Scottsdale, with its year-round sunshine and scenic Sonoran drives, has long been a haven for car enthusiasts. From corporate CEOs who collect vintage muscle cars to sports stars with a passion for exotic supercars, the number of automobile aficionados who call the Valley home continues to grow. And one thing they look for when buying a house is a place to store—and showcase—their dream rides.
Luxury garages are one of the hottest trends in the high-end real estate market.
“If you’re buying a $5 million house, there’s an expectation for what’s going to be in it. At that price, it’s going to have over four bedrooms and four bathrooms, so that’s not a concern,” says realtor Peter Zaidan, who specializes in homes for auto enthusiasts (Homes4CarGuys.com). “But just like a magnificent kitchen would hold value for a chef, a 10-car garage attracts a specific demographic.”
According to Zaidan, 23,000 houses currently are on the market in greater Phoenix. Of those, only 307 feature a six-car garage. For a 10-car garage, that number shrinks to 64.
Traditionally viewed as functional spaces filled with power tools and oil-stained floors, garages are now seen as design features of the home—with more than enough room to accommodate a fleet of vehicles.
Today’s luxury garages reflect the personality of the car collector.
One homeowner who loves to entertain built a 10,000-square-foot barn-like structure at the base of Camelback Mountain that holds more than a dozen rare cars, including a 1965 Shelby Cobra and a 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish. There’s plenty of gathering space, with leather sofas, coffee tables crafted from car parts, and a rustic reclaimed wood bar. A fully equipped kitchen, bedroom, and two bathrooms ensure comfort for overnight guests.
In North Scottsdale, the wing of a contemporary glass-and-steel masterpiece is dedicated to a curated collection of shiny candy-colored Porsches. With floor-to-ceiling glass walls, polished white floors, and custom honeycomb lighting, the seven-car showroom transforms the vehicles into works of art that glow beneath the evening sky.
“I’ve seen garages with 20-foot-long marble bars, with giant mirrors, huge-screen TVs and 20-foot-tall glass walls,” Zaidan says. One house even featured a 26-car garage.
“These guys aren’t storing their cars. They’re showcasing their cars,” he adds. “And these garages are enabling them to live the lifestyle that they’ve worked hard to achieve.”