An article about how to choose a garage, what to look for when choosing a garage for a car. Important nuances. At the end of the article there is a video on how to avoid mistakes when buying a garage!
The choice of paid or free, guarded parking lots is certainly convenient, but it is not always reliable and requires regular financial investment.
A more attractive opportunity would be to purchase own garage. But how can you determine that a garage will solve all your problems and justify the money invested in its purchase? Choosing a garage often requires no less attention than choosing the car itself.
Factors influencing the choice of garage
The main purpose of purchasing a garage is to ensure maximum safety for the “iron horse”. It must be protected from hooligans, from the possibility of theft, and from exposure to adverse weather conditions. It is still not uncommon to find cut tires and scratched fenders in the morning. In winter, a car has to be literally rescued from snow captivity with a shovel at the ready. And in the spring - to fight the effects of rust. In all these cases, the garage is simply irreplaceable.
When choosing a garage, you should pay attention to a number of criteria:
- Type of construction;
- Material of construction;
- Location;
- Availability of inspection hole;
- Other important little things.
Garages by type of construction
Built-in garages
Based on the type of construction, a distinction is made between built-in and free-standing garages. As a rule, a built-in garage is an extension to the house or part of it. Projects of modern multi-storey buildings have built-in garage parking. This pleases car owners and greatly upsets “horseless” residents.
Built-in garages are very convenient to use. Private houses and cottages may have a garage for one or two cars. The main value of such a garage is the economical use of space around the home and good protection of the car. In addition, a built-in garage allows you to save on building materials, since part of its walls are the walls of the house.
Closely located house communications allow them to be routed to the garage. In cold or rainy weather, you can get inside without going outside.
The obvious disadvantage of this option is the additional noise and the presence of extraneous odors. In addition, to build such a garage, you will need to comply with a lot of technical and regulatory requirements. To prevent the occurrence of negative phenomena at the design stage, you should carefully consider the development of ventilation lines and sound absorption systems.
The most common location of a built-in garage is ground floor. When building such a garage, you should carefully consider the design and insulation of the foundation. Special design descent and ascent must prevent freezing in winter, flooding with water in the rain and when snow melts.
If the original house plan did not include a garage, but the surrounding area allows it, then you can register a new plan and add a new room to the house. Creating a front door outside the home will eliminate some of the disadvantages.
Autonomous garages
Autonomous – detached garage. This option does not have the disadvantages of built-in garages. But the required financial costs significantly exceed those of the first type, especially if it is necessary to create a garage, respecting the style of the main house.
Additional costs will be required for communications. No matter what the weather is in the yard, to get to such a garage you will have to cover the distance from the house to it.
A detached garage can be designed as a simple shed or as a permanent structure. If possible, it is better to arrange a permanent garage with an additional carport.
Materials for building a garage
Based on the material from which the garage is built, there are:
- Brick garages;
- Slag concrete;
- Metal;
- Wooden.
More budget option - slag concrete garage . Cinder concrete walls are erected from slabs or monoliths. By technological characteristics such a garage is not inferior to a brick one. At the same time, it costs significantly (1.5 - 2 times) less.
Metal garage copes well with the tasks of protection from climatic influences and hooligan antics. But it is not very convenient to repair it. IN winter time it freezes, and in the summer heat it becomes very hot. Main advantage iron garage– short time for construction and mobility when changing location.
Wooden garages have excellent thermal insulation properties. They are durable. But due to the high fire danger, they are gradually becoming a thing of the past.
Location of the garage and presence of an inspection hole
The location of the garage affects its cost. When located far from home we get low price, but making it difficult to initially get into the garage. The location of the garage next to the house in the city is much more expensive.
The design features of modern cars significantly reduce the relevance of the inspection hole. However, for not the latest models and those who like to do their own repairs, the inspection hole is a mandatory and important component of the garage.
The inspection hole should be dry and there should be no signs of standing water. When assessing a hole, its depth is taken into account. Enterprising sellers can add up to 15 cm of soil to hide traces of water in the hole. Availability dark spots on the walls indicates that underground water is very close.
