If you’re thinking about buying a house or building one from scratch, the location of a garage might play a role in your decision-making process. A garage that’s attached to the house can make your life easier in some ways, but it also has drawbacks when it comes to safety and security.
Advantages of an Attached Garage
The greatest benefit of an attached garage is convenience. When you get home, you’ll be able to pull your car into the garage, then walk through a door into the house without being exposed to extreme temperatures, rain, or snow. If you come home at night, you won’t have to walk outside in the dark and worry about tripping and falling.
An attached garage can be particularly convenient when you go grocery shopping or return home after a trip. You’ll be able to carry shopping bags or luggage directly into your house instead of walking through the yard or up the driveway.
If you have an extra refrigerator or freezer in the garage and you need something to prepare a meal, you’ll be able to make a quick trip from the kitchen to the garage. An attached garage can also be convenient if you’re working on your car in the garage and you have to use the bathroom.
Young kids and pets can get distracted and wander off as soon as your back is turned. Having a garage attached to your house can make it easier to get your children or your dog directly from the house to your car and back.
If you’re planning a new construction home, an attached garage can be easier and less expensive to build than a detached garage. The electrical and heating systems that the house can be hooked up to the garage. An attached garage can leave plenty of free space in the yard. You can use that square footage for a garden, a pool, a patio, or an open area for your kids to play.
Disadvantages of an Attached Garage
Having a garage connected to your house can be a security risk. If you forget to close the garage door, or if your automatic garage door doesn’t close because an object is in the way, someone might walk into the garage, then enter your house, steal your belongings, or harm you or your family.
Fire is another potential problem. A garage typically contains one or more vehicles, plus oil, paint, and other flammable substances. If a fire starts in the garage, it can quickly spread to the rest of the house.
You might need additional storage space in the future. If the garage is attached to the house and the driveway is on the other side, there might not be a way to increase the size of the garage.
Figure Out What’s Right for You
An attached garage has several advantages and disadvantages. Think about which factors are most important to you and whether an attached garage is right for your family.
