If your car is practically a member of the family, you need a house that can host oil changes as well as family dinners. While shopping for a home, keep an eye out for garages offering the space, utilities, and other features necessary to make fixing your ride easier. When you buy the house, you’ll need to customize the garage to meet your requirements. Before you do that ensure it’s customizable. Get started with this list of must-have garage features for car enthusiasts to look for.
Space
If you’re planning to make your garage an automobile workshop, there’s no getting around the fact that you need a lot of room to get around. Some mechanics and car aficionados say you need about two feet of space all around, though consider the convenience of being able to open all the doors at the same time. You’ll need three to four feet in front, allowing you to maneuver easily while looking under the hood while letting you set up a workbench within arm’s reach. If you plan to install a car lift, consider a 12-foot ceiling, though there are shorter lifts that can jack up a car enough to let you slide under comfortably.
Lights and Electricity
Garages tend to be dark places, but you’re not simply parking your car and going inside—you’re spending hours exploring every nook and cranny of the vehicle. See if the garage can be rewired to accommodate extra outlets on their own circuit. Inspect the possibility of installing flush mount overhead lighting that won’t interfere with the garage door opening and closing as well. Starting out, you can invest in some high-beam portable work lights, but wouldn’t you rather have professional lighting in place down the line?
Garage Utility Sink
This one might be a tall order. Most utility sinks are in the basement or a laundry room, but even if your potential garage doesn’t have one, see if one could be installed. After a day or night of working on an engine, you’ll want a place to scrub off the grease. Utility sinks are a good place to clean up car parts too. It’s one of the primary must-have garage features for car enthusiasts.
Workbench (Area)
This is another case where even if the garage doesn’t come with it, you’ll want to ensure that it can have one. When inspecting the house, a tape measure is your best buddy. A pre-existing workbench is a plus, of course, but measure it and test its durability to assess if it’ll be of use for car repair. As mentioned above, it’s best if the bench is within arm’s reach while working.
Storage
Pre-existing storage space is a plus, and so is the potential for installing more shelves, cabinets, and organizers. Think of how much space your tools and any car emergency equipment take up right now and imagine where they’d all go in the new house. Blank walls have pegboard possibilities, and trusses can provide loft space. Measure, measure, measure!