ᐅ Is a detached garage more cost-effective?

In my unheated garage, I have never had a drink freeze or tools rust.

Maybe the original poster should first clarify what they mean by a garage. For me, it is an uninsulated, unheated building where you park cars, two-wheelers, and maybe also a lawn mower.

Buchsbaum schrieb:

A garage should always be well insulated and also have heating.
And actually, my barn is the nicest place for me.

You can make it very cozy there.

Buchsbaum schrieb:

And a proper garage should also have a refrigerator stocked with beer.

Yes, I also agree with some men that their sleeping place should be in the garage near their (beloved) car 😎 😉

DaGoodness schrieb:

For example, we keep our drinks in the garage. Also all our tools. Without this access, I would have to open the garage door every time or go through the terrace to get there.

Wilder Süden puts it perfectly:

WilderSueden schrieb:

With good planning, you don’t have to make a big detour just to get into the garage.

Who wants to constantly leave the house just to grab a hammer or a bottle? Whoever plans well keeps everything inside the house and uses the garage as intended, without risking any violation due to undefined use of the garage. Strictly speaking...

DaGoodness schrieb:

I also find it practical to go straight from the car into the house without having to unlock a door first.

The connecting door should also be designed to resist break-ins… at least it should be locked.

DaGoodness schrieb:

We use the garage access at least as often as the front door.

If you enjoy that and it works well for you, then that’s fine.

DaGoodness schrieb:

And I think the 15,000€ estimate is a bit exaggerated too.

No. On average, you need about 5 square meters (54 square feet) more. Let’s say roughly, next to the stairs the hallway leads towards the garage door, that’s about 3 square meters (32 square feet) that you can’t use otherwise. However, those 3 square meters could be used as a utility area for smaller tools and storing bottles.
Back when house designs and floor plans were still being discussed here, almost every draft had this “must-have” squeezed into the standard layout.

DaGoodness schrieb:

For that, direct access to the garage with many additional square meters :p

The original poster who’s asking is looking elsewhere for cost savings… they’re currently in the adding-up phase.

Bringing up an oversized garage with the approach of “go big or go home” isn’t helpful. Because I didn’t mention the cost of extra space in the garage just for ease of movement.
There was a thread here once where a builder dreamed of a garage nearly twice the size of their house as a single person… Yes, I also like the King of Queens series 😀

motorradsilke schrieb:

We also have a side entrance from the utility room—not directly into the garage, but only 1 meter (3 feet) away from it.

That’s good—not only for a standard floor plan. It offers many more planning possibilities. With your hobby, it’s ideal. But routing a family of 4 or 5 through a utility room is definitely not ideal.
Or you plan the front door close to the gate—many plots allow for this kind of design. Especially since for most people, the fear of rain is what makes having this passthrough door a must-have, not the fridge 😉

ypg schrieb:

Who wants to keep leaving the house just to grab a hammer or a bottle? Anyone who plans well has everything in the house and uses the garage as intended, without violating any regulations by using the garage for undefined purposes. If you look at it strictly…

I also keep a small hammer for picture nails in the house. But I haven’t needed it for four months now. I have a set of screwdrivers in the utility room as well. But what do you really need all the time? Right after moving in, I used tools almost every day, so they stayed inside. But now I mostly need the tools outside, so storing them in the garden shed is better and keeps the house cleaner.

DaGoodness schrieb:

The batteries for power tools as well as the e-bike batteries have been stored in the garage for years. I don’t see why I should bring them inside.

For lithium-ion batteries, storage at 10-20°C (50-68°F) is generally recommended. Some manufacturers now specify down to -10°C (14°F), but personally, I would rather avoid that. Extreme temperatures are stressful for batteries in any case. And it does often get a bit colder here in winter.

Thank you for all the tips so far.
@motorradsilke How is your garage set up? Is it separate from the house?

tommyboy schrieb:

Thank you for all the advice so far.
@motorradsilke How is your garage set up? Is it detached from the house?

Yes, it is detached from the house, with a gap of just under 1 meter (3 feet). This happened because the garage was already there (we had the old house demolished, but the garage was left standing).
I'll attach a picture; the house is shown there, however