Whether you’re building or renovating a home, this debate usually starts off with Mr DIY wanting more workspace to tinker with his cars or store his endless list of power tools but the wife has a different vision.
On one hand, an attached garage can provide an extension of the home which can be transformed into a living room or home office. On the other hand, a detached garage can provide plenty of space for those with hobbies in construction, car restorations, welding or a home gym.
Unfortunately, garages are not a one-size-fits-all solution and what may work for one home or family, may not work for another. So how does one decide on what’s best for their home and family? Here are the pros and cons for Attached vs Detached Garages.
Attached Garage
As the name implies, an attached garage is a garage that is connected to the home. These garages provide a convenient entryway into your home, as well as create an extension for you to park your car and store numerous household items (and junk).
Pros
- Allows space to park cars, storage, and work
- Provides a direct and convenient entry point to your home, especially useful during bad weather
- Easier on the bank, less expensive to build
- Able to use electrical and heating/cooling systems of the home
- Amenities close by
- Increases your home’s resale value
- Meets homeowner association standards
Cons
- Trouble fitting on a narrow lot
- Can be a security risk
- Increased fire risk
- Can have health risks
- Difficult to expand
- May hinder the exterior appearance of a home
- May require expensive building permits
- Power tools may be heard from inside
Detached Garage
A detached garage is not a part of the home and is usually built close by, however, it can also be on the other side of the property. Typically, you can get away with building your detached garage bigger than the standard garage size in Australia. For the standard garage height in Australia or standard double garage size in Australia/double garage dimensions in Australia, you should contact your garage professional.
Detached garages are quite often larger than attached due to the freedom of being a stand-alone, although this will vary depending on the yard space available.
Pros
- Plenty of room for cars and workspace
- Easier to expand or add onto if needed
- Flexible, better for narrow lots
- Improved health, safety and security
- Added curb appeal
- May increase resale value
- Home has more landscape space
Cons
- Inconvenient to access home in bad weather
- Require separate utilities
- Can take up more yard space
- May be restricted by homeowner association
- Amenities further away
- Expensive to build
The biggest downside to a detached garage is inconvenience. Unloading the groceries from the boot or gathering up the little ones and everything inside to a car that’s parked on the other side of the house can be challenging. Amenities are also further away and extra utility outlets can be expensive to install and can contribute to a higher utility bill. Talk to a garage door specialist to discuss some of the detached garage design ideas in Australia so you can decide what your best option is.
How choosing your garage door first can help
If you’re still sitting on the fence and can’t decide between an attached or detached garage, your garage door type might be able to point you in the right direction.
First, you’ll need to know if you have the luxury of being able to choose, as your heart may tell you one thing but your homeowner association will tell you another.
Secondly, do you have enough space and budget to incorporate a detached garage?
If all boxes have been ticked, your next step is to decide how you want to use the space.
To make things easier, consider a custom garage door. Why?
If there’s anything we’ve learnt from garage door trends of 2018 -2019 is that one size does not fit all, and that more and more homeowners are turning to custom made garage doors.
A custom made garage door allows you to choose:
- Choose your door, whether it is a sectional garage door, roller door or tilt door.
- Choose your material, whether it is aluminium, timber, steel, Polycarbonate, ColorBond or BioWood
- Choose your inserts, whether you’re after mesh for ventilation and light or glass windows for natural light.
- Choose from a wide range of powder coats, colours, and finishes to match the exterior of your home.
Where to get your garage door serviced, repaired and installed
Gryphon Garage Doors is one of the best garage door companies for sectional and roller door repair in Perth, and have been helping Australians protect their homes and commercial spaces in stylish ways for over 25 years. Why is this important? Well it means we’ve come across countless different jobs, and have had to overcome each one. So no matter your situation, you gotta get a Gryphon. We have:
- Finger proof safety
- Quietest motors on the market
- Trained professionals
- Customised products
- Warranty up to 7 years!
- After sales service
Your garage broke down and you need it to open ASAP? Not a problem, give us a call and we will try our best to get to you today and open your space. We look forward to hearing from you.
