I’m currently in the market to buy a house and finding it frustrating to find a house with a garage big enough for 2 vehicles and my boat. Apparently the people that drew up the specs for houses built in the past 15 years have never heard of a full size truck or 20′ boat. 
How do you guys fit your boats in the garage? Is it worth it to add on to a garage?
Kittywampus.
I have a 3 car, and still have to angle the boat in. 
My son just bought a house with a 29 foot detached garage. 
It’s funny you say that Fife! 5 years ago when we were looking, I carried my tape measure with and the very first place I went into was the garage. If it wasn’t big enough, we didn’t even look at the rest of the house! Looked at 64 homes in the Rosemount, Lakeville, Farmington area in our price range and only saw about 8 that had enough garage space. Many had 7 foot wide doors on the 3rd space and/or weren’t nearly deep enough. The one we bought ended up having everything we needed. Big garage (25′ deep in the 3rd stall), big yard, 4 beds and 3 baths. We wrote the offer the same night we looked at it.
you have to remember home builders are building homes for 90% of the people. If you don’t fit in that mold, you certainly need to do your research and know what you want.
Last time I moved we had to have a heart to heart with our realtor and let her know she was wasting my time with the homes she was showing us. We ended up looking a a lot fewer homes, but I now have a 3 car garage and a 40’x65′ shed with a 40’x40′ shop.
Set your parameters and make sure you are seeing what you want. 
Folding trailer tounge does it for me.
I built a house in 09 and measured out the 3rd stall to fit my upgraded boat in a year! 
Now that’s thinkin’. My father in law bought a boat that didnt quite fit. He cut out a hole in the back of the garage and boxed it out about 30 inches deep to fit his motor. Redneck? maybe,,but it gave him the couple feet he needed to fit it in and it worked.
I’ve always wondered why the third stall on many garages is shorter. I’m guessing it’s a function following form type of thing, but in reality, most boats are longer than will fit in those things.
Adding a swing tongue to your trailer may help. I did that to mine and went from a 1/2″ clearance when angled just right to having plenty of room to back it in straight on. You can save in the neighborhood of 30-36″, I believe. It cost me under $200 and a few hours of work to do myself.
Don’t pity yourself too much, though. In houses built in the era of mine, a two car garage is a luxury.
Another vote for a “3 car” garage that holds a boat and some snowmobiles but no vehicles.
I’ve been b**ching for years about how city guys build city houses and they may or may not ever leave the home to go outside and do not own any toys.
All the houses we looked at (including the one we bought) are 21′ deep at best. My boat goes in at an angle.
You may as well just accept the fact that the vehicles get parked outside.
WalleyeBuster’s Dad has it right. I’m looking at extending that dumb shorter 3rd stall they put on my garage. I want to extend the front and the back so I can back my boat straight in. A nice cheap upgrade I’m sure.
I’ve thought the same things about those 3rd stalls. I think they must really be for bikes, mowers and snow blowers and not really for cars and boats. 
I heard that garages must be so far away from the road and in most cases the 3rd stall can be in line with or set back from the main garage per city statues/requirements. I’m not sure if that is true or not? But, it does makes sense because of the way houses are built.
I’m one of those that has to park the truck in the driveway and angle the boat into the 3rd stall. I will follow WB’s idea for the next house. I plan to build and make sure there is more then enough space for the boat in the 3rd stall.
Good Luck in your effort to find a garage that fits your needs.
I bought my house simply because of the garage. I didn’t even look at the house, my wife did, but I went straight for the garage. I offered about 2k more than the asking price simply because of the gargae. I was able to find a
36×32 detached fully insulated garage, and my wife has here standard 3 car everyone is complaining about. I do offer storage for boats, but my rent fee is “if your not using your boat, snowmobile, or wheeler, I get to use it without asking”
be sure to be specific with your realtor, that helps a lot.
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5 years ago when we were looking, I carried my tape measure with and the very first place I went into was the garage. If it wasn’t big enough, we didn’t even look at the rest of the house!
This is exactly what I’m doing right now. The only difference for me is if it looks like a close fit, i’ll at least look inside the home to see if I can knock out the wall a couple feet to make the boat fit, or around the back yard to see if I could add on.
Personally I could care less what the inside of the house looks like, those things can be fixed up to your liking. A garage that can fit your toys or be modified to fit them is the most important in my opinion.
When we moved to our place, I was in heaven.. I went from a 2 staller, about 20 wide x 20 deep 
to a 5 staller, 60 wide x 24 deep 
Funny part is, it’s full 
I built my own 28′ x 48′ detached garage with the primary purpose of being able to park my truck & boat inside with out unhooking the boat. That’s long enough for a full size truck hooked to an 18 1/2′ boat. Next day just drive off without having to hook back up. It is nice.
I dont know the area you are looking in but I would try finding the house you want where you can build a detached garage. I seen a few places are selling a 30×40 steel building for 10k labor & material.
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I built my own 28′ x 48′ detached garage with the primary purpose of being able to park my truck & boat inside with out unhooking the boat. That’s long enough for a full size truck hooked to an 18 1/2′ boat. Next day just drive off without having to hook back up. It is nice.
Sheeze Miller! That’s plain lazy! 
But I love it. 
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I built my own 28′ x 48′ detached garage with the primary purpose of being able to park my truck & boat inside with out unhooking the boat. That’s long enough for a full size truck hooked to an 18 1/2′ boat. Next day just drive off without having to hook back up. It is nice.
That is exactly what I wanted but was not able to find or build into. I plan to have this one the next place
Fife,
Having this issue right now.
