What are Carriage Houses and their benefits?

carriage houses

Carriage houses usually remind us of the time when people used horse carriages to transport themselves and goods from place to place. Now, carriage houses are generally detached garages or carports and are cost-effective ways to provide a reliable shelter for your vehicles and other items on your property.

These buildings are pretty versatile in their designs, layouts, styles, usage, and sizes. They provide space to park your vehicles, and even if you own a large or more than one vehicle, these buildings can be easily customised. 

Furthermore, the carriage house can be customised to provide additional space that can be used for different purposes such as log storage, playrooms, machinery storage room, workshop, and more.

Here are some other ways you can use detached carriage houses (other than sheltering your vehicles):

– Storing space for machinery and other garage equipment.

– A spacious place to work on projects such as DIY projects, car repairs, and more.

– An extra attached building, the carriage house can be customised to be used as a home office, playroom, and more.

Why Invest in Detached Carriage Houses/ Garages?

The key reasons you should consider investing in detached carriage houses are flexibility, convenience, and more space.

Nowadays, many people are converting their home attached garage into extra living space, meaning they will require a detached space to shelter the vehicles and store other equipment and items; this is when detached carriage houses come in.

Here are some other key benefits of Carriage Houses:

1. Great shelter all year round

2. Durable and long-lasting

3. Great investment and added value to your property

4. Protects your vehicles and other equipment

5. Stylish and aesthetically pleasing

6. They can be adjusted to fit any vehicle, no matter the size

7. Extra features can be added, e.g., rainwater skirt, guttering, roof coverings, and more.

If we have already convinced you to invest in a carriage house, there are a few points you need to consider carefully. Being informed and considering these points will ensure that you are getting yourself a high-quality, reliable, and long-lasting carriage house.

Quality of the wood and materials– Types of wood and materials you choose to use will play a big part in the building’s durability and longevity. Ensure that the woods you are using are high-quality and are treated properly to withstand poor weather conditions and other elements that may harm your outbuildings.

Style and Design– Wooden carriage houses can be designed to your exact liking. You can create one simply to provide shelter for your vehicles, or you can design a bespoke building with extra features for other uses.

There are several things to consider, such as types of woods with different finishes, colours, layouts, and sizes, and features such as decorative posts, curved bracing, roofing materials, and more.

Your carriage houses can also be designed to match the style of your already existing property, such as your home and other outbuildings. Make sure you consult your supplier on this and any other features you consider incorporating into your carriage house. Do your research and select a supplier who can offer you these options.

Available space and size The size of your carriage house will depend on many factors, including your budget, cars, uses, available spaces, and more. Here are some common questions you need to ask yourself when thinking about the size and design of your carriage house:

– How many vehicles do I own, and how big or small are they?

– How much free space do I have for the new carriage house?

– Do I need extra space for other uses, such as an attached home office or a space to store tools and machinery?
– What is my budget?

Security– Carriage houses can be designed with open or enclosed bays. If you are looking for a more secure shelter to keep your vehicles in, consider adding doors with locks in contrast to open carriage houses.

Cost– Cost is a significant factor to consider when building a carriage house. It will depend on several things, such as how big you want your carriage house to be, do you want any optional features such as felt shingle roofs or dormer gables, and what types of wood and materials you will be using.

Let’s not forget the more service-focused costs such as consultations, planning, acquiring permissions, setting concrete bases, and deliveries. Make sure you are consulting your building providers to ensure you are fully informed about the pricing for each of these. It’s always good to have a set budget from the beginning; this way, you and your supplier know what kind of budget you are working with.  

Planning Permissions– Building a carriage house could mean that you need to acquire planning permission. This can be quite a tiring and confusing process, so it is best to hire a professional so you can focus on the other fun part of your projects, like design and layouts.

At Jon William Stables, we provide a full planning permission service with a quick turnaround and a 97% success rate. No need to order from us! Just fill out our planning permission form on our website here, and we will be in contact with you to discuss your projects and any enquiries you have.

In-house Groundwork Service– Your carriage house will need to sit on a stable, concrete base. This process might sound easy, but a lot could go wrong, resulting in hundreds of pounds of concrete and labour wasted. We always suggest using experts to do this.

Our team here at Jon William Stables offers in-house groundwork services for all types of timber buildings. The service begins with a site visit to discuss your requirements, following a detailed quotation provided for your project. After the quote is accepted, we begin with the groundwork, construction of the buildings, and installation.

To learn more, visit our website here.

At Jon William Stables, we provide two ranges of carriage houses- our most popular Ideal range, which offers high specification at exceptional value, and the Elite range, which offers a prestigious and time-honoured addition to your property.

We also offer a bespoke service for those who would like a unique design and have specific requirements. Download our latest brochure here to discover all our ranges, specifications, and pricing guide.

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