Have you considered what type of garage you would like to build? Modular homes make it easy to plan your garage before or after your home is built. There are several garage options for manufactured homes that you can consider, but it’s best if you make an integrated garage part of the original modular home floorplan.
Garage Options for Modular Homes
Here are the three most common options for garages and the pros and cons of each.
1. No Garage
You do not need to build a garage if you don’t want to. Many homeowners will add a carport to the side of their homes to shelter their vehicles. If you own an RV or boat, you may choose to add a carport in addition to a garage. The “no garage” option will save you money but it may affect your home’s resell value in the future.
2. Detached Garage
Detached garages are built entirely separate from the home itself. They can be styled to look more like sheds or barns than regular garages, and many homeowners build them to fulfill more than one purpose. For instance, detached garages can easily double as a workshop or as equipment storage.
A huge advantage of detached garages is that you can add them at any time, which makes them perfect for prefabricated homes. Since they are a separate structure, no “house priming” is necessary. The disadvantage is that you must go out into the elements to get to your car. To stay protected, you might want to build a breezeway from your home to your detached garage and style it to match the architecture of your home.
3. Attached Garage
Attached garages are adjacent additions that share at least one wall with the house. They need to be planned for, so adding them to a prefabricated home later is more complicated than adding a detached garage. However, with a little construction and expertise, it is definitely possible. The advantage of adding an attached garage after setting your home is that you can budget the cost for later. If you need to cust costs in order to qualify for a construction loan, leaving the garage to later might help. The disadvantage is that you will have to pay for the garage outright or take out an additional loan.
4. Integrated Garage
Integrated (or integral) garages share a foundation and all four walls with the home. Consequently, integrated garages need to be planned for when you are designing your prefabricated home. They are common in split-level homes where the garage sits underneath the house. An integrated garage takes up less room on the building site than an attached garage, so for smaller lots, this is a great option. The drawback is that they reduce the overall living space in your home by taking up square footage that could have been used for additional rooms.
How can you choose the best option?
To choose the ideal garage for your modular home, the first place to start is with your floorplan. If you have selected a floorplan with an integrated garage, then your choice has been made for you. For those floorplans that call for attached garages, you can choose whether to include it during the initial build or later. You may need to have your plan customized by your builder so that the garage will not look like an afterthought when you do build it.
Finally, you will need to consider your construction loan. Do you need to cut costs? If so, does it make sense to do it with the garage or in another area, such as choosing less expensive appliances, or postponing the installation of a driveway?
At Next Modular, we know that choosing a home is likely one of the most important financial decisions you will make. As an experienced modular home builder serving Indiana and Michigan, we are committed to being your guiding light through this process. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to call us today.
