with a country cottage with a single garage and no view

I'll be working in Manvers, Wath upon Dearne. A few of my friends live in Kelham Island, Sheffield. I think I'd like to be near Sheffield. Where are the nice bits? Or where are the places to avoid?

Thanks for the advice. Should I be looking for anything more specific than big garden with wide enough access for vehicles?

jet_noise said:

You have to do a lot of through-the-chaff weeding. Estate agents (incl. online search engines) generally don't have this level of filter.
I've visited a few houses and have always asked for garage entry with a tape measure when I had a large car. Rejected a couple as it wouldn't fit.

Having said that you never know that THE house might trump even that!
My current (and likely forever) place doesn't have a garage.

I feared this may be the case. Any advice for speeding up the process? I'm not sure I could accept a home without a garage.

[akirk]

maybe look for a bungalow, they are often on larger plots

[jet_noise]

Osmoliver said:

I feared this may be the case. Any advice for speeding up the process? I'm not sure I could accept a home without a garage.

This is house buying. It is oft a long and winding road <sings>.
It'll take as long as it takes.
The only thing that might speed up the process although this is back end (as it were) is to have a good solicitor/conveyancer.

[sociopath]

Osmoliver said:

sociopath said:

Yep, moving to south Yorkshire!

Make sure you move to a nice bit and not a stty bit (and I speak as someone who was brought up in a nice bit that is now a stty bit)

As for your question you're unlikely to find somewhere smaller with a large garage as most people aren't petrol heads, and after looking for myself I'd go for space to build a large garage rather than modify a smaller one. You'll probably have to build a bigger concrete pad and modify the garage structure etc, and its probably easier and cheaper to just build a new one.

Just don't compromise.

I did with my wife and ended up in not the house I wanted, and not the garage I wanted, so instead of the barn conversion with a triple garage and a view, I ended up with a country cottage with a single garage and no view

I'll be working in Manvers, Wath upon Dearne. A few of my friends live in Kelham Island, Sheffield. I think I'd like to be near Sheffield. Where are the nice bits? Or where are the places to avoid?

Thanks for the advice. Should I be looking for anything more specific than big garden with wide enough access for vehicles?

jet_noise said:

You have to do a lot of through-the-chaff weeding. Estate agents (incl. online search engines) generally don't have this level of filter.
I've visited a few houses and have always asked for garage entry with a tape measure when I had a large car. Rejected a couple as it wouldn't fit.

Having said that you never know that THE house might trump even that!
My current (and likely forever) place doesn't have a garage.

I feared this may be the case. Any advice for speeding up the process? I'm not sure I could accept a home without a garage.

Wow, that's amazing. I was born and brought up in Wath, used to be wonderful olace, now sadly run down and lacking in money.

If you want to be near work theres a whole new bit of Wath around there with modern "executive" homes, the alternativenis that there are lots of really pretty villages all around that area with nice traditional stone houses with barns etc. Look around Marr, High Melton, Barnburgh.

If you live nearer Sheffield it will cost more, and you'll have to deal with the commuting.
Personally I'd live in a village, theres an easy tram/train metro system to get into Sheffield when you want.

Best thing about Wath is people are very friendly, and the Wath Tap is a great local craft ale place. Red Lion is handy if you want some dodgy skirt on a Saturday night. Sadly the New Inn is long gone.

[Legacywr]

A budget might be handy?

[sociopath]

Legacywr said:

A budget might be handy?

Not in wath, tuppence 'apenny would probably buy him half the town.

[LimJim]

I once rented a 2 bed flat above a double garage. They do exist, but tend to be extensions or annexes to existing houses, rather than purpose built .

Rightmove has a keyword filter function, you could filter for "double garage" (quote marks important) and set max bedrooms.

[Osmoliver]

Legacywr said:

A budget might be handy?

Ideally under £200k

[anonymous-user]

Ensure you double check on google maps for garages, for some reason, some photographers seem to think they are still using film and scrimp on the photos.

The house I am in now didn't have any pictures of the garden or the double garage at all.

[Osmoliver]

sociopath said:

• Previous Post*

Not in wath, tuppence 'apenny would probably buy him half the town.