The inspection hole must be provided with good natural ventilation. Ventilation is a must, and this applies to the entire garage. Delay excess moisture may cause damage to the vehicle. The optimal floor covering is paving slabs or concrete slabs. Presence on the floor wooden covering– a negative factor, since wood retains moisture, which promotes the development of fungus and bacteria, and ultimately damage to the car.
The level of lighting in the garage can be provided natural sources- windows or lamps.
Garage size and other important details
Optimal garage size
The traditional size of a garage in a cooperative is 6 meters by 3 meters and a little over 2 meters in height. Such dimensions allow you to exclusively store the car - there is not enough space for setting up a workshop. Even a simple entry into such a garage by an inexperienced driver can result in scratched sides of the car.
Answer to the question about optimal sizes garage sounds like this: at least 4 meters in tire, 7 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height. A garage of this size will have room for a car and all the necessary tools. In reality, the size of the garage depends on the size of the car. In the optimal case, to calculate the size of the garage, you can add 1.2 meters to the dimensions of the car. If you plan to conduct renovation work, then the size of the garage needs to be increased.
Important points when buying a garage
Before purchasing a garage, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Availability and quality of access roads (condition of pavement, availability of garage all year round);
- The presence of lanterns illuminating the surrounding area;
- Indoor air humidity;
- Roof condition (presence or absence of streaks on the walls);
- Gate condition;
- Doorway size.
Preparation of documents for the purchase and sale of a garage
When an option that suits you in all respects is found, you need to properly formalize the purchase and sale transaction. Buying a garage is buying real estate.
Before you start processing the documents, you must establish personal contact with the real owner of the garage. It is not recommended to make transactions by proxy - it is better to refrain from such transactions.
The safest option would be to purchase a property in a new building – “first-hand”. A study of the owner's documents may reveal two options.
1. If the seller does not have documents for the property, he must provide you with:
- A certificate confirming the registration of the building with the State Insurance Company and full payment of its cost. It is issued by BTI;
- A copy of the registration certificate for the garage.
- BTI and GSK certificates are not needed;
- If the building was donated, the original deed of gift will be needed.
Certification of the contract is not required; it must be registered at the branch of the Registration Chamber. Three copies of the agreement: one for the seller and the buyer and one for the registration chamber. It is optimal to get advice from an experienced lawyer or even entrust him with the complete preparation and execution of documents.
Whichever option you choose, purchasing a garage is a good investment. By protecting the car from minor and major damage, the garage allows you to significantly save money on repairs and greatly reduces the likelihood of the car being stolen.
The owner of the property knows that he can sell it at any time. The cost of the purchased garage will increase over time. If you rent out your garage, you can earn income on an ongoing basis.
Do you want to avoid legal mistakes when buying a garage? Watch the video:
Don't know which garage is better? Nowadays many have been invented interesting designs– starting from universal metal samples and ending original models from sandwich panels and sleepers. Depending on the material used in construction, types of garages are usually divided into 4 key groups:
- Frame garage
This type of garage includes maneuverable structures based on a wooden or metal frame. The frame is built from profiles. The gaps between the frame are filled with insulation, then waterproofing is laid and a box is constructed on a wooden base.
- Metal garage
This includes all kinds of products made from sheet and rolled products. In addition, this category includes ready-made structures in the form of shells, pencil cases and samples collected from sea containers. You decide for yourself which garage is best to build, focusing on financial capabilities and the size of the box.
- Wooden garage
Here, as you might guess, we mean suburban and country options garages made of logs, timber, boards and other available wood materials (for example, sleepers). This category is the most common for country house construction. Wooden boxes combine environmental friendliness and high assembly speed. Most " proper garage” from both an economic and environmental point of view.
- Block garage
This is one of the standard, along with metal, box designs. Before choosing a garage made of blocks, you should evaluate all the characteristics of the materials offered on the market. The predominant options here are aerated concrete and gas silicate blocks. In addition, one cannot fail to note the expensive, but insanely beautiful views red brick garages.
Don't know what sizes and shapes garages come in? More detailed information You can find out what a garage should be like in this section.
Any owner of his own car sooner or later is faced with the need to purchase or build his own garage for long-term safe storage of vehicles and maintenance. In this article we will tell you what size a garage should be, how to choose a garage material or its type.
