A carriage house— also called a coach house— is a building near a larger home that was originally used for storing a horse-drawn carriage and housing the carriage’s driver (coachman). Think of them as a detached garage (although some are attached). Carriage houses today are often renovated into accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which can be used as both a garage and a living space, such as a guest house, in-law suite, office, studio, or rentable apartment.
This popular house style makes for a unique and charming, yet useful space. Some home buyers search for properties that include them, while others search for carriage houses sold as an individual unit so they can use them as single-family homes. Learn everything from the origin of the carriage house to its unique characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, and how you can buy one of these whimsical houses.
History of the carriage house
Carriage houses date back to 18th century England and the rise of the horse-drawn carriage. In the United States, carriage houses were popularized during the latter half of the 19th century. They were originally built in New York, NY and across New England, including Boston, MA and Hartford, CT, typically in places where travel by horse-drawn carriage was common.
However, riding by horse and carriage was not available to everyone. Households needed to have enough funds to support the cost of the carriage, horses, and the coach driver, not to mention the financial ability to build a coach house in the first place. This is why carriage houses are often attached to a larger estate.
Today, homeowners often repurpose these buildings for a variety of purposes: small second homes, guest houses, detached garages, home offices, studio spaces, mother in-law suites, or even storage.
What is the difference between a carriage house and a carriage home?
A carriage house and a carriage home are often thought of as being the same thing, when in fact they aren’t. The more…