Adding a garage

We are thinking about moving and are just beginning our search. How much would it cost to add a garage, what is the process (obtaining permits, etc.), and roughly how much does it effect property taxes? I don't have a definitive town yet as we are only beginning our search but I've seen some houses that we like but they don't have a garage, which is a deal breaker for us. They are perfect for what we need in every other way so I was just wondering if it was worth adding a garage or keep looking. If the property layout allows we would prefer to add a 2 car garage, if not a one car garage will do.

Also, does the process change if it's a corner property? (Would we be able to add the garage facing the adjacent street if need be?)

Has anyone gone through the process that can guide us?

Thanks!

Message edited 10/4/2017 12:48:32 AM.

Adding a garage

There are so many different factors that it's hard to answer this question. What town you're in could make the answers different. Also, are you looking to build an attached or detached garage? These each have different rules.

I would look into having a consultation with an experienced architect. I think mine charged us like $300 for a consultation about what could and couldn't be done with our property when we purchased it. If a garage is must have, then you'll want to talk to an architect before you sign a contract on a house, but you may also want to talk to one to know what to look for when looking at houses. A Corner property has additional limitations, which sometimes can be overcome with a variance, but again that's something an experienced architect could advise you on.

We didn't build a garage, but we went through a year long process to attach our garage to the house, which required a variance because the garage was too close to the property line. We had to hire an architect, file a permit, the permit was rejected because it was too close to the property line, then we had to have a hearing for a variance, then the permit was issued, the work was done, then it was inspected, and finally the CO was issued. Each one of those steps took about 2 months.

Re: Adding a garage