Main types of garages
All garages can be divided into two main types based on location:
- Attached(cm. ). This type of garage is part of the main residential or industrial building. This type also includes built-in garages, which are located in the basement or basements private houses. This type also includes production workshops or similar premises that have garage boxes.
FYI. All types of garages for built-in cars usually have a ready-made communications system in the form of heating, plumbing and lighting, a well-organized entrance and often a security system for the complex. Such garages have enough space not only for storage, but also for full maintenance. However, the price of renting or purchasing such premises is significantly higher than that of detached buildings.
- Freestanding. This type of garage can be installed in any area where there is space for it. Such garages can be stationary or collapsible. Most often, such garages are united into garage cooperatives, which exist in almost every district of the city and may also have electricity and a security system. You can find detached garages that the owners built with their own hands next to the house or in the courtyard of an apartment building.
FYI. The advantage of detached garages is lower rental costs and close proximity. However, such premises do not always have electricity; moreover, they have a small area that is not suitable for full repairs.
The best option, of course, is to build your own garage as close as possible to your place of residence according to your own design. The structure can be either collapsible (see), or foundational.
However, it is worth considering that any structure that has a foundation is considered capital and requires special permitting documentation. When deciding which garage is best to build, consider the factors mentioned above.
Material for building a garage
An important criterion is the choice of material for building a garage. It is necessary to immediately determine which garage will be based on which type of material, since this will affect not only the cost, but also performance characteristics premises.
Modern garages can be made from materials such as:
- Metal.
- Brick.
- Concrete.
- Tree.
Each of the listed materials has its own advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss further.
Metal garage
Metal types of garages (see) can be installed either on a foundation basis or in a mobile version. Usually used during construction metal profile to create a frame and corrugated sheeting for its cladding.
These types of garages allow you to create spaces different sizes and forms that, if necessary, can be rebuilt or transported to another location.
FYI. A metal garage is relatively inexpensive, but to ensure comfortable operation it is necessary to install additional insulation, since in the winter season the metal does not retain heat, but in summer time gets very hot.
Brick garages
Brick garages are the most practical and durable buildings. An example of such a garage is shown in the photo above.
Brick is an ideal material for building a garage on your own property, since it is a permanent, non-dismountable structure. This material also allows you to build a room of any shape and size, and is also safe for storing a car.
The material is able to retain heat in cold weather and keep cool in hot season.
FYI. Brick construction requires large financial investments and time costs. The thickness of the wall plays a big role in ensuring comfort. A brick structure can fit perfectly into any landscape and be additionally decorated with finishing materials.
Concrete garages
Concrete types of factory garages can have either monolithic or collapsible design(cm. ). It is almost impossible to make such a garage with your own hands, since this requires special equipment.
Precast concrete factories produce ready-made concrete blocks, which are delivered to the site using trucks, and the garage is assembled using a truck crane. You can assemble the garage yourself, for this there are special instructions from the manufacturer, but delivery of elements and installation will require heavy equipment, which costs a pretty penny.
FYI. Monolithic reinforced concrete garage can be considered a mobile structure, since it does not require a foundation for temporary installation and, if necessary, it can be moved to another location. Prefabricated structures can also be disassembled and transported.
Wooden garages
Wooden types of garages (see) have a collapsible design and are lightweight, which allows them to be installed without the use of a massive foundation. The advantage of wood is the ability to quickly repair, high speed of construction and thermal insulation characteristics.
However, wooden structures require additional processing wood with antiseptic solutions to prevent rotting and resistance to moisture.
Please note: as roofing material For wooden structures, metal corrugated sheeting is usually used; for wall cladding, you can use decorative pvc panels, and for internal lining Rubber tiles are used on the floor. It is also worth remembering the increased fire danger tree.
Using the data described, you can choose which is best to build a garage in your particular case, taking into account the available land and financial capabilities. To help with your choice, we recommend watching the thematic video material at the end of the article.
