Will knocking down this garage devalue my home?
Discussion
Hi,
Bought a house in January. We plan to stay here for the next 5-10 years. It's not in a great area, but it is improving, new build estates are being built and completed, and they're just about to build a retail park around the corner.
We bought our house on the cheap with the hope of adding value during our time here, and *hopefully* come away with some sort of profit. At the moment though, we have this massive brick garage in the garden (our back garden backs onto a lane) and it's taking up a huge amount of space. It's also blocking light getting into the house. I'm wondering if we could knock it down, and perhaps the home would be more attractive to buyers in the future? Mainly to let and for sale around here are 3 bedroom houses, without garages (mostly terraced properties) with gardens. 3 miles out from a city centre.
There is space by the side of the house to build a garage there, but obviously I don't want to knock a garage down and spend money to do so, just to have it rebuilt if it won't impact much on resale value. Some pictures below. Any thoughts?? I feel like knocking it down would be a good move, but everyone I speak to says "oh no, don't do that, you'll devalue the property" but I'm not convinced...
Bought a house in January. We plan to stay here for the next 5-10 years. It's not in a great area, but it is improving, new build estates are being built and completed, and they're just about to build a retail park around the corner.
We bought our house on the cheap with the hope of adding value during our time here, and *hopefully* come away with some sort of profit. At the moment though, we have this massive brick garage in the garden (our back garden backs onto a lane) and it's taking up a huge amount of space. It's also blocking light getting into the house. I'm wondering if we could knock it down, and perhaps the home would be more attractive to buyers in the future? Mainly to let and for sale around here are 3 bedroom houses, without garages (mostly terraced properties) with gardens. 3 miles out from a city centre.
There is space by the side of the house to build a garage there, but obviously I don't want to knock a garage down and spend money to do so, just to have it rebuilt if it won't impact much on resale value. Some pictures below. Any thoughts?? I feel like knocking it down would be a good move, but everyone I speak to says "oh no, don't do that, you'll devalue the property" but I'm not convinced...
It's a bit of an eyesore isn't it... It's all you see from the kitchen and living room!
The dropped kerb at the back is directly in line with the house, but the previous owners have put some cement to the side on a public footpath to allow the driveway to be accessed sideways if that makes sense. So it kind of looks like they intended it to go to the side of the house and then for whatever reason didn't.
If there was a garage built by the side of the house, where the dropped kerb and double doors are at the moment would be perfectly in line. I've measured up, there'd be about 3 inches left if the same garage was built attached to the house. The only things I can think of is :
- There is a drain that is built up out of the ground (would stop a car being able to drive over to access the garage, picture below)
- Also you would not be able to access back of house from front for wheelie bin access etc if there was a garage there/you'd lose the gate, but that's not a good enough reason really...
But I have had a quote from a local builder to level the drain and that's £300, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't have just done that back then. I'm happy to see consensus so far seems to be in favour of getting rid!! I just thought maybe keeping it would attract people, particularly since like I said the area isn't great so a garage to protect cars etc could be beneficial. I have saw these Nucrete/concrete constructed garages though for under 3k, would that be worth it maybe to be built attached to house and to remove this beast???
The dropped kerb at the back is directly in line with the house, but the previous owners have put some cement to the side on a public footpath to allow the driveway to be accessed sideways if that makes sense. So it kind of looks like they intended it to go to the side of the house and then for whatever reason didn't.
If there was a garage built by the side of the house, where the dropped kerb and double doors are at the moment would be perfectly in line. I've measured up, there'd be about 3 inches left if the same garage was built attached to the house. The only things I can think of is :
- There is a drain that is built up out of the ground (would stop a car being able to drive over to access the garage, picture below)
- Also you would not be able to access back of house from front for wheelie bin access etc if there was a garage there/you'd lose the gate, but that's not a good enough reason really...
But I have had a quote from a local builder to level the drain and that's £300, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't have just done that back then. I'm happy to see consensus so far seems to be in favour of getting rid!! I just thought maybe keeping it would attract people, particularly since like I said the area isn't great so a garage to protect cars etc could be beneficial. I have saw these Nucrete/concrete constructed garages though for under 3k, would that be worth it maybe to be built attached to house and to remove this beast???
I would love to do a double extension, but I think if we spend any more than 30k on this house for all work, we won't make our money back or a profit, so I think a double story extension would be unfeasible financially for us! If we were staying here I'd go for it, but as it stands I am 99% positive we are going to be shifting! (Too much road noise, not sure what I expected being so close to the city haha, I'm used to being a little more rural!)
I hadn't thought of a car port/canopy. That could work! We could maybe make a simple gravel driveway area with car port. That could work. We will have a utility room in the house and plenty storage, so it's not that I think a garage would add anything in regards to storage, but it would highlight an area to protect a vehicle which is something a canopy could do (or at least illustrated that you can park off road in your own garden)
I hadn't thought of a car port/canopy. That could work! We could maybe make a simple gravel driveway area with car port. That could work. We will have a utility room in the house and plenty storage, so it's not that I think a garage would add anything in regards to storage, but it would highlight an area to protect a vehicle which is something a canopy could do (or at least illustrated that you can park off road in your own garden)
Oh dear, poor bloke smashing into his garage...
Haha nope note a troll! I saw a post from years ago on this forum about garages and value of property but it didn't really match the erm... qualities of my existing garage so I thought I'd make a thread!
Thanks all for your comments. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do in regards to building a new garage or simply just doing a driveway or drive and canopy combo but I'm 100% sure the garage is coming down! I hate the bloody thing.
