Are you wondering if a detached garage is the right choice for your home?
Every home needs a garage. Aside from serving as the one-stop shop for the family’s storage, it’s where you park your car. Sure you can leave it in the driveway in the summer, but in most places, you still need to drag it in when the snow hits.
You may want to consider is a detached garage. Attached garages require more work to convert and other things to consider. A good detached garage can get used for anything you put your mind to and is often more future-proof.
Still on the fence about building a detached garage? Read on to learn the benefits of building a detached garage.
Flexibility and Storage
One of the best benefits of a detached garage is the level of flexibility it gives you. When you have an attached garage it can limit you in several ways. Building a new garage separate from your house lets you avoid these limitations.
Having a detached garage means you can use your normal garage for something else. You can turn it into an office, or a home gym. It also serves as a fantastic storage solution for your home.
There’s also nothing stopping you from doing these things with a detached one either. You can choose which one you use for which purpose. It will depend on the specifics of what you need and what becomes easier for you.
For example, it might be easier to run cables to your attached garage and use that as a home office or entertainment room. In that case, building a detached garage to house your car, tools, and basic storage frees up that option. Some people even convert their garage into a business.
One thing is for sure, a detached garage gives you way more options than working with only an attached one.
Creating a Workshop
If you build a detached garage, you can use it as a workshop. More than only holding your tools and materials, you can work in it.
Woodworking for example can be messy, and the same is true for many other types of work. Metalworking and especially forging can get super hot. This isn’t something you want to mess around within a garage surrounded by your home.
Having a separate purpose-built space for it is a great idea. It would also be easier to put in all the safety stuff you’d need in addition to your tools and machinery. A separate HVAC to keep the air clean and controlled would be only one example.
The noise can also be a big issue. By having a garage a little away from the house, you won’t have to worry about any of these issues. The house stays clean and your family won’t have to put up with the sound and vibrations of heavy machinery.
You also have a little more wiggle room for what you can fit or do inside a detached garage.
Building a Living Space
With the housing market at an all-time high across North America, having more options is never a bad idea. One future project you could play with if you had a detached garage is turning it into a rental unit. If you already have an attached garage, then a detached one gives you options.
You could turn one of them into a rental and leave the other for cars and the usual storage. As this might require some serious extra work and expansion, the detached might be the better bet. You could insulate it, put comfy floors in, and set up all the basic fixtures you’d need.
If done the right way, this could give you a nice passive boost to your income. Investing in a top-quality space can make a dent in your mortgage contributions.
You don’t even need to use it as a rental. It could be a guest house or a place for your teenagers to hang out. Quite a number of parents actually use converted detached garages to teach their older kids about what it’s like to live alone.
Another super popular choice is turning it into a personal getaway, similar to a “man cave”. You could set up an entertainment system with a TV and surround sound, and build a full bar. The choices are actually endless.
Customize It
One of the big pitfalls of dealing with an existing attached garage is what you’re allowed to do with it. In most cases, you won’t be able to expand it without some serious structural work, for example. Your attached garage is structurally part of your home, after all.
When you build a detached garage you skip over those issues. You can make your garage as custom as you want. You choose the height and size, and what you plan to do with it.
It’s easier to create a long-term plan for it when you build it as a stand-alone structure. You might want it as a garage or storage area now, but with plans to turn it into an office or hobby room in the future. With a detached garage, you can leave yourself room for future projects and expansions on your property.
There’s also the aesthetic part to consider. When you built a detached garage you aren’t hemmed in by things like roof shape. Because it’s a stand-alone building, you’re free to play around with the architecture and design to your heart’s content.
A Note on Safety
The main thing to remember is to follow all the proper steps and safety regulations. The same dangers that make expanding an attached garage more difficult are still worth considering. Everything needs to get built up to a certain standard for structural stability.
The last thing you want is your detached garage collapsing in on itself and hurting someone. Something that might be more likely is messing up the finer details. If you aren’t careful your seals won’t be tight, for example.
This means water leaking into your detached garage when it rains, or wind and moisture getting in. This guide can help you get started with building a custom steel garage.
You Can Place It Where You Want It and Free Up Space
Something that bothers a lot of homeowners is curb appeal. They care a lot about how their house looks from the front. The fact of the matter is a good number don’t like attached garages.
They can take away from the beauty and appeal of the house. Some homes invest in nice wood garage doors to create a better aesthetic, but it’s hard to pull off. There is an easier alternative.
You can build and place a detached garage anywhere you’d like. You can tuck it in a little behind the house so it’s not visible from the front. Beyond helping you achieve the sort of look you’re after, it’s also a security boost.
If you invest a ton of time and effort into converting your garage into a workshop or entertainment room, thieves might be a concern. Putting it behind your house hides it from the street view. You can still set up cameras and security systems in case.
Deliberate Placement and Building Extras
You have another choice too. You could take advantage of your ability to put the garage anywhere on your property. You could use it as a part of the scenery, meant to impress your neighbors.
This is a good idea if you invest in turning it into a guest home, for example. You can put hanging lights around it, do some landscaping in front, and make it look like a classy tiny home. To complete the look you could remove the garage door as well.
This is something you could do for your attached garage as well if you end up keeping both. If you don’t need one of them to function as a garage anymore, you can wall off the big door and replace it with a standard one. Another thing you can do is install a patio or deck.
Remember that you aren’t restricted by the rest of your home’s structural integrity. Your detached garage is its only self-contained unit. This makes it easy to build a deck or patio around it or any other additions you’d like.
You could even build a staircase to the porch, or make a loft in your detached garage. Nothing is stopping you except for your imagination and budgetary constraints.
Why You Should Build a Detached Garage
The benefits of building a detached garage are endless. You can customize the size and aesthetic look, and choose exactly where you put it. Whether you need more storage space, want to hide your garage, or are looking to the future, there are options.
In general, detached garages are easier to deal with than attached ones. Are you looking for more home improvement ideas? Check out our other blog posts to find more great guides.