Kristie and I have been looking and looking but have really struggled to find a garage that can fit the boat… Most we’ve looked at are only 22ft deep – a few at 24ft. I’d guess I need 28ft to be semi-comfortable, and then between my snowmobile and other crap, that’s still be a tight fit – Frustrating to say the least. Really narrows our focus down to houses with an outbuilding/barn.
Its reasons like that I am a design/builder. 99% of people having a house built never visualize exactly how they’ll use the space. Plus, it all looks bigger on paper.
I looked at over 50 houses over a 2 year span. The real estate gal I worked with did not believe me when I told her what size garage is needed, until after walking right out of a few showings as a waste of time. It got to the point she would confirm garage space before a showing.
I was able to get a garage that was deeper than I had previously which was key. I cannot back right in the third stall, but I can get my 617 in the third stall without an angle.
I am sure finding a house in a suburb may be a miracle for some if you want a true 3rd stall and you are not building… 
When I was first looking at houses 10 years ago I was having the same issue except that I couldn’t afford a house with a decent garage. I ended up looking for a house with no garage and built my own. I’ve since outgrown the 3 car I built and am ready for a bigger house in the country but I’m waiting another year or 2 for the market to pick up a bit. Hopefully the location of my current house and it’s garage will help it sell pretty easily.
When we built 10 years ago I had the double stall 28 feet deep and the third stall 26 feet. I then built a 24 x 24 detached.
I have a 28 deep by 40 wide, IT AIN~T DEEP ENOUGH, after I built I sure wish I would have gone 32 deep. My 182 Crestliner just fits and my dully crew cab I can barely walk around it.
The ideal garage would be 60′ X 100′ if not even 100′ X 100′. 3 garage doors. One on each gable end so it can be a drive through. Then another one on one of the gable ends. At least 9′ high doors if not 10′. Definitely a 16′ wide door and the other two could be 10′ wide.
The next house will be built smaller (2000 sq ft or under) with a huge garage. Nobody ever comes to visit anyway. Not sure why we bought such a big house.
Go with the Room in Attic trusses. That will add a full 10′ – 14′ wide room up there. They are usually about $2,000 more for those trusses over standard trusses. At least they were on all the buildings we’ve built. Well worth the extra 2k.
My parents have a 30′ X 40′ drive through garage. Not big enough. My one uncle has a 40′ X 40′ garage and a 60′ X 100′ Morton building and both are pretty full. My other uncle has a 20′ X 20′ attached garage, a 30′ X 40′ shop and a 60′ X 100′ Morton building and they are all full. You can’t have enough storage space. Especially for expensive toys and tools.
If you can afford it, in-floor heat is the way to go. You can isolate sections (zones) in which to heat at different temps.
My ideal building would be 100′ X 100′ with in-floor heat, heated with a wood boiler. Room in attic trusses for a “mother-in-law” room upstairs with a 3/4 bath. Not only will this be my shop, it will also be my man room. So a 20′ X 20′ area will be sectioned off for my mounts a bar and whatever else fits my fancy. That way Nicole can have the house all to her self and I don’t care how she decorates it.
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VMy ideal building would be 100′ X 100′
Still not big enough. Have any of you ever known someone with enough garage space (not talking sheds here) that is comfortable in the “off season”? The more you make so you can put up the humongo garage the more toys you accumulate. Truly the Mans Dilemma…and never will be understood by the better half.
I’m only 3 months removed from going through this exact same process. We must have looked at over 50 homes in over a 2 month period before finding something we both could live with. A larger house with a 30′ x 30′ garage. Every house my wife liked I would automatically reject if the garage wasn’t big enough. Also, I now have the room to add a large storage building. If you have the budget to build, then build it. Its nice having a larger garage with a 3rd stall, but builders install only 9ft doors, something I would definitely widen if I had the chance.
I have a detached two and half car garage 24′ deep I can get my truck, car, & boat in the garage along two work benches and a snow blower along with all the other junk that should go in a garden shed. I take care of my neighbors lawn in exchange for one of her stalls in her double garage in there I have my riding lawn mower, three push mowers, a 5×10 flat bed trailer, and all of my deer stands. At my Dads place I keep my 24′ camper in his pole barn for the winter. My plan is similar to Wades, I am keeping an eye on one of my neighbors properties, he is planning on selling in a couple of years. He has a house similar to mine with a couple of additions to the house for a little more room which we could use as it is a small story and a half. His garage is the same size as mine however he also owns an adjacent lot where I would build a building big enough to keep all my toys in one place. I also like the idea of a building big enough that I can get in with the boat hooked up to the truck.
Thanks for all of the advice. I think I may be changing my tune a little and looking more at building or buying a house with 2 car garage and building a separate garage. We are going to look at a house this weekend with a 28’X 32′ detached garage, but it only has a 7′ wide garage door. 
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but it only has a 7′ wide garage door
When you look at it and others also note the height of the garage doors. Most are only 7′ and many trucks with a topper don’t fit well. Need at least 8′ high doors, but 10′ is better.
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but it only has a 7′ wide garage door
When you look at it and others also note the height of the garage doors. Most are only 7′ and many trucks with a topper don’t fit well. Need at least 8′ high doors, but 10′ is better.
That is good advice, same thing if you build a garage or a pole barn, don’t just make it big enough for the toys you have now make it big enough for any future toys you might have. When my uncle built his pole barn he made it large enough for his 24′ camper but looking back now he wishes he would have made it tall enough to fit a fifth wheel just in case he would ever want to upgrade.
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