Haha nope note a troll! I saw a post from years ago on this forum about garages and value of property but it didn't really match the erm... qualities of my existing garage so I thought I'd make a thread!
Thanks all for your comments. I'm not exactly sure what I'll do in regards to building a new garage or simply just doing a driveway or drive and canopy combo but I'm 100% sure the garage is coming down! I hate the bloody thing.
Spare tyre said:
Not many people out cars in a garage
A nice drive and shed are here you’d make money
As for that drain, I d imagine the bloke knew how to build a garage but not how to do drains
Or potentially it could have been an ex authorities house so any corners to be cut would have been?
I hear you on the garage front. I think just in terms of general tidiness and security (and sturdiness) I'd prefer a concrete/brick built garage but if I could save on a wood shed and it does the job I reckon I could cope with that!!A nice drive and shed are here you’d make money
As for that drain, I d imagine the bloke knew how to build a garage but not how to do drains
Or potentially it could have been an ex authorities house so any corners to be cut would have been?
It is ex council, just doesn't make sense though as houses are mirror image down the street and no other garages built like this. House built in 1960's and garage part of original plans (in the same place as it's built) so nothing about it really makes sense!!
Does anyone have any knowledge/experience about concrete constructed garages, specifically the company nucrete? https://nucrete.co.uk/
Where the blue dot is... So there's garages behind the gardens of the houses, (LA, none available to purchase, rent only - and there is none to rent at the moment. LA very unhelpful - "Oh they've all been rented by the same families for over 30 years so you might be waiting a while" Great...
There road by the side of the house isn't really a road, it doesn't lead to anywhere, it's just for cars to be parked on basically.
...It looks a right state even from satellite view, doesn't it!
Spare tyre said:
May have been disabled and got a garage?
Possinly, but I can't imagine that's the case. The floor is uneven, even in the actual garage, and the "path" they created to the side of the garage would not accommodate the width of a standard wheelchair. There are also steps into the property, and the gate from front to back garden isn't big enough to accommodate a wheelchair/mobility scooter of any kind, there were no telltales of someone living with a disability inside the home, and the previous owners were both employed (not that disabled people can't work, but I know the lady was a cleaner and the man was a postman.) None of it makes sense! For those asking, we will most certainly upload demo pics!
This forum is a bit strange, past couple evenings it's stopped me from posting saying there has been persistent misuse from new members and a temporary ban on posting for all newbies so couldn't post last night after my initial couple!
In red is where the LA has done a dropped kerb. Purple is all level and other half uses to park sometimes, and the blue is where they've lumped a load of concrete to make driving in at an angle easier on a car, but it's not a proper dropped kerb.
I will of course make sure we take proper precautions on the asbestos front! Thank you for those that have mentioned this.
Thanks all!
.was8v said:
Do you have a right of access in your deeds over that purple bit?
If not, you don't want to lose it..... losing the garage might mean there is no longer a need for the access.....
Oooh now that's a point. I don't rightly know. I'll have to hunt out paperwork. But if it's been dropped to allow vehicular access to our sole property I would imagine we would!If not, you don't want to lose it..... losing the garage might mean there is no longer a need for the access.....
was8v said:
Do you have a right of access in your deeds over that purple bit?
If not, you don't want to lose it..... losing the garage might mean there is no longer a need for the access.....
I've looked this morning, there is nothing clearly noted in the paperwork anywhere. I know I don't own the purple bit, but not sure if I have rights to use it. I may need to speak with a solicitor haha. If not, you don't want to lose it..... losing the garage might mean there is no longer a need for the access.....
For all of you that may remember this thread, we've only just had a builder out to quote and prep for building an attached garage and gravel drive. This will be complete by end of April. In the mean time, OH and I will be knocking down this monstrosity. I will of course update this thread with pictures!
Brother in law also works for a registered asbestos removal company now, so will be helping us to (safely) remove the roof. Glad we waited as one quote to have roof removed was 2k :O
We shan't be burning it, but I'll definitely be envisioning it in flames as I take a sledgehammer to it
We shan't be burning it, but I'll definitely be envisioning it in flames as I take a sledgehammer to it
Will remember not to keep phone in pockets!
Well, company is currently here removing asbestos. They also do larger demolition jobs. The owner of the company happened to mention that he quoted the council to knock down all of the garages at the back of our house (which form the back wall of our garden) and that the council proposes to replace this with a shorter fence. I'm enraged! The existing garages get graffiti and burnt out (infrequently, but it still happens) and I'm not prepared for our home and garden to be exposed like that... I feel a letter or long phone call coming on. There is a request in the planning portal from last year but it's now expired, so I'm hoping they don't go ahead! In the meantime I guess we'll just plow on!
Well, company is currently here removing asbestos. They also do larger demolition jobs. The owner of the company happened to mention that he quoted the council to knock down all of the garages at the back of our house (which form the back wall of our garden) and that the council proposes to replace this with a shorter fence. I'm enraged! The existing garages get graffiti and burnt out (infrequently, but it still happens) and I'm not prepared for our home and garden to be exposed like that... I feel a letter or long phone call coming on. There is a request in the planning portal from last year but it's now expired, so I'm hoping they don't go ahead! In the meantime I guess we'll just plow on!
Carbon Sasquatch said:
Is that an old stain on the wall or is your overflow still leaking ?
Unfortunately I don't know what the overflow is. It was like that when we moved in although it does seem to have gotten worse. I think it's the soil stack? I'm not sure how I'd know if it was leaking or not. Nothing comes out when we flush the loo?Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff