Garage Expansion vs 4-Post Car Lift

Introduction

You know it’s time to upgrade your home garage situation, but you’re not sure which move is the right one to make. Do you go all out and opt for a wholesale garage remodel, extend what you have with a garage expansion, or maximise what you’ve already got with a 4-post car lift?

It’s a tough question to answer and there’s no one right answer for everyone. From your everyday needs and stylistic vision to your budget and space constraints, it’s important to find the answer which works best for you.

With experience in helping hundreds of motor enthusiasts to make this very decision, we’ve got some information you might want to hear. So, read on to find out more and make your decision with confidence.

Parking space

One of the most common reasons people look towards a garage expansion or 4 post car lift is to increase their space for parking. Even with a so-called ‘two car garage’, getting in and out of your vehicle can be a challenge with minimal horizontal space left for opening the doors without hitting a wall.

The reason for a garage remodel here is obvious, being that by physically developing a larger space you gain additional room for parking your cars. If you envision a row of ready-to-go vehicles spread out in a long line, this may be the best option for you.

Day to day use

Another important factor to consider when completing garage works is how it will affect your day-to-day usage of the space and the vehicles within.

If you’re looking to employ a car lift for your garage, it goes without saying that before you can drive away in a vehicle, you need to lower and release the car from the lift. With a 4-post car lift, this isn’t a particularly challenging exercise, but if you have another car parked below the one suspended, you will need to move this out and back in again.

With a garage expansion, you can design the layout so that each car can be driven straight out of storage without the need for moving vehicles around, potentially increasing the frequency of use for each of your cars.

Functionality 

When deciding which option to go for, in an ideal world the decision would never be influenced by time, budget or complexity, but instead solely by how it meets your needs.

If you’re simply looking to add an extra parking space for your second vehicle, a 4-post car lift, such as an AMGO parking lift , is by far the simplest, most cost-effective and fastest solution available to you. Physically expanding your garage space just to fit one extra car could be deemed unnecessary in this case. 

However, a 4-post car lift doesn’t only operate as an additional parking space. If you’re a tinkerer or just someone who likes to handle minor car repairs or improvements by themselves, a 4-post car lift makes it possible to comfortably stand or sit underneath the vehicle when required. No more crawling into confined spaces and having limited access to the underside of your car – a 4 post car lift makes maintenance a breeze.

Whilst bigger might always sound better, this is one job that a garage remodel just can’t do. You may have ample space to store your vehicles, but when works are required, you’re still going to be extremely limited in what you can do without a car lift for your garage.

Budget

It wouldn’t be a true comparison list without us touching on the financial side of things. As we said before, in an ideal world money would never have to come into the equation, but unfortunately that just isn’t a luxury many of us can afford.

When it comes to the cost of a 4-post car lift vs a garage expansion, there is really no comparison. If you’re working on a strict budget or just want to maximise the returns for your money, a 4-post lift offers you a wealth of functionality for a fraction of the cost. With a range of AMGO parking lifts, to suit whatever budget you’re working with, you’re by no means limiting your options by opting for this approach.

If you’ve got the funds to spare, shoot for the stars and build your dream home garage, but we’re willing to bet you’ll be adding a 4-post car lift to your arsenal sooner or later either way.