I am currently planning a solid masonry carport for a new build. Initially, I decided against a garage door because I find a carport simpler. You can just drive in and out without having to open a door. Since I won’t be storing anything valuable in the carport, I didn’t see the point in having a garage door. The charging station in the carport can be switched on and off from inside the house, so misuse is ruled out.
What do you think? Are there good reasons for a garage door that I might have overlooked?
What do you think? Are there good reasons for a garage door that I might have overlooked?
D
däumchen1117 May 2021 15:03I would still choose "Car is parked on the street" for the insurance. Because of 11€...
If you park the car on the street once at night and damage occurs, the insurance will use the fact that it wasn’t in the garage as an excuse to deny coverage...
If you park the car on the street once at night and damage occurs, the insurance will use the fact that it wasn’t in the garage as an excuse to deny coverage...
H
hampshire17 May 2021 15:15däumchen11 schrieb:
I would still choose "car is parked on the street" for the insurance because of the €11 (about $12) difference...
If you park the car on the street once at night and damage occurs, the insurance might refuse coverage, saying it wasn’t parked in the garage, so no protection... Makes sense.
For my insurance and daily driver, the "car is parked on the street" option would be several hundred dollars more in standard premiums. A locked garage or carport makes no difference in this case. I’m just grateful for more than 30 claim-free years.
A LARGE garage is definitely a nice feature. You can store things securely, lock it up, and so on. But it has to be large. I find standard prefabricated garages quite uncomfortable because they feel so cramped. With children who might suddenly fling the door open, banging hard against the garage wall, it’s not really an advantage (okay, of course you could switch to vehicles with sliding doors when you have kids, and then this argument doesn’t apply).
The advantage of a carport is that it generally offers more space. Especially if one or more sides are open. Often, instead of masonry walls, there are wooden walls. This also provides more room compared to a garage. Sometimes it’s simply more visually appealing to have a carport rather than a garage. Sometimes the shape of the property and building regulations / planning permissions make it a better option. A carport can also be an extended entrance area that you can walk through into the garden, providing a sheltered entryway and still space for a car. Especially on smaller plots, a fully enclosed garage can take up too much space.
Therefore, I think you can’t make a general statement: a carport is better or a garage is always better. It depends on the circumstances — how much space you have, where the carport or garage will be located, and how it fits on the property. If there is enough room for a large garage where you can comfortably get in and out, that’s a different situation.
Insurance wouldn’t be a decisive argument for me to build a garage at all costs. A workshop probably not either — personally, I would always prefer a workshop in a heated or at least warmer room (our old garage was freezing cold in winter; I wouldn’t have wanted to spend more than 10 minutes working in there). But again: everyone should choose what suits their particular situation best.
The advantage of a carport is that it generally offers more space. Especially if one or more sides are open. Often, instead of masonry walls, there are wooden walls. This also provides more room compared to a garage. Sometimes it’s simply more visually appealing to have a carport rather than a garage. Sometimes the shape of the property and building regulations / planning permissions make it a better option. A carport can also be an extended entrance area that you can walk through into the garden, providing a sheltered entryway and still space for a car. Especially on smaller plots, a fully enclosed garage can take up too much space.
Therefore, I think you can’t make a general statement: a carport is better or a garage is always better. It depends on the circumstances — how much space you have, where the carport or garage will be located, and how it fits on the property. If there is enough room for a large garage where you can comfortably get in and out, that’s a different situation.
Insurance wouldn’t be a decisive argument for me to build a garage at all costs. A workshop probably not either — personally, I would always prefer a workshop in a heated or at least warmer room (our old garage was freezing cold in winter; I wouldn’t have wanted to spend more than 10 minutes working in there). But again: everyone should choose what suits their particular situation best.
We decided to build a 9m (30 feet) long double garage. In winter, both cars are parked inside; in summer, almost only my wife’s car is there. Since we don’t have a basement, I find it convenient to be able to leave things parked inside occasionally. Two years ago, I spent several evenings working for about an hour each time and built a large loft bed. Last spring, I added a matching wardrobe underneath.
Last year, at the start of the school year, we wanted to rent an air hockey table for the kids’ entertainment. Since the rental cost was almost the same as buying a used one, we went for a secondhand table, which then stayed in the garage for the kids to use throughout the summer. It will probably be set up again soon.
This would never have been possible with a carport.
Last year, at the start of the school year, we wanted to rent an air hockey table for the kids’ entertainment. Since the rental cost was almost the same as buying a used one, we went for a secondhand table, which then stayed in the garage for the kids to use throughout the summer. It will probably be set up again soon.
This would never have been possible with a carport.
It always depends on the area. Where we live, cars are left unlocked in front of the house for days—often even with the key inside. The only thing someone walking by might say is, "Hey, you forgot your key in the car!"
So, we can store just about anything in the carport without worrying about it disappearing. However, during events like the "quiet night" (Freinacht), it might be wise to put things away.
In less secure neighborhoods, having a lockable garage definitely has its advantages...
So, we can store just about anything in the carport without worrying about it disappearing. However, during events like the "quiet night" (Freinacht), it might be wise to put things away.
In less secure neighborhoods, having a lockable garage definitely has its advantages...
askforafriend18 May 2021 11:45Musketier schrieb:
.... In winter, both cars are parked inside, in summer, mostly just my wife’s...This confirms my suspicion that the garage is considered living space, not just a parking spot for the car.
Musketier schrieb:
.... Since we don’t have a basement, I find it practical to be able to leave things standing there sometimes.That’s exactly the point.
Musketier schrieb:
That would never have been possible with a carport.No, if you had a carport, that obviously wouldn’t have been possible – huh? Does that mean phrases like:
“Sorry kids, we can’t set up the air hockey table, we have a carport” or “Oh man, if only we had a garage, we could have set up the air hockey table now” or “If I had a garage right now, I could build the cabinet”
😀 😉
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