Greetings, fellow car owner. If you are interested in purchasing a garage, it means that you already have a four-wheeled friend, but most likely you don’t have a garage, but you are planning to buy one in the near future. Of course, you live in a warm and cozy apartment, but your assistant gets wet in the rain in the yard, overheats in the sun on clear summer days, and in winter he plaintively greets you in the morning, covered in snow up to the roof, cold and restless. It would be better for everyone to move to private house or a cottage, there will always be a warm place for your car, but the budget doesn’t allow it yet, so we’ll start looking for a garage. The street night life of a car cannot be delayed for a long time.
Parking in the courtyard of a residential building or on the nearest street is convenient because the car is always at hand. But with this storage method, unfortunately, it is accessible not only to your hands. You always want to think positive, but news channels are increasingly reporting on the fatal consequences of off-street parking. Somewhere at night, serial arsonists are operating, somewhere they are systematically cutting tires, someone is practicing shooting with pneumatic weapons, using neighbors' cars as targets. Unfortunately, the “traditional” car thieves, whose skill and arrogance in recent years have grown indescribably.
Sometimes massive damage to overnight cars occurs due to a tipsy neighbor who imagines himself to be the local Schumacher, or simply an inexperienced girl behind the wheel who has trouble finding her way in the dark and has not yet felt the dimensions of her brand new car. There is another category of car vandals in yards - residents who are dissatisfied with the fact that others have cars. These metal boxes, which clutter driveways and passages, interfere with walking with children or dogs, and simply interfere with life. Such citizens, offended by the whole world, often try on the duties of a people's avenger, and it is better that your car is less likely to catch the eye of this novice “elusive”. Especially at night.
By the way, about dogs. Early in the morning and late in the evening, our dear neighbors are forced to regularly walk their beloved four-legged animals. And those, leaving the entrance, love to methodically describe the wheels of all the cars parked nearby. Where they get so many resources is a separate question, but the wheels really do rust. Only titanium discs save. The owners, while their pets are frolicking, are not bored either. They may be inspired to be creative, and since there is no paper at hand, but there are cars, they write on them. Moreover, innocent inscriptions, such as “wash me,” are usually executed with a finger, and stronger words are executed with a nail or apartment keys.
The yard life of your car is a forced phenomenon. You do not skimp on a guarded parking lot, and you are happy to leave your car there when possible. It’s just that recently the number of specialized paid parking lots in residential areas has decreased; it’s much more profitable to build a residential high-rise or shopping mall. Fewer parking lots means it’s harder to get a spot there. Especially if you return late from work or from a trip to the country. We have not yet reached the point of mass construction of multi-storey or underground parking lots; this is a very rare phenomenon in our area.
Let's summarize everything that was said earlier: you understand that your car needs a garage. And we have already begun an active search. We will move with you and try to help you do right choice. First, let's try to figure out what exactly we are looking for. After all, garages are different, both in location and in the materials from which they are made. Accordingly, the conditions for “living” your car in them may differ significantly. You are not going to build a garage from scratch, but want to purchase a ready-made one, therefore, we will not discuss construction issues. Let's try to choose the right garage and first look at samples of garages and start searching for the most suitable one in terms of price and beneficial properties option.
Types of existing garages
Depending on the type of material from which they are built, garages can be divided into three main groups: metal, brick and block, as well as monolithic concrete garages. By location, if we consider this situation, it could be a non-permanent metal garage located in yours or nearby yards. Or a solid brick garage somewhere nearby, which at one time someone smart managed to build and register with city services. A garage space in an underground or multi-story parking lot, which recently began to be built in our latitudes, is also very suitable. Finally, a garage in a traditional GSK - garage-building cooperative. The latter, unfortunately, are usually located quite far from home, which is not very convenient.
Metal garage
The most primitive version of a metal garage is the well-known “shell”. This option is not for us, because this lightweight design, usually made of thin corrugated sheets, is not a serious obstacle either for car thieves or vandals. It can only protect against children's pranks and neighbor's dogs peeing. An alarm can be installed on the “shell” and the safety of car storage will increase somewhat. But this will not correct the situation with lack of ventilation, air stagnation and high humidity, which will inevitably lead to rapid corrosion of the metal parts of the car. Sometimes the owners of such a “shell” slightly lift it above the ground so that the cracks formed below provide air circulation. But this reduces to zero what is already very dubious protective properties economical home for their car.
