Need input on decision - New home with or without golf car garage
 

Help, we're supposed to close on a Ruby (no golf cart garage) in Marsh Bend tomorrow but we're going to have to rent it out (preferably long term) until we can both retire and move down to the Villages full time. This morning we saw a nice Emerald style home with a separate golf cart garage that came available in a new neighborhood in Marsh Bend and are thinking of buying that one instead. It also has a larger yard with a fenced area for a dog. I read on this site that something a lot of homeowners wish they had was that separate golf cart garage. And, I've noticed it seems the extra golf cart garage is a big plus for long term renters. Problem is, the Emerald house is $25,000 more than the Ruby and it could cost us up to $2,000 in fees to switch to the Emerald this late in the game. The pro's of the Emerald as I see it are it would be easier to find a long term renter AND we would like the home better when we are able to live full-time at the Villages. The Ruby might sit empty for months while we hold out for a long term renter whereas the Emerald might be more desireable and we could get a renter in faster. It also might be easier to sell if we were ever to move in the future. If we went with the Ruby we would have to spend money on furniture, etc. outfitting it for short term renters. Anyway, we have to make a decision fast because we're supposed to close tomorrow so I'm looking for input. Thanks. We can swing either one financially.

Definitely get the house with a golf cart garage. Most people want it.

With golf cart garage withour a doubt.

Two houses on my street have added a golf cart garage in the past 12 months. They're pretty popular. It's got to be cheaper to have one from the get-go than adding one on later, I'd think.

I think most buyers want the golf cart garage if they can get it. Unless you get an expanded 2 car garage, you almost have to be able to get by with 1 car and 1 golf cart or you always have to park a second car in the driveway and then things constantly have to be moved around depending on what you want or need to drive that day. However, I'm not sure it's as big an issue for renters. I would think that most renters, even long term, would come here with only 1 car, so a 2 car garage would be plenty with a cart included. I believe the majority of rentals are villas and many of those have only a 1.5 car garage or the newer ones have 2 car garages. Villas with GC garages can be found but are more rare. I'd buy the house you want, when you finally get to move into it, and put it up for rent. Chances are it will rent like all of the others during the high season.

We did not purchase a home with a golf cart garage. We do have an expanded 2 car garage though. I would go for the Emerald. Having the larger fenced backyard was a huge plus for us. We have a large dog and its a good space for him. The other plus with a fenced back yard is the added privacy and noise reduction. Like you, we rent our home while we are not there. It is fully furnished and we get down there as we can...when it is not rented. We have a few more years before we can retire. Looking at the weather today makes me wish for those years to pass quickly!

Thanks everyone, great input and much appreciated. It's a big decision we need to make fast. I should clarify the Emerald has a small fenced back yard off the patio but it isn't a courtyard villa with a wall all the way around. The fenced area would be perfect for a dog-owner because it's a fairly large grassy area. There is a larger wall beyond the fence but the wall is just at the back of the property and not on the sides.

The only thing I miss on our home is not having a g/c garage.

For renters, if you are going to allow pets, the closed in yard is probably a bigger deal than a GC garage. I know when I used to rent down here, I searched pet friendly properties and never gave a thought to golf cart garage, though golf cart provided was a major plus. But I always only had 1 vehicle when visiting and rarely parked that in the garage of a rental anyway.

As a full time resident, now, though, I love my GC garage and wouldn't want to be without one and sometimes even wish it were a full 3rd car garage instead.

While I would get the GC garage I would not consider the appeal to renter's. It is your home not theirs. You can easily adjust the rent down if it doesn't rent soon enough for you.

It sounds like it's 'crunch time' for you.


Good luck with your eventual decision. :thumbup:

Definitely get at least the Golf Cart Garage. I wasn't able to on my plot but I extended the Garage 4 feet which was the max for my plot. If I ever move I'll have at least the Golf cart preferable a 3 car garage as not having a basement you run out of room believe me and there are items you can't store in the attic.

Getting the golf cart garage (or 3 full garage) may be the best descision you will make.

