I recently moved into a new house that has a two-car garage, which seems perfect at first glance. However, I've run into a tricky situation: there's a set of stairs leading down from the door straight into the garage, and when I park my cars, the rear bumper of one is just an inch away from those stairs. It's really tight, making it feel like I'm playing a nerve-wracking game of not damaging either the car or the stairs. I can't really use the stairs now, as they loom over the car like a warning! I'm looking for any creative solutions or structural tweaks to reclaim some space. Any advice other than removing a car or building a slide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
6 Answers
Have you thought about getting a smaller car? Just a suggestion!
Are you hitting the stairs straight on? If so, can you consider turning the stairs 90 degrees? I did something similar at my old house when the bumper got too close to a railing—just moved the post over one step. But it’s tough to give specific suggestions without seeing the setup.
You might want to consider reconfiguring your stairs if possible. One option could be to have a platform at the door, then install the stairs running parallel to the back wall. But for more specific advice, sharing a floor plan might help. Additionally, parking bumpers behind your wheels could prevent any mishaps. I once found some concrete bumpers for free, but you can also buy glue-down plastic ones if that works better for you!
I totally get the struggle! My garage is a similar situation. We have a crew cab truck and a small SUV, and I can't even open one side of the car when they're parked inside! I'm actually thinking about converting to a larger single door for better access in the future, but that's quite an investment. In the meantime, sometimes you just have to deal with the tight spaces.
Using a parking marker could really help! There are many options, like a mini stop sign on a flexible pole that you can gently tap with your bumper. You can also hang markers from the ceiling or use physical bumpers. For us, we park our car all the way against one wall to create more space, even if it means only exiting from one side.
It sounds like the side of your garage might have been intended for tools or motorcycles. Maybe consider keeping the car outside in the driveway?
Unfortunately, I'm already driving a sedan, so there's not much room for downsizing further without compromising on what we need.