Significantly best conditions can be created for your four-wheeled friend in metal prefabricated garage. They usually consist of durable modular metal parts, usually factory-made. There are still quite a lot of such structures in courtyards and nearby vacant lots. The authorities of most cities have learned to replenish their budgets at the expense of the owners of these garages, and therefore tolerate their presence. Purchasing such a garage is always risky, because at any moment these same authorities can issue an order to remove garages in connection with the start of construction of a facility or simply clearing the territory. And you will begin a feverish search for another convenient place where you can stick this structure. Such a place is becoming increasingly difficult to find in a modern city.
And yet, this option has one undeniable advantage - proximity to home. This fact partially offsets numerous disadvantages, the main ones being dampness, poor ventilation and sudden temperature changes. Having driven into such a garage with a wet car - and during rain it is simply impossible to drive there dry - we doom the car to dry out for a long time. But even a partially dried car can get wet again at night due to condensation - in a metal garage the night temperature drops sharply, and moisture intensively settles on the cold metal.
The various hidden cavities of the car, especially the sills and side members, suffer the most from corrosion. After all, there is practically no air flow here, so these body elements take the longest to dry and are damaged more intensively. Moisture in the garage can and should be dealt with. For example, doing metal wall cladding thermal insulation materials, hard floor installation and installation forced ventilation. But the car's anti-theft safety, given the fairly distant location of metal garages from residential buildings, will still remain extremely low.
Brick and concrete, detached garages of your dreams
In some places in our courtyards there are also permanent garages, solidly built from brick, foam blocks or monolithic reinforced concrete. Of course it's very good option car maintenance. But when considering the possibility of purchasing a permanent garage, legal issues come first. Most of these garages were registered for preferential categories of citizens - disabled people and veterans of war, labor, and honorary pensioners. In the event of their passing, the heirs often initiate the sale of the garage in the yard, as they understand the possibility of its imminent demolition. Only a garage registered at the technical inventory bureau on a general basis can be considered as possible option for purchase.
For such garages, owners command a significant price, because this is the most comfortable home for a city car. In residential areas there are very few such garages, and in modern residential areas they are practically absent. A solid stone garage can provide optimal conditions for storing a car and making it easy for the owner to maintain. But no one knows the prospect - how long this building and its owner will be able to fight off the onslaught of surrounding residential buildings and disinterested officials local authorities. All the same, sooner or later, a sports ground or a children's playground will appear in place of the garage. This powerful argument can and should be used when bargaining with the owner when purchasing, and can significantly curb his appetite.
We deliberately do not consider possible technical nuances and features of the structure of garages that may exist near your home, and at the same time be free at the time of the start of your search. Due to the fact that this is a very unlikely coincidence. There will still be nothing to choose from here; you will only need to carefully check the documentation for the garage and bargain carefully to get this convenient place for your car.
And yet, the likelihood of such a purchase is really very low, so we will continue our search and go to the nearest garage-building cooperative for this. There is plenty to choose from and something to discuss in terms of construction details and technical equipment. Because GSK is a separate world in which special people live, work and relax. This is the kingdom of car enthusiasts. But car owners are not prohibited from entering here either.
GSK – Soviet, capital garages
To choose a decent garage in GSK, you do not need to waste precious time studying the relevant sections in newspapers and real estate newsletters. Well, just take a look once to get an impression of the prices. You need to decide exactly which garage and construction cooperative is closest to your home, or where it will be more convenient to get home by public transport. And take decisive action by going straight to the office of this GSK. You need to find out from the duty officer when the chairman of the board is on site and meet with him. Formulate your thoughts clearly and speak in short phrases, because in most cases, cooperatives are still led by military pensioners, specific and responsible people.
Ask the chairman whether they are held often general meetings members of the cooperative, whether there are community clean-up days, what is the amount of annual fees. This way you will indicate your controllability and skills as an amateur social activist. The main thing is not to overdo it, so that you are not suspected of being a future competitor for top positions in the management of the cooperative. If you make a good impression on the chairman, and he considers you a worthy candidate to become a member of their friendly work family, you will be shown a piece of paper with the numbers of the garages that the owners have declared for sale. Now we need to act even faster and more meaningfully.
