Garages under the House, (in the Basement)

[DawnCt1]

I have noticed that a lot of the houses in the Eastern Massachusetts area, east of 495, have their garages in the basement. It seems that this would be an inconvenience when bringing in groceries, etc. Does anyone have this? Do you like it?

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I have a townhouse that is 3 stories and the bottom level is the garage. I HATE it! My kitchen sits on top of the garage and is freezing cold in the winter. I hate having to haul my groceries up a level of stairs.

 

[dejr_8]

I have noticed that a lot of the houses in the Eastern Massachusetts area, east of 495, have their garages in the basement. It seems that this would be an inconvenience when bringing in groceries, etc. Does anyone have this? Do you like it?

Our house in MA had the garage in the basement and yes it was a pain with groceries.

 

[C.Ann]

Lots of house in upstate NY have this.. My parents had a house like this and my DD's IL's had a house like this.. No one ever really had a problem with it until they got older and started in with the aches and pains; bad knees; arthritis; etc..

I think in many instances it's younger couples who purchase existing homes such as this or have these homes built - without thinking ahead to the future..

Are they uncommon in CT?

 

[JVL1018]

I have noticed that a lot of the houses in the Eastern Massachusetts area, east of 495, have their garages in the basement. It seems that this would be an inconvenience when bringing in groceries, etc. Does anyone have this? Do you like it?

My house had a 2 car garage on basement level-the problem wasn't so much the inconvenience(though it was-it's on the opposite side of the house from the kitchen, so even if it was on street level it would still not be convenient), but the fact that the water would flood right in during heavy rains and shoveling out during big snowstorms was also a pain according to my father in law.

My inlaws bought this house new in 1958 and they ended up walling up that garage and building another 2 car garage on street level.

It's a corner lot and the garage is around the corner from the house. To get groceries into the house from the garage, I'd have to go down a few steps inside the garage to the door to the old garage, go into the old garage, open the door from the old garage into the basement, walk through the playroom, up the stairs to the first floor of the house, open that door, walk through the living room and then into the kitchen.

Yeah.. so I park on the street in front and come up the front walk when I have bags..

We use the old garage for storage-I love having it for that use. LOVE it!

ETA: My master bedroom is right above the old garage and it is really cold in the winter-hard to keep in heat sitting on top of an unheated concrete box.

 

[MomofKatie]

My mom and dad have a "daylight basement" and 2 car garage on the ground floor of their house in the North GA mountains. It is a pain to have to climb a flight of stairs with groceries.

I am worried about how many more years they can stay in the house as it is- they are both in their mid to late 70's, and they won't be able to do stairs forever. The funny thing is that when they bought the house, they told us kids that it would be great for retirement, since it was a ranch- no stairs. They neglected to mention that to get to this great ranch home, everyone needed to climb a flight of stairs, either inside from the garage/basement or outside, from the driveway to the front door.

 

[DawnCt1]

Lots of house in upstate NY have this.. My parents had a house like this and my DD's IL's had a house like this.. No one ever really had a problem with it until they got older and started in with the aches and pains; bad knees; arthritis; etc..

I think in many instances it's younger couples who purchase existing homes such as this or have these homes built - without thinking ahead to the future..

Are they uncommon in CT?

No, unless a house is built into a hillside. I don't often see them.

 

[etoiles]

We have a garage underneath our kitchen also and yes it can be a pain. Usually though I park on the street and come in the front door where there are only 5 steps or so to go up since DH parks in the garage.

The thing I realize now though that I don't like about it is as JVL1018 said since our driveway slants downwards we have had close call flooding in our basement area. Luckily DH installed a new sump pump and also a backup sump pump so since he did that we have not had problems.

 

[sbell111]

Around here, few houses have basements. Those that have a full basement (with garage under) can sometimes demand a pretty good premium.

It would be a pain with groceries, however.

 

[NotUrsula]

They are fairly common here in Missouri; there are several on my street.

Most of the ones I've been in have a dumbwaiter that goes to the inside of a kitchen cabinet, or at very least a hoist-box next to the stairs. It's dangerous to go up and down stairs with large packages that don't allow you to see your feet.

