If you’ve bought a new vehicle for yourself, your teenage child will be driving soon, or you enjoy entertaining guests, you may have found that you don’t have enough space for parking. There are several ways to address the issue. Consider the size and current design of your property, your goals, laws and regulations in your area, and costs.
Expand Your Driveway
If you don’t mind parking at least some cars outside, you can make your driveway larger so it can accommodate more vehicles. It may be possible to widen the driveway so you can park two cars side by side, or you may be able to lengthen the driveway or create an area where vehicles can turn around. You may want to stick with your driveway’s current material, or you may discover that it will be more cost effective to expand your driveway and cover the whole thing with a different material.
Before you make plans, be sure to research building codes in your area. Your driveway may have to meet specific requirements in terms of size, slope and accessibility.
Enlarge Your Garage
If your property’s design allows, you may be able to expand your existing garage to create a parking space for another vehicle. This may be an expensive undertaking, and you may be unable to use your garage while construction is underway.
Check construction codes in your area before you decide to expand your garage. It may not be permitted or feasible due to the size of your house, the location of the property line or local zoning regulations.
Build a Detached Garage
Having a garage attached to your house can be convenient. It can make it easy to carry groceries inside and help you stay dry on a rainy day. If you need storage space for several vehicles, however, it can be challenging to design and build an attached garage that’s large enough to meet your parking needs but doesn’t look overwhelming.
A detached garage may be a better solution. If a garage doesn’t have to be attached to your home, that will give you more design flexibility. For example, you may decide to put the garage on the side of the house or toward the back, or you may prefer to turn it so it faces a different direction than the house does.
Consider Your Family’s Current and Future Needs
Before you decide on a solution, think about the problem that you’re trying to solve. If you only need to create space for one additional vehicle, you might be able to accomplish that with some minor changes. If your family is expanding and you know that within a few years you will have two or more teenage drivers, make changes so that you will be prepared and won’t have to modify your driveway or garage again in the future.