You are only interested in the garage in close proximity and visibility from the office, or rather the window behind which the cooperative duty officer whiles away his time. Boxes on distant streets are practically unguarded and many of them have already been opened and robbed more than once. Look around the area. If there are offers in the row of garages forming external wall, go outside the gate and see what this wall looks like from the outside. If it is made of massive foundation blocks - great, if it is simple brickwork– mediocre. They might take it apart, you'll have to reinforce it protective function this wall from the inside. Although the former owner of the garage could have already done this, find out later during the inspection.
All the boxes of the first line and the nearest numbers from other streets, facing the area in front of the office, a kind of center of life of the cooperative, are also interesting because even during the organization of the GSK, the cars of the bosses settled there different levels. Theoretically, the cooperative's shareholders had to draw lots, as in the legendary film "Garage", and almost all the bosses received garages next to this small "Red Square". Moreover, not the first, that is, the last number, but the second or third. Because the first one has an external end wall on the side, which can be damp and cold in winter. As a rule, the internal equipment of these comrades’ garages corresponded to the very high level.
Therefore, if your treasured piece of paper contains the number of one of these garages, start your search with it. Perhaps they can show you everything without the owners; if not, they will help you call them and make an appointment. Most likely, the widow of the former car enthusiast and garage owner will come to the show, because during his lifetime he would never have sold it. It's a pity for the owner, we'll all be there, but for you this circumstance is a little to your advantage - wives sell garages quite cheaply and almost never haggle. Now, if the sale is carried out by the children-heirs, you will have a difficult time. So in the next part we will begin examining the garage. And let's start, of course, from the very beginning - gates and locks...
Today you are faced with choosing a garage. This means that we already have a car, but there is nowhere for it to stay overnight. And you, as a conscientious owner, cannot leave your pet on the street. After all, this way she will not be protected from natural phenomena– rain, snow, frost, hot sun, it can also be stolen or damaged on the street appearance. Well, or dogs and cats will go for a walk in the morning and shit on your wheels, which is also not very pleasant, plus the wheels will rust.
So, let's find the best one together best option for your car. So that you don’t freeze in the cold in winter, and don’t fry in the sun in summer. After all, with a garage you will get rid of a large pile of small troubles and, perhaps, even big ones.
A few words about the advantages of a garage over paid parking. Firstly, parking lots don’t always have a roof. Secondly, night security is not always reliable. Thirdly, there is no way to inspect the car in case of some minor breakdown and there is nowhere to store the tools necessary for the car. In general, a garage is simply necessary and is an incomparably better option for a car than paid parking or spending the night near the entrance.
1. Garage type
1.1. Detached garages
Detached garages are good option. This building, which stands separately from other buildings, has its own communications, separate foundation, walls and roof. The main thing is that it is close to home. Nobody wants to get to God knows where in the morning (especially in winter). Detached garages are classified according to the material they are made from.
The metal garage is the most budget option, since it costs much less than brick or concrete. It’s not difficult to build or assemble such a garage, and it doesn’t take much time. It can be easily transported to another place. These are, perhaps, all the advantages of metal garages.
Metal is the most thin material for the garage. Therefore, in the cold season it will have to be insulated with foam plastic or glass wool. You need to think carefully about the issue of ventilation to protect the car from dampness. High humidity can seriously damage both the garage and the car body and its parts. One more significant disadvantage such a garage is its unreliability. After all, it will be easier for an attacker to open a metal garage, break open the door, or, in extreme cases, lift it with a jack. If you are looking closely at a metal garage, pay attention to the floor so that the frame is tightly screwed to the floor, and carefully inspect the ceiling for smudges.
Brick and concrete garages
Brick and concrete garages are considered more reliable; they are not so easy to break into, and their roofs leak much less often. By the way, do you know how to check if the roof is leaking? Come look at the garage after it rains, so the owner is unlikely to be able to hide traces of smudges. Such garages are, of course, better than metal ones and more practical. A brick garage is much warmer in winter period, although this depends on the thickness of the walls. Concrete allows cold to pass through better, so a concrete garage, just like a metal garage, needs to be insulated. There is only one disadvantage of such garages - their cost; a concrete or brick garage is much more expensive than a metal one, but is the savings worth it?
A garage cooperative is a type of consumer cooperative that allows you to solve the problem of car storage. GSK is good choice, because garages there are often made with high quality, practical and reliable. And another significant plus is security, at least some kind. But winning the right to take a place in such a cooperative is also not easy. The main condition is to please the main chairman of the GSK. Just choose a place for your garage in the cooperative that is close to the duty officer, so that your garage is always in his field of vision, you never know...
2. Garage size
Another important point in choosing a garage for your iron friend- this is the size. What should it be like? Of course, choose the size of the garage for your car. There is a very simple rule: on the sides and in the depth, add 1.5 meters to the size of the car in one direction and the other. You don’t just want an overnight place for your car, but also a small workshop so that you can repair minor breakdowns yourself. Still need a place to put everything necessary tools. Well, the length from the gate to the car should be at least two meters.
3. Garage doors and locks
Also check the garage door, look at the height and width. They cannot be lower than two meters, and if you have a Hummer, then as much as three meters high. Also calculate the width depending on the width of the car; add at least 30 cm on the sides. It is better if the gate is made of metal 3-5 mm thick; it can be strengthened with overhead locks. Let's take a closer look at what they are. Main types garage doors: swing, roll, sliding, sectional, folded and lift-and-turn.
The choice today is huge, but the most popular remain swing gates and folded (folded like a screen). The main thing is that they are as easy to use as possible, provide thermal insulation for the garage, and that the gate has a reliable, burglary-proof lock. Just not mounted, this is the worst option. The most reliable lock for garage doors is a lock with a lever mechanism. And carefully inspect its condition so that it is not rusty or rotten. But in extreme cases, the lock can be changed without problems.
4. Inspection pit and basement
Having a basement will, of course, be a big plus. Just decide right away whether you need this very hole? After all, today service stations are so developed that many drivers think inspection hole a relic of the past. But if the garage still has a basement and a pit, check how it is insulated and whether it is airtight. It should be protected as much as possible from moisture, this is very important.
If the pit is not concreted (or made of brick), then the car is at risk of corrosion from moisture evaporation. One more thing, it’s better to let the descent be steps, it’s much more more convenient than stairs. The size is calculated as follows: the depth is equal to your height + 15 cm, the width is from 80 cm (depending on the width of the car), and the length - it is advisable to also look at the length of the car, but if it is not as long, then you can drive backwards or forwards, depending on which part of the machine needs to be repaired.
With height, you can also substitute a stool if you are shorter. But if you are taller, then it is better to look for another garage - it will be very uncomfortable for you to bend.
5. Communications (electricity and ventilation)
Check how the sockets work and whether the measures are followed electrical safety. After all, the slightest short circuit in the electrical wiring can lead to a fire. The garage must have a lighting panel, all sockets must be at a height not less than a meter, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask if there is grounding.
It is also very important that the air in the garage is constantly changed. Don't forget to ask the owner of the garage you are looking at about the availability of ventilation. If ventilation is done correctly, there should be no dampness or high humidity. Indoors with high-quality ventilation you can stay there for a long time without fear of getting a dose of toxic gases, and the car will receive a guarantee of excellent storage conditions. Natural ventilation It doesn’t suit us, its effect is minimal. So it's better that there is mechanical ventilation(air circulation using a fan), or combined. And if it’s also installed in the basement exhaust ventilation, then this option is the most suitable.
6. Documentation
And the last but not least important task is the correct documentation of the purchase. After all, a garage is, first and foremost, real estate. Real estate that will be properly registered as ownership. Here we would advise you to contact an experienced lawyer so that he can tell you how to do this correctly. After all, there are many pitfalls here. For example, you bought a garage from a disabled person of group 1-2. As a result, you will not receive anything, since selling subsidized buildings is prohibited by law. So it’s better not to do it on your own, contact a specialist so as not to get into any surprise.
Buying a garage is in any case a useful investment, because you will save money as a result. The main thing is to do it correctly so that the long-awaited purchase brings only positive emotions. That's what we wish for you!
