One car garage?

[CharlieK]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

[Stu from NYC]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

Find a real estate agent both villages and mls to take you around and show you what is available.

[SIRE1]

Before we bought our home, we rented for several years. We had 2 Patio Villas and 2 Courtyard Villas. And although we really liked those houses, the one thing that I didn't care for was the garage in all of them. While I could fit a golf cart and my SUV in the Patio Villa, but it was really tight. But when we rented the 2 Courtyard Villas, I had to leave the car in the driveway because when I tried to pull the SUV around the partially curved driveway, the swinging room of the front fender never would clear the golf cart parked by the door. So, with those experiences, when it came time for me to look for a house that we would purchase one of the "must have" criteria was a 2 car garage. Now, I want to say that my experience must not be shared with everybody because there are a heck of a lot people in The Villages who are living in and enjoying their Patio and Courtyard Villas. So there are a LOT of people who have found a way to use the 1 car garage for both a car and a cart. But, for me, a 2 garage in either a designer or ranch was the only way to go.

[kfierle]

My CYV has a 1 1/2 car garage. I can easily fit my mid size SUV and golf cart in the garage. Yes, the curved driveway takes some getting used to. I installed shelving on one wall and have adequate storage. Since there is only one person in my household, I probably don't have as much "stuff" as a couple would accumulate.

[VApeople]

In the olden days, only courtyard villas had walls around them. Now that designer homes have gotten so expensive, they have a much greater variety of smaller homes, many with fences or walls to keep your dog from getting out.

Look at thevillages(dot)com to see info on the many new models.

[CharlieK]

[QUOTE=VApeople;2220930]In the olden days, only courtyard villas had walls around them. Now that designer homes have gotten so expensive, they have a much greater variety of smaller homes, many with fences or walls to keep your dog from getting out.

Look at thevillages(dot)com to see info on the many new models.[/QUOTE

We have been. And I've been dismissing the houses with one car garages. But I've seen a few that were perfect for us - location, etc - except for the garage. Just wondering if it's something we could adapt to or would it get too annoying after a while and prompt us to move to a different house (something we're trying to avoid)

[thelegges]

1.5 car garage will fit a small to mid range car, and a 2 seat golf cart. That’s where we started, as a vaca home, then moved to a 2 car garage, then a 2 car plus golf cart garage. If I could have build a 3 car at the new house I would have.

Unless you rent storage, your garage, closets are your only storage. People will tell you to come with only some clothes, get rid of everything. Well that’s not what we choose to do. Get as big of a garage as possible, you will never be unhappy if it’s too big

[Papa_lecki]

I would suggest you not pick the house style based on your dog. When we were looking, we had 2. We thought the same thing, something with a fence.

After we rented, then looked with realtors, etc - we felt the fence requirement was too restrictive - and we would not be happy long run.

We are down to one dog - we found it’s too hot for him to be outside too long most of the year. We do a few walks during the day.

Regarding garage - we have a 2 car, no golf cart garage - that’s our biggest regret, not having the extra space in the garage. We have 2 golf carts, they fit in, but when we need to put the car in, it is TIGHT in the garage. And we dont have much yard equipment.

[JOERILLA]

Get as big of a garage as you can find ...No one has ever bought a house and then said "I wish I had a SMALLER garage"!

[Pballer]

Fences and walls are no barrier to the wild animals and hawks around here that want a tasty dog.

[Cupcake57]

I don't think a one or one and a half garage is workable for most. I rented a CYV with a one and a half garage and could get the car and cart in but not open the car door to get out. Curved drive is a nightmare.

Also remember very limited storage in most Villages houses so need garage space for extra supplies. And if you are doing your own lawn care, you'll need space for mower/trimmer/edger/leaf blower. Yikes! I am single with a 2 and a half garage and a midsize sedan and golf cart and love that I don't have to negotiate for space every time I bring home a case of water or sports equipment. Get the biggest garage you can find/afford.

[JMintzer]

Get as big of a garage as you can find ...No one has ever bought a house and then said "I wish I had a SMALLER garage"!

Wise words...

[rjm1cc]

Very good that you are asking the question as the garage is also a storage area. Consider storage needs. You can use ceiling racks, say for Xmass decorations, but you may want to use wall cabinets for other items. Be sure you have enough room to open the doors to the car and get in and out of the car if you have some walking limitations. Remember the garage might be your "most" used room.

[Decadeofdave]

If you look hard enough, there are cyv properties with a full 2 car garage. They are located on corner lots or at dead end street. Good luck.

[Stu from NYC]

We find that garages here run rather small. It is tight to park two camrys in our two car garage.

Always worry my wife will remove our side view mirror backing out.

[Calisport]

Some cottage villas have fences around to if you don't like the elongated floor plan of CY villa

[mikeycereal]

My garage fits both my golf cart and Accord. But it's longer rather than wide and I have to back the car out to take the golf cart out. That was known I would need to do before moving in. Not a really big deal, would be nice if I could just jump in the cart and go, but I get a lot of practice backing it out and using the mirrors between car in driveway and garage wall. It's been working fine for a year, though I always have an option to sell and go bigger garage later. If you don't want to go through that each time, go bigger.

[Sjchandler1211]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks
You may want to check out the Verandas style of homes. They have two car garages and some have 2+ golf car garage. They are designer homes with fences or walls and have more square footage of living space.

[westernrider75]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

While many of the older courtyard villas had what they called a 1 1/2 car garage, they also had a curved driveway that made things a little more difficult to get a small suv and a golf car in. A lot of those same units had the laundry facilities in the garage so you had to do a lot of walking around things in the garage. The newer courtyard villas have either a 2 car or a 2 car plus a golf cart garage so it gives you a lot more room and with the straight driveways it’s also easier to navigate.

Verandas and courtyard villas are the only homes with an enclosed backyard for your dog, although you can find a few patio villas that have a white picket fenced in backyard in the southern areas. Hope that helps.

[Ele201]

Before we bought our home, we rented for several years. We had 2 Patio Villas and 2 Courtyard Villas. And although we really liked those houses, the one thing that I didn't care for was the garage in all of them. While I could fit a golf cart and my SUV in the Patio Villa, but it was really tight. But when we rented the 2 Courtyard Villas, I had to leave the car in the driveway because when I tried to pull the SUV around the partially curved driveway, the swinging room of the front fender never would clear the golf cart parked by the door. So, with those experiences, when it came time for me to look for a house that we would purchase one of the "must have" criteria was a 2 car garage. Now, I want to say that my experience must not be shared with everybody because there are a heck of a lot people in The Villages who are living in and enjoying their Patio and Courtyard Villas. So there are a LOT of people who have found a way to use the 1 car garage for both a car and a cart. But, for me, a 2 garage in either a designer or ranch was the only way to go.
I’m wondering, how did you find the rentals you used? Thank you!

[banjobob]

Depends a lot on your budget , we have a older CYV ,a little tight in the garage but is easily workable. The bigger CYV’s come with a substantial price increase.

[MandoMan]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

Please excuse the dark photos—it’s still dark out, and I need more lights in my garage. A few months ago I downsized from a two car garage to a ten year old Courtyard Villa with a 1.5 car garage. I drive a Prius and don’t need a calf cart, but there isn’t much storage space inside Courtyard Villas, so I found room for a lot more in the garage. There’s room for a lot more in your 1.5 car garage than you might think. I’ve learned just when to start swinging the wheel to make a smooth 3/4 circle out of the garage and onto the street. With just one small car, there is plenty of room. If I didn’t have a refrigerator in the garage and I pulled the car in a few more feet, I’d have enough room to park a cart at an angle right next to the HVAC.

Storage: I have a work bench at the back four feet long and two feet deep. It has two full shelves under it that hold some toolboxes. I installed three ten foot long shelves on the back wall that hold laundry products, glue, lubes, screws and nails and drill bit sets, gloves, and that sort of thing. To the left of those, above the workbench, are magnetic holders for tools. (Another area for screwdrivers and scrap wood is near the garage door.)

Most of the left wall is storage cabinets. (Rubbermaid cabinets about 2’ wide each and mostly 6’ high, 16” deep, with all the flimsy shelves replaced with sturdy plywood shelves screwed into place.) These hold things like battery-operated power tools, sand papers, tapes, tools, extra canned foods, extra toilet paper and paper towels and Kleenex, extra silverware and a few vases for flowers, kitchen appliances I rarely use, and several cabinets are empty. The Christmas tree in its box slides in on top of those cabinets. There are two waist high cabinets. On one is a small drill press. On the other is a disc and belt sander for woodworking.

On the right hand wall I screwed several strips of 1x2” pine into the steel studs, and to those strips I attached various brackets and pegs. I have four lawn chairs hanging up, and a full 8’ step ladder (with one inch to spare). Also, two sawhorse type gadgets. If I need to cut lumber, I either make the cuts on a saw horse in the driveway or move the car to the driveway and make the cuts in the garage, then blow out the sawdust. I also have a sturdy cart that holds another belt sander and a grinder. I can move them wherever I need for working.

In short, there is room for quite a bit of storage in a 1.5 car garage. Installing that storage can be a lot of work. I’ve done similar things in the closets in my house. A Courtyard Villa is a bit like living on a boat: it’s nice to have only what you really need and get rid of extras. I don’t feel cramped, but then I live alone and don’t entertain, and I don’t cook much.

[bowlingal]

CYV have 1 and 1/2 car garages for the majority. There are 2 car garages available on some CYV. There are NO 1 car garages as far as I can tell

[Joecool]

With us it was also all about the dogs and we got a veranda that has the fenced in backyard we have a 2 car and a golf cart garage and it is barely enough room we are wanting a second golf cart but I like tools so there's not enough room I wish we had two 2 car garages because I will not park on the driveway I like the clean look of nothing on driveway parked

[dlwretired]

Check out the CYVs south of 44. They are newer with 2 car garages that you drive into straight, not curved like most of the earlier models. We are in our second CYV and moved primarily because the 1 1/2 car garage wasn’t large enough for our car and two golf carts. Also some of the two car garages have two single garage doors which makes the garage a little extra wide so there’s plenty of room to walk around the car and carts and store some things. VLS number 239471 in the Village of Hawkins is an example of this.
Good luck on your search!

[Michael 61]

If your mind is made up and you absolutely want a fenced-in yard, then patio villas are not an option for you. However, if you decide to go the “patio villa route”, you can choose one close to a dog park (I’m just a few blocks away from one here in Richmond). Also, I went with the Topaz model, and very glad I did, as it is one of the few patio villas that has a full two-car garage - plenty of room for my mid-size car, golf cart, and soon to be built garage storage cabinets. I have lawn service, so no need to store lawnmowers, edgers, etc. Most of my neighbors have either one or one-and-a half car garages, which are very limited in space, or a one-and-a-half car garage with a separate golf cart garage, which is better, but still not as much overall-garage space as having a two-car garage. There is one patio villa floor plan (Moonstone), that has a two-car garage AND a golf cart garage - that would probably be the best option for those looking to maximize their garage space.

[Chloe Girl]

We find that garages here run rather small. It is tight to park two camrys in our two car garage.

Always worry my wife will remove our side view mirror backing out.
Hum, you are going to be embarrassed if someday you come walking in the house with the car side mirror in hand!!

[thevillager1988]

As all the responders have indicated, it's a very personal situation. That said, you asked. In our case, we have a 2 car plus golf cart garage. A larger garage is the one thing that would motivate us to move. We did a pretty good job of downsizing and don't have anything stored in our attic nor do we pay for any additional storage. But you can simply never have too large a garage ... imho.

