In Wrightsville Beach, Surf City, and Carolina Beach, square footage is the most expensive commodity you own. However, many homeowners ignore the most valuable storage space in their home: the air above their cars.

With the explosion of golf cart ownership in communities like Brunswick Forest and Landfall, the standard two-car garage is rapidly becoming insufficient. The strategic solution for 2026 is not building a shed (which likely violates your impervious surface limits anyway); it is installing residential lift systems.

Here is the insider guide to reclaiming your garage in Southeastern NC.

The Golf Cart Solution: 4-Post Car Stackers

The "Car Stacker" is no longer just for Jay Leno’s garage. In our market, they are increasingly used to solve the "toy problem." A standard 4-post lift allows you to park a golf cart or a low-profile sports car underneath your daily driver.

The Geometry: You do not need a massive warehouse. A standard 4-post lift typically requires a ceiling height of 10 to 11 feet to stack a sedan over a golf cart comfortably.

The Flood Defense: For oceanfront homes in Oak Island or Topsail, a lift is a defensive asset. During a King Tide or tropical storm warning, elevating your golf cart or motorcycle 6 feet off the ground can save it from saltwater inundation when the ground-level garage takes on water.

Kayak Hoists: Pulleys vs. Racks

Leaning kayaks against the wall is a waste of floor space and a recipe for hull deformation (oil-canning).

The Pulley System: For high ceilings (12’+), a block-and-tackle hoist system is ideal. It allows you to lower the kayak directly onto your car’s roof rack. This is a favorite in Porters Neck where kayaking the Intracoastal is a daily routine.

Wall-Mounted J-Racks: In narrower garages in Downtown Wilmington, where width is tight, wall-mounted racks positioned above the hood line of your car utilize the "dead space" at the front of the garage bay.

The Installation Reality Check

Before you order a lift online, you must verify three structural factors common in coastal construction:

1. The Concrete Slab
Most residential garage slabs in New Hanover County are poured at 4 inches thick. While this is generally sufficient for a 4-post lift (which displaces weight efficiently), a 2-post lift requires deeper footings (often 6+ inches) to prevent the anchors from ripping out. You must check your original builder plans.

2. The Garage Door Rails
The most overlooked obstacle is the garage door track. To use a lift, you often need to convert your standard garage door to a "high-lift" track system, which hugs the ceiling rather than hanging low in the middle of the room. This is a simple modification for a door company, but a disaster if ignored.

3. Electrical Requirements
While some light-duty lifts run on 110V, most reputable hydraulic stackers require a dedicated 220V circuit. In an older home in Southport, this may require a panel upgrade or a new run from the main breaker.

Your Next Step

A garage lift is arguably the highest ROI renovation for a coastal home with limited footprint. It instantly doubles your parking capacity without triggering a single zoning setback or CAMA review.

At Aspyre Realty Group, we are experts in listening and communicating your wants into homes that work for you. We can help you identify properties with the ceiling height and structural bones to support these systems, or connect you with the specialized installers who serve our coastal region.