That's a shame to hear about Wath being run down. Thanks for the recommended areas, I'll take a look. What is commuting like around Wath? I think I'll be fine with a commute up to 30 minutes, but don't wish to be sat in traffic for half of it.

I look forward to checking out the Wath Tap!

LimJim said:

I once rented a 2 bed flat above a double garage. They do exist, but tend to be extensions or annexes to existing houses, rather than purpose built .

Rightmove has a keyword filter function, you could filter for "double garage" (quote marks important) and set max bedrooms.

That sounds perfect! There is a further option of buying land and building my own place. I would need to consider where to live in the meantime though.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

[snotrag]

Just been through this, slightly higher budget but still Yorkshire area. I was DESPERATE to get a double garage, being a keen DIYer, I am always messing around with old cars etc.

We are a small family, and even looking at larger/more expensive houses, I would advise that you will find it very, very hard to find the a double garage you want at that kind of budget, especially if you are at all picky about the house/locationitself.

Bungalows are likely to be the best chance for you getting good outside space, but you'll also find that Bungalows are in demand an sell demand.

In the end I have settled on a house with reasonable drive space and a good, brick built, single garage, which I may be able to extend a little once we move in.

If a double is an absolute must, then building once after moving in is probably your best option.

[snotrag]

Also, as noted above, Estate agents are USELESS at providing info about garages.

Some of them might neglect to mention a massive garage/workshop, they NEVER put the dimensions on external garages, some of them even leave internal garages off the floor plans.

Google maps/streetview and the local council planning portal is your friend.

A friend of mine's parents are selling a large house that has an incredible, very large (6 cars I bet?) detached garage/workshop, brick built, water and electricity, loft, double doors etc, would be amazing for a garage or someone runnng a business from home. Its a dream.

In the estate agents blurb it literally just says 'garage at bottom of garden'. They must be missing so much potential interest.

[sociopath]

Osmoliver said:

sociopath said:

• Previous Post*

Not in wath, tuppence 'apenny would probably buy him half the town.

That's a shame to hear about Wath being run down. Thanks for the recommended areas, I'll take a look. What is commuting like around Wath? I think I'll be fine with a commute up to 30 minutes, but don't wish to be sat in traffic for half of it.

I look forward to checking out the Wath Tap!

LimJim said:

I once rented a 2 bed flat above a double garage. They do exist, but tend to be extensions or annexes to existing houses, rather than purpose built .

Rightmove has a keyword filter function, you could filter for "double garage" (quote marks important) and set max bedrooms.

That sounds perfect! There is a further option of buying land and building my own place. I would need to consider where to live in the meantime though.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

Wath was a prosperous town based on the pit, the coking plant and the huge marshalling yard - the Manvers business area and housing estate is built on what is left -" I remember this when it was all slag heaps".

Since all that went and the new business has moved in the town is solit into thise with a regular and decent income and those that basically have nothing snd dont have the wherewithal to escape.

It used to be a vibrant little town for socialising too, but once pub closing times were relaxed, kids realised they could go to Sheffield and stay out all night, so a lot of the pubs shut. So the New Inn went, the Saracens Head is shut, the George and Dragon was knocked down, The White Bear is a convenience store, snd then they closed to the town to through traffic and built a bypass. Probably the same story for a lot of pit villages destroyed by a southern focussed government.

Then again it could be worse, you should see Rotherham town centre, a drug addicts paradise.

Having said all that, I still love going back and seeing old school friends and having a few beers!

As for commuting, it gets busy, but I wouldn't say its horrible, and it is worst around Sheffield, so another reason to live away from there.

[ElectricSoup]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/82894087#/

[Crafty_]

primelocation.com has a keyword search filter, seems large garage space is often listed as "workshop" so you can search for that. Be prepared to sift through results though as some will also call a shed a workshop!

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/558... looks ok, long as you don't mind the lock nearby.

[Osmoliver]

Crafty_ said:

primelocation.com has a keyword search filter, seems large garage space is often listed as "workshop" so you can search for that. Be prepared to sift through results though as some will also call a shed a workshop!

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/558... looks ok, long as you don't mind the lock nearby.

That looks wonderful! I'm not a huge fan of downstairs bathrooms though, probably something I could live with.

[ElectricSoup]

Nice cement factory at the bottom of the garden!