 

[Robinrs]

When I was house hunting I saw the most BEAUTIFUL townhome with that GOD FORBID basement. It was the right price, had a jacuzzi, walk in closets, even a bonus room for my son and was in the best location.... but the basement garage KILLED the deal for me. I'm too old for that k-rap~!

 

[onelilspark]

I have a townhome that's three levels like a PP. You enter on the bottom and it has the garage, a den and a coat closet. On the second level is the kitchen, living room, dining room, etc. Third level has the bed rooms.

I don't mind it too much. It's just me right now. And soon it'll be just me and my boyfriend. I also live right across the street from a grocery store. So A) I don't shop for an entire family and B) I shop frequently. Usually I can carry everything in one trip. I tend to only pick up a basket at the store so I limit what I buy. If I can carry it at the store, I can carry it up the stairs is my motto!!

That being said...when/if I get pregnant, start a family, etc...I don't want to be here, I want a single family home where the garage is on the same level as the kitchen. I don't want to be pregnant and waddling up stairs! I've already fallen on those stairs once (yep, carrying things down to my car!) and almost broke my ankle!! Don't need to do it with kids or pregnant!!

I have strong feelings about it. When I moved in I didn't think I would mind it...and I don't...really. But I don't want it forever and my next place won't be like it!!!

 

[bballmom56]

My master bedroom is right above the old garage and it is really cold in the winter-hard to keep in heat sitting on top of an unheated concrete box.

This is how ours is also, with the exact same problem!

We have the garage and basement underneath and a flight of stairs to the main level where everything (kitchen, living room, bedrooms) are on that level.

 

[Disney Doll]

I have a Cape built into the side of a small hill, and I have a 1 car garage "under", as we call it.

Right now, it's OK...a bit of a schlep up the stairs with groceries, but luckily I also live on a corner so I can pull up to the side of my house, unload my groceries and walk the 20 steps into the back door and right into my kitchen!

Realistically, if I had my choice I'd prefer a 2 car garage that was pretty much on the same "level" as the entrance to the house, but we bought the house we could afford at the time and we are pretty comfy here now.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I have a townhouse that is 3 stories and the bottom level is the garage. I HATE it! My kitchen sits on top of the garage and is freezing cold in the winter. I hate having to haul my groceries up a level of stairs.

Same situation and same feelings.

 

[megthewonderful]

I live in Southern NH and our garage is underneath the house. I actually love it! When you come in from the garage there is a finished part to our basement and also a small hall area with a nice tiled floor. The kids dump their shoes and backpacks and coats in this area and no one sees the mess when they come over to visit. We put a nice hallway bench in the area and have a generously sized coat closet as soon as you come in from the garage as well. I usually carry the groceries into the hallway off the garage and my kids help me carry it upstairs. When we were looking at houses, many had the garage underneath. I wouldn't buy a house with the garage underneath if it didn't have a nice finished area to come into.

 

[GJM]

Our old house had the basement underneath and you would walk into the finished basement. It didn't bother me at all -

 

[JR6ooo4]

so just add an electric dumbwaiter(sp). And one of those electric chairs that goes up the steps on a rail. and make sure it never rains hard, and you never get snow or ice.... Heheheheheee

Mikeeee

 

[dislal]

My house is like this too, but we have our chest freezer and a regular refridgerator right when you walk in the door so half of the groceries stay downstairs anyway. I kind of like it now, but I don't see it as my retirement house

 

[PaulaSue]

I have noticed that a lot of the houses in the Eastern Massachusetts area, east of 495, have their garages in the basement. It seems that this would be an inconvenience when bringing in groceries, etc. Does anyone have this? Do you like it?

When I was a Nanny (here in PA) my "family"s house was like that. I HATED it. When Dh and I were ready to buy I told him we will not get a house like that. It was pretty with the 4 garages (1 was for MIL suite) but such a hassel to carry stuff up (I ran errands many days for them) to the main house and the DS who was too small to do the steps.