JMHO

The renters really shouldn’t be a factor but even if you never get a golf cart, you’ll wish you had the extra space. There really is little storage in our homes. You’re limited to what you can put in your attic because of heat, bugs and vermin. So, a golf cart garage is a great thing to have regardless of whether you think you need it or not.

Bite the bullet, eat the costs and upgrade.

Even if you don't use the golf cart garage for a golf cart, it's the perfect size for a small workshop if you like to tinker.

No matter the "fees" getting the golf cart garage now is the cheapest you will ever get it!!

You can't have too much garage. The more the better.

Wish we had one. We can fit one small car (not my truck) and our two golf carts in our garage but the carts need to be parked on the same side. We are always shuffling stuff back and forth to make room or to be able to use the cart parked in front. A golf cart garage would be great. I need to check out the zoning offset requirements to see if it would be possible to add one someday, but I think it would be tight and rather expensive.

As far as renting, if you provide use of a decent golf cart and allow a pet, you will have absolutely no problem renting. When we did our home search and needed a rental those were our two requirements, and finding a rental that fit both of those criteria was not easy. That would fill a supply shortage for lots of potential renters.

We decided to go with our original Jade floorplan (I mistakenly said Ruby in the original post) without the extra golf car garage. It was just too stressful (and expensive) trying to switch out at the last second and we didn't really "love" the other house with the golf car garage as much as the Jade. I was worried whether we could get a long term renter for the Jade without the garage. We figure when we're able to come down and live full time we'll try it in the Jade for a while and if we need the garage space we'll look at buying a different home (maybe pre-owned) with the additional garage space. Fortunately, we were able to find a 2-year renter for the Jade so it worked out great.

Thanks again for all your input, it's great being able to post on this board and get help.

Your post is confusing
 

You ask long term renter and then space for your dog.
I will just address golf cart garage. Space is limited in all of these homes. Translation I still miss my basement.

Depending on the model, not all the models have a full width golf cart garage. Without a full house width golf cart garage, you may not have room for a work table, storage or one of the all facing the same way four seat golf carts. I've never met anyone who says gee I wish I had less room. Of course bigger means more expensive. How much you can spend how much are are willing to spend is up to you and your bank account.

From the post I assume it is too late but, far as a golf cart garage, a piece of land bigger enough to have a straight drive way into the golf cart garage would be a plus. We have a two car garage and a golf cart garage. We only need one car as we use the golf cart or I use my bike to get around. The golf cart is in a side of the second car garage. Leaving the front of the second half for all my hobbies-OK my bikes and garden and, and and and

Garage space is at a premium, if you need a golf cart get the garage space for it.

With golf cart garage. My only regret on my house after 8 years is no golf cart garage.

$25K is a lot to pay for a golf cart garage. When we were having our new house (Laurel Oak) built in 2016, it did not come with a golf cart garage. Even though we had no plans to buy a golf cart, and still don't, we payed $11K (as I recall) for a golf cart garage, and we are glad we did.

You can NEVER have enough garage space!!!

We have a stretched 2 car garage. One car and one cart. We have plenty of room and it is far from cluttered. We are not savers and there is room in my closets in the house.

I have a very different view to many posters. You are intending to rent for some years before you can retire. You are looking for a long term renter. I don't think golf cart garage or no golf cart garage is going to make a difference to renting the property, that means more to the owner resident than a renter. When you finally are able to retire there is a 101% chance you will sell this home and purchase a brand new shiny home in another area and when you are living in the home get all the bells and whistles you want. Just my opinion ...........

Sorry, I answered your post before I read about your decision. Good choice, you will not regret it!

Congratulations on your new home purchase.


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We have lived here for 7 years in a villa with 1.5 garage. We have one car and one cart.. it works perfect. Unless you have some sort of shop in your garage, why would you need so much room for all of that stuff you don’t really need, probably never use and might not even know where it is.
When we down sized to move here my husband found he had two of a lot of stuff and a lot of things he didn’t even know he had.