[kodalittle]

[QUOTE=CharlieK;2220878]Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

South of 44 there are 2 cr garage Courtyard villas and some of them even have two car garage plus golf cart.

[perrjojo]

We have the one and a half garage. The only difference between ours and those with 2 car garages is that we don’t have a lot of junk we don’t need :a040:

[oldtimes]

If you look hard enough, there are cyv properties with a full 2 car garage. They are located on corner lots or at dead end street. Good luck.

Yes these are ideal as the lots are a little larger also so there is good room for the dogs to run around. The pavement is way too hot in the summer to walk the dogs on except very early and very late.

[jarodrig]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

The fact that you’re even asking about this leads me to believe that you are concerned about it .

Do yourself a favor and get AT LEAST a 2 car garage. You won’t regret it .

We sold our first home and bought our second home primarily for the additional golf cart garage.

Good luck !

[cjky2k]

[QUOTE=VApeople;2220930]In the olden days, only courtyard villas had walls around them. Now that designer homes have gotten so expensive, they have a much greater variety of smaller homes, many with fences or walls to keep your dog from getting out.

Look at thevillages(dot)com to see info on the many new models.[/QUOTE

We have been. And I've been dismissing the houses with one car garages. But I've seen a few that were perfect for us - location, etc - except for the garage. Just wondering if it's something we could adapt to or would it get too annoying after a while and prompt us to move to a different house (something we're trying to avoid)

I wanted a courtyard villa for the walls and privacy in the lanai. My husband wasn’t sure the 1 1/2 car garage would be big enough. But it is. We park a Buick Lacrosse in the left (inner side of the curb on our driveway) which is by the windows. The golf cart goes on the right pulled in past the door to the house. Our laundry is in the garage between the door to the house and the garage door. We have storage all along the front wall of the garage and over the laundry. My husband does lots of gardening and maintains our irrigation system; so we have a fair amount of stuff to store. And having owned for two years, and continuing to look around as we drive around; we would NOT swap our walls (and the added privacy) for a larger garage. That said, if we wanted to nearly double the cost of our CYV and move south (we are one mile from Lake Sumter Landing), the Veranda homes are really appealing. But we also love our location. And with the right built in storage, my husband admits the garage is just fine and even has space to spare.

[Pgcacace]

One criteria in our search was a 2 car garage and we are so glad we did. It is great for extra storage. We have cabinets and shelves and lots of room. You WILL accumulate a few larger items. We are not collectors. We moved from CT with only what fit in our car and on top. There were plenty of pre-owned homes to choose from.

[airstreamingypsy]

There are houses with two car garages that have fenced yards for dogs. Personally I would not buy a house where the dog can't go outside without a leash.I've read that the Veranda Designer Homes being built south of 44 have large fenced in yards which are great for dogs. Also, I have a friend in Pine Ridge with a 2 car garage and fenced yard.

[carioca]

I came from the north east where we had both a basement and an attic, plus a garage for car and storage. I purged a large amount of stuff before I moved down here. Without a basement and a minimal attic here, the garage is your storage space. You will need more storage than you think you do. I recommend that you carefully assess how much space you will need for storage.

[SusanKD]

Get a two car plus a golf cart . You will need it

[JGibson]

Most CYV owners just leave the car in the driveway.
Also I hope your dog is not a barker, that's the biggest caveat with CYV is a neighbor who leaves their dog out all day barking.
The privacy of the walls are nice
I don't know how folks in Patio Villas deal with being so close to their neighbor.
Good luck.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Find a real estate agent both villages and mls to take you around and show you what is available.
Need a realtor to show if a single garage can fit a cart?

Drive by, looking at garage door... an least 6 "pane" across door will take a med (Honda CRV) to small sized car with a golf cart positioned at a diagnal next to a sink (in a villa). A four paned garage door, will not fit a cart.

[sallyg]

Some patio villas in Marsh Bend have fences and two-car garages. Many to choose from. Verandas also have fences.
We have a two-car garage and it fits our car, golf cart, shelves and a bike. I don't think we'd be very happy with less space.
Best of luck, and enjoy your visit.

[tallmanf]

esp than a 2 car garage. If you dont need the extra space for a car you will for a golf cart and storage. Also downsize as much as you can storage is a premium.

[Birdrm]

Before we bought our home, we rented for several years. We had 2 Patio Villas and 2 Courtyard Villas. And although we really liked those houses, the one thing that I didn't care for was the garage in all of them. While I could fit a golf cart and my SUV in the Patio Villa, but it was really tight. But when we rented the 2 Courtyard Villas, I had to leave the car in the driveway because when I tried to pull the SUV around the partially curved driveway, the swinging room of the front fender never would clear the golf cart parked by the door. So, with those experiences, when it came time for me to look for a house that we would purchase one of the "must have" criteria was a 2 car garage. Now, I want to say that my experience must not be shared with everybody because there are a heck of a lot people in The Villages who are living in and enjoying their Patio and Courtyard Villas. So there are a LOT of people who have found a way to use the 1 car garage for both a car and a cart. But, for me, a 2 garage in either a designer or ranch was the only way to go.

I am not sure where you are looking but all of the new construction below 44 there are no more curved driveways and most Courtyard Villas come with 2 car garages.

[TerryCamlin]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

Having a dog is great but what size is the dog? If it is a very small breed you will not want to leave it alone in a fenced yard. A lot of these homes are built around wooded areas or ponds. Alligators can climb fences so that is your #1 thought. We have seen coyotes, and Bob Cats who would not hesitate to jump a fence. If it is a very small dog you would then have to worry about Eagles and Hawks swooping in to take it away. Agree having a fenced yard is good for exercise but what I am telling you is real too. It is best to take your pups to a dog park or on a leash for a good walk (again not close to a pond) Alligators move at lightning speed in short spurts and have gotten dogs unfortunately. Also bring a car or rent one. The Villages lifestyle tells you not necessary because they want to isolate you in the new areas where truthfully there is so much more to do and see North of 44. Take the bus tour at all three squares to really see what the Villages has to offer before drinking the kool aid. I would not buy anything unless it had a 2 car garage. Now I want a three car garage. Space gets filled up quickly.
Have fun.

[mikeazz]

We just purchased a new Hillsdale model Varanda in Newell. We wanted an enclosed yard, both for our dog and future pool privacy, and I wanted the larger 2 1/2 car garage. The Hillsdale model seemed to be the best of everything for us. It's also 3 bed and 3 full baths. I know the Verandas cost a little more than the villas, but we went this route to hopefully make this our last house.

[MandoMan]

Most CYV owners just leave the car in the driveway.
Also I hope your dog is not a barker, that's the biggest caveat with CYV is a neighbor who leaves their dog out all day barking.
The privacy of the walls are nice
I don't know how folks in Patio Villas deal with being so close to their neighbor.
Good luck.

It may vary with the neighborhood. In the Courtyard Villa neighborhood where I live, maybe one car in ten is not parked inside the garage. However, even in the same block, there are several different shapes of garages. Mine allows a cart to pull in at an angle, rather than straight in. Many others don’t.

[srswans]

Hello - … Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

We have more vehicles than stalls in the garage so we have to shuffle vehicles - it gets annoying especially if we’re running late or it’s raining. If you are easily annoyed, get at least one garage stall for each vehicle.

[Sandy and Ed]

If you look hard enough, there are cyv properties with a full 2 car garage. They are located on corner lots or at dead end street. Good luck.
VERY good advice that I second. Wish I considered this when I bought. ALSO the driveways on those are often not slanted. Suggest you look between 466 and 466a (imho)

[Lisanp@aol.com]

There are homes in CYV neighborhoods that have 2 car garages - some corner homes even have 2 plus golf cart garages. We bought for the same reason - walled yard for the dog. He is only 8 pounds and we were adjacent to a preserve so could never let him out with the hawks (and bobcat) that lived next door. I read the other day that a new series is being released by the developer - Cottage Villas with fenced back yards. The Cottage series homes are frame construction and have 2 car garages.

[Wilson02852]

We rented in the villages for many years before we bought. That helped us develope a list of must haves, nice to have and no way.

The 1 or 1.5 garage became a big NO WAY. One of the biggest comments you'll hear is we wish we had a bigger garage.

We also wanted a house with some type of a foyer. Neither of us liked entering directly into the living areas.
.
Our house has a 2.5 oversized garage and we do not regret paying the extra for these. The cost of adding a golf cart garage is pretty amazing. Get a house with a high roof over the garage and you'll have plenty of storage in the attic. This gives you plenty of clear space in garage for everyday storage. We have folding stairs and thinking about a mechanical lift to move things up into the attic.

Love our eat-in kitchen for breakfast (east facing) and informal dining. The foyer is something you'd find up north. Closet and all.

Another hint, pay attention to which way the sun rises and sets. Out door areas to east, morning sunrise coffee, cooler afternoons and evenings. To the west, cooler mornings and hotter afternoons. If a snowbird might not mean much, but come summer.

[maistocars]

Probably want to look South of 44 for a CYV. If I'm not mistaken, and I live in one, they all have 2+ car garages.

[Bwanajim]

You definitely want the fence for your dog. I put in a doggie door and my dog goes in and out whenever she wants. And go with the bigger garage, you can never have enough room.

[Michael G.]

We have the one and a half garage. The only difference between ours and those with 2 car garages is that we don’t have a lot of junk we don’t need :a040:

That is so true.
Storage shouldn't be a problem in retirement unless you maintain your own yard.
We have a 1 1/2 stall garage that we learn to live with.

Another bad thing about 1 or 1 1/2 stall garage is the driveway.
There's not enough room to park two cars side by side.
If we have company and there's 3-4 cars, they all have to park on the street.

[Black Beauty]

We have a 24x24 garage...too many small garages in the Villages

[HospitalCoder]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

The layout in the garage is not the same for all courtyard villas. Our layout is terrible and I wish I had paid attention to that. Our w/d is at the back of the garage and the HVAC sticks out almost in the middle. I’ve seen other models in our neighborhood with a much smarter layout. Technically, we can fit a car and a golf cart tandem style but there is minimal room to open the car door or to access the w/d. We park our car in the driveway and I worry about the impact from the hot FL weather. Also, I despise doing laundry in the garage, especially when it’s 100 degrees in there. I don’t recommend the older villas for this reason. It’s fine for some people but probably not most. There are newer villas with 2 car garages and indoor laundry. There are also newer non-villa home models with an enclosed yard.

[Zenmama18]

[QUOTE=VApeople;2220930]In the olden days, only courtyard villas had walls around them. Now that designer homes have gotten so expensive, they have a much greater variety of smaller homes, many with fences or walls to keep your dog from getting out.

Look at thevillages(dot)com to see info on the many new models.[/QUOTE

We have been. And I've been dismissing the houses with one car garages. But I've seen a few that were perfect for us - location, etc - except for the garage. Just wondering if it's something we could adapt to or would it get too annoying after a while and prompt us to move to a different house (something we're trying to avoid)

We did the same; we found the perfect courtyard villa but only had a car-and-a-cart garage. We decided we would never be happy with the garage so kept looking. We ended up with a courtyard villa with a 2-car and cart garage. Hubby is happy to have room in the garage for his hobbies and I'm happy they aren't in the house.

[Stu from NYC]

We have a 24x24 garage...too many small garages in the Villages

Wow. Do not understand why typical garages are so undersized.

[conman5652@aol.com]

Look into pine hill villages. Some house have single family home with fenced yards

[Bruceg0028]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

We have a 2 car garage and I wish it was larger. I can fit our 4 seater golf car and our car in there along with 2 bikes. However we added some storage shelving and its tight.

You won’t be happy if you go too small. If your like us our intention was to not accumulate stuff. But the stuff has babies and before you know it your cluttered.

You also want to park the car in the garage if possible. At certain times of the year the pollen and the birds really gets the car dirty.

[rogerk]

I believe that both Courtyard and Patio Villas are now available with a 2 car garage and some have one car and a separate golf cart garage. Check with a Village’s Realtor.

My best suggestion is to work with a Village’s Realtor at least at to learn the FACTS, then if you want preowned properties that are not handled by the Villages, certainly use an MLS Rep.

Learn the facts, then you’ll be better prepared to judge the validity of the information you receive from blogs like this.

[Notsocrates]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

Take a look a the Veranda style homes around Marsh Bend. They are fenced like CYVs with huge garages.

[TeresaE]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

We have a 2/2 courtyard villa. It has a split-door garage. Room for a car, golf cart and plenty of storage space, once we got rid of the junk we really didn’t need. It’s actually very liberating to downsize. We wanted walls for more privacy and for the dog.

[dhsmith]

2 Car Garage check our Villas Tera Grande all have 2 car garages.

[NoMo50]

Village of Chitty Chatty has a Bungalow Villa section (Ty Villas) that mostly have 2-car + golf car garages. There are a few of them that even have full 3-car garages. One of those is for sale right now, probably about one year old.

[deborahcme]

As others have noted, garages are like another room and a very necessary one! Questions to consider. Are the washer and dryer in the garage? How will you store laundry items? Will you want a drying rack? Do you like to do your own yard work? Is there room for mower, trimmer, etc. Do you need room for a tool chest? Do you need storage for seasonal items? In addition to golf car (s), do you also need to store bikes, golf clubs, other sports equipment? A one-car and-a-bit garage can handle these things with well thought-out storage but it will be very very tight. You may find yourselves doing the in-and-out shuffle as you move car/cart out of the way so you can get to other stuff you need. If that's not an issue and you are happy with the house and yard, ok, but you may want to expand your search to get a larger garage. Good luck!

[sowilts]

Get as big of a garage as you can find ...No one has ever bought a house and then said "I wish I had a SMALLER garage"!
That’s the truth. Agree 100%

[Joe C.]

Lots of opinions here, so here's mine. Get the largest garage available, because garage sizes in the Villages are pathetic. When I lived up north, my garage was 36'x32' and it got filled up quickly. Now I have a 2 car + golf cart garage, and it's still too small for me, but I have to live with it.

[BayLady57]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

More than likely you will be staying in a CYV during your lifestyle visit in the Brownwood area or further south which will be a two or three bedroom with a 2 or 2+ garage. All these CYVs will have straight driveways. We did two lifestyle visits and the 1st we stayed in a Charlotte 3br CYV with a two door 2 car garage and the 2nd we stayed in a Newport 3br CYV with one door 2 car garage. What we learned during these visits as well as seeing all types of homes all over TV is that we loved the CYVs for the privacy they offered, but neither the CYVs we stayed in were the models of our preference. And the reason being which is a personal preference, is I like to have a front window that I can look out easily to see the front of my house and not have to go into a spare bedroom to do that which most of the CYVs are set up that way which was the main reason we went with Avondale model which has very open floor plan and the front window is in my dining area and I can also see out that window from both my kitchen and living area. With that floor plan we don't have an entrance foyer like other models, but instead you enter into a fairly large open space not into a room from the front door and door from the garage. We knew we wanted minimally a 2 car garage, but our CYV had additionally a golf cart garage which turned out to be a big plus as we certainly use that space mostly for doing my craft and other projects since we only have 1 car and 1 golf cart which both easily fit on the 2 car side of my garage. Bottom line is your home purchasing budget will dictate what you can and can't afford to purchase. And that means you will likely need to make trade offs, so it is very important to have a good idea what is most important to you and what you would be willing to trade off. Discussing trade offs with my neighbor she originally wanted to purchase a new 3br with 2 car garage CYV primarily for privacy but all the 3brs were above her price range. Why she wanted a 3br was because she frequently has family visiting and wanted a dedicated guest room, and the 3rd bedroom she wanted was to be her dedicated office space. She made the trade off going with a new 2br Durham CYV that was in her price range which worked out very well for her as it gave her the 2 car garage she wanted, and to the side of her kitchen was enough space to put a desk which became her office space. Additionally this model CYV has a nice size walk-in pantry, as well as a dedicated laundry room. A close friend of mine who lives in DeLuna fell in love with the Sycamore model designer home. Her budget trade off was she had to go with a Sycamore that has nearly no yard and a kissing lanai. This does not bother her as she had no desire for a yard, does not spend much time on her lanai, but she does spend a good deal of time on her front porch which was the main feature that she loved about this model which she was not willing to trade off going with a different model that had a larger yard but no porch. Lots of things to consider, and it is to your benefit to not rush into a home purchase without taking the time to consider what you really want and what you are willing to trade off on.

Wish you the best with your lifestyle visit.

[nancyre]

Kia Soul are know here as the Villages care - why because they fit well in a 1.5 car garage with cart. Truly I wish we had a 2 car and a cart garage. There are some Villages with a 2 car garage. In the Southern end they are now making a villa model with the 1/2 & 1 car separate. Look around at all models.

[Bob Sgarlata]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

One car garage can be a real PITA if you have to move the car every time you take the cart out

[dewcrews]

The only solution we found was to buy a smaller car.

[Michael G.]

The only solution we found was to buy a smaller car.

Which are not as safe and the prices for small cars today
are the same as larger cars were 10 years ago.

[jacqueline larsen]

My friend I’m the Village of Chitty Chatty has a new CYV with a 2 car garage. Recommend this.

[jacqueline larsen]

The new CYV in the Village of Chitty Chatty have two car garages.

[MillerD]

We are in the Southern area in the patio villas. No fences are allowed. We have a small decorative picket fence only in front put in by the builder.

[Michael G.]

Wow. Do not understand why typical garages are so undersized.

I always wonder back in the 60's and 70's when cars were Hugh, how
people got them in that one stall garages.

[Barborv]

Depending on your budget and location that you want to be in, the newer areas have homes and larger garages that have a fence. But as far as protecting your dog, unless you're out there with them, your dog will be an easy target for predators. Keep the dog screened in the lanai/birdcage. But, I also have read that some larger animals can bust through your screen also. So, our fur babies should NEVER be left unattended.

[mermaids]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

We rented a CYV with the 1 + squeeze in a golf cart garage for 4 years. We've since purchased CYV homes and both had 2 car garages. Why anyone would want less than a 2 car garage doesn't make sense to me. Extra storage is always a plus. Also think about your resale value.

[bark4me]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks
In Florida, a 2 car garage means 2 small cars at best.

[GPFan47]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks


Lifestyle visits are a great way to get a taste of The Villages. You'll enjoy it.
For me, a one-car garage is a non-starter. That situation might work for some, but I think nearly everyone would recommend something bigger.
There are cottage villas with straight-in driveways and larger garages in the newer areas.
I'd also recommend having a look at the veranda series homes. These homes have fenced-in back yards and you have many floorplans and garage options to choose from.
I agree with the replies that recommend a 2 1/2 car garage. You won't regret having the extra space and it will be an attractive resale feature in the future.

The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community (https://www.thevillages.com/our-homes)

[Professor]

Hello - My wife & I will be heading down for a Lifestyle visit in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to checking out some houses - mostly CYV since we want a fence for the dog.

We've seen a few that look great but have only a one car garage. Even with only one car, is a one car garage enough? Can you fit a golf cart in there? I figure storage would be minimal.

Any tips or tricks?

Thanks

We have a two stall garage and can fit one SUV, a small car, and the golfcart if we put it in sideways. My advice, get the biggest garage you can get because storage is minimal. We are constantly moving the golf cart when we want to take the small car out. It's a pain...