3-car garage plan: is a bigger garage really worth the money?

When you’re looking at a 3-car garage plan for your new garage or home addition, pay close attention to size. Building a properly sized 3-car garage can add value to your home while you live in it and if you ever sell it. Size does matter and the cost difference is minimal.

Why do you need such a big garage?

Here are three very good reasons: Vehicle storage, Home storage Y Resale value.

1. Vehicle storage – If you build or buy a house with a small garage, you will likely fill it up so much that your vehicles will be outside. When you compare the value of your “stuff” to the value of your car, you may wonder why your $ 20,000 sedan is kept outside and that $ 10 box of garage sale bargains is inside. Even if you don’t care about your cars, the next potential owner can. Protect your investment with a properly sized garage.

2. Home storage – If you are like many Americans, you may have one or more “mini-storage” units filled to capacity, and you are probably paying between $ 75 and $ 150 per month for the privilege. By selecting an appropriately sized 3-car garage plan and eliminating the junk in your mini storage unit, you could store important things at home and save your monthly storage costs.

3. Resale value – When you finally sell your house (everyone does), you immediately enter a buyer’s contest. With 10 similar homes on the market, the one with the best location, features, and layout will generally sell first. Kitchens typically have a higher turnover, but a well-organized and properly-sized garage is also a great asset.

How big is big enough?

The ideal size for an optimally configured 3 car garage is 24 ‘X 36’. Why? Most of today’s typical cars are around 16 feet long and a little over six feet wide. Add to that the 30 “minimum clearance that garage planners recommend next to and between cars, and your 30 ‘wide triple garage becomes quite narrow with no room for additional storage.

Here’s the breakdown:

A 36 ‘wide garage with two foot wide shelving on both sides instantly becomes 32’ wide. Park three cars inside at 6’2 “wide each (18’6” total) and you have 13’6 “left. Add 30” to the side and between the three cars and you have a whopping 3’6 “to spare. (not a lot.) At 30 ‘wide, that “spare” room becomes 6 “. Also remember that you may want space for recreational equipment, an extra refrigerator or freezer, a sink, or other “toys” that take up space.

At 24 feet deep, it has enough room for a 16 ‘long car with one foot between it and the garage door, a two foot deep garage workbench, and five feet of workspace. If you have a standard cab, a nearly 19 ‘long full-size pickup has less than two feet of “headroom.” Extended cab? Oh!

The extra square footprint is surprisingly affordable

Let’s do the math. If you buy a home with a typical 3 car garage plan, it could be 21 ‘wide and 31’ deep (I’ve seen 20 ‘X 30’, which is ridiculous). If you have a $ 200,000 30-year 6% mortgage, your monthly mortgage payment would be about $ 1,200.

Increasing the size of the garage to 24 ‘X 36’ adds 213 square feet. About $ 50 per square foot, that adds up to $ 10,650. A $ 210,650 30-year mortgage at 6% net with a monthly payment of approximately $ 1,263. For the extra $ 63 a month, you can say goodbye to your mini storage and say hello to a higher investment value for your home. Ahhh.

Even if you never sell your home, the added comfort and convenience of having your cars parked inside, all of your stuff in one place, and a higher (potential) resale value is well worth the extra few dollars (in my opinion). A properly sized 3-car garage plan makes all the difference. Think of the things you could do with the extra space!

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