knocking down garage - devalue property?

missbebe

Hi, I am looking for some advice with regards to knocking down our garden.

We have an end terrace house with small front garden, driveway which leads to a brick built garage and postage stamp back garden.

We have recently had lots of work done inside the house - loft converted and some walls knocked down etc and is now I feel a perfect size for our family of five. The only bugbear is our tiny garden. we have out there a swing, a slide and a small table and chairs and the space is packed!

I am considering having our large brick built garage knocked down as this will practically double our garden space. I would have small shed in one corner for garden 'bits' and our driveway will still be long enough to fit on two cars.

Do you think that the extra garden will outweigh the devaluation of knocking down the garage or do you really think it wont be worth it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope I have made myself clear and not rambled on!

custardy

it all depends on the buyer really ad what they want
you would still have a good driveway
what are other similar properties offering? garage or garden?

phill99

I think it depends on how accessible or usuable your garage is. Some garages that are set in the 'back garden' are aften difficult to get to due to the width of the drive and then often so small that only a small car will fit in them.

If your garage is large and easily accessible and is used as a garage, then knocking it down may do you an injustice. If it is effectively a large junk store, the it may not be an issue to lose it.

There is an arguement that 'no one uses their garage for a garage'. This is think is rubbish, as I for one use my garage to house my car and many, many people still do the same.

payless

IMHO value would be decreased, but if you are not likely to more soon , weigh up the benefit you get against the down valuation

LittleMissAspie

With no loft or garage where will people keep their large items, eg decorating equipment, ladder, lawnmower, bikes, large toys etc? Think about what size shed you mean and what could actually practically fit in it.

I use my garage for my car but I think most people use them for storage.

27col

Garages are not a must have, but off street parking might well be, at least to most potential buyers. I suspect that the majority of garages are simply used as a junk store. This is because houses nowadays are so small and also have such small garages, that the garage is a hassle to use for a car and the house provides very little storage space. So the garage is used simply for the overflow from the house. Cars nowadays are built such that they do not need garaging, not like when I was young and you were lucky if the car bodywork did not rot through inside of a year or eighteen months if the car was not garaged.

missbebe

Thanks for the input so far. We currently use our garage as a junk store and for us personally, it would be no detriment to lose it.

The replacemen shed would be large enough for the kids bikes and lawnmowers etc and we also have a cellar for 'house' storage.

DaftyDuck

One way of thinking ahead would be "If we need to replace the garage to sell the house, how much would that cost? Is it worth the £XXX for us to have the larger garden in the meantime?".

I do think the loss of the garage may be slightly detrimental to the value, but it may make your use of your house more enjoyable in the meantime, and may be a cost worth bearing.

Ben84

A lot of houses don't have a garage so having one, if it's a specific feature someone is looking for, may help a lot. However, a lot of people don't mind, provided there's suitable on street or driveway parking and some people like me don't even have a car so it wouldn't feature highly at all. There's a big element of it depends. It's not as important as an indoor bathroom or central heating, but it matters to some people.

As for demolishing it, what kind of space would you be making in relation to the existing garden? Would it be part of the current garden area, or is it more a separate space such as at the side of the house that wouldn't so easily become part of the existing garden area? If it's a separate space, what are your plans for it? It may not be worth demolishing if you're going to make a smaller distinctly separate area that's maybe a few meters wide between the houses that you may never end up using for anything.

The current garage does also have possibilities that don't involve demolishing it. Some people convert them in to rooms. You just need to insulate, plasterboard, wire with sockets and install glazing where the door is. You could also turn the unused roof space in to a roof garden with railings, plant pots and garden furniture. These are more expensive options that require builders, but they can make better use of the existing structure and space. You could potentially have more outdoor space and another room in the house at the same time.

busy_mom_2

We had a garage in the back garden, we took it down and made a carport out of the side and a lovely decking area as well as a larger lawn. (our garage was 24 x16!). When we recently had the house re-valued I asked whether we had made a difference to the price based on next door. The reply was they felt our house had more kerb appeal and if both houses were for-sale, albeit at the same price, ours would sell better in their opinion. Our garage was concrete boards, we put in on e-bay and really surprised to fetch nearly £200 for it. Paid for most of the improvements to the garden.
We have now decided to not move and improve and so glad we took it down. Having had a nice few days, it's been nice to have friends round and enough room to entertain!

fiesta04

Knock it down......As you stated...had loft converted and walls moved. You made the house bigger so make the garden bigger for your needs as sounds as if you intend to stay put. Simples.