Where to Put the RV, the Boat and the Shop in South Tempe or South Chandler

Sep 7

If you need to store an RV, a boat or build real shop space, South Tempe is the stronger of the two areas by a wide margin. A little over half of South Tempe homes above a million dollars have an RV gate, compared with under a quarter in South Chandler. The reasons are lot size, side yard width and the fact that roughly four in ten South Tempe homes at this price have no homeowners association restricting what can be stored on the property.

The number that decides it

An RV gate is a good proxy for whether a property was built with this kind of ownership in mind, because it is hard to fake and expensive to add.

In South Tempe, a little over half of homes above a million have one. In South Chandler, it is under a quarter.

That gap is not random and it is not going to close, because it comes from things that were decided when the neighborhoods were built.

Why South Tempe wins on this

Three factors, and they compound.

Lot size. The typical South Tempe home at this price sits on about two thirds of an acre. In South Chandler it is roughly a third. A forty foot trailer needs somewhere to go, and on a third of an acre with a pool, that somewhere frequently does not exist.

When they were built. South Tempe went up largely between the late 1970s and the late 1990s, before the design convention of tucking everything out of sight took hold. Side yards were built wide because people used them.

Association rules. Roughly four in ten South Tempe homes above a million have no HOA at all. No association means nobody governing what sits in your side yard or how long it sits there. In South Chandler nearly every home has an association and about half have two, and storage of recreational vehicles is exactly the kind of thing those documents address.

Garages are a different story

If what you need is bays rather than outdoor storage, both areas serve you well.

More than eight in ten South Tempe homes above a million have a three car garage or larger. South Chandler is actually higher, above nine in ten. Roughly a third of homes in both areas have four or more.

So the split is not about covered parking. It is about what happens outside the garage door.

Shops and sport courts

Detached shop space and sport courts show up considerably more often in South Tempe, and it is the same land story. When you have two thirds of an acre and a wide side yard, a shop is possible. When you have a third of an acre and a pool, it usually is not.

If a workshop is a genuine requirement rather than a wish, that alone should point your search.

The mistake I watch people make

Buyers fall for a house, notice there is no RV gate, and decide they will add one later.

Sometimes that works. Often it does not, and the reasons are boring and immovable.

You need a place to open the wall or fence, and the opening has to line up with something usable on the other side. You need side yard width, and the number that matters is the narrowest point along the whole path, including around the air conditioning units, not the width at the gate.

You need a pad, whether concrete or gravel, and you need drainage that still works afterward.

And if there is an association, you need their approval, which is a real question with a real answer and it is worth getting before you are in escrow rather than after you have measured.

Two things to verify in writing

Confirm the RV gate access physically works for your specific vehicle. Bring the measurements. Walk the whole path.

Confirm the HOA status in writing. No HOA is a selling feature, which means it gets repeated in listings, and repeated claims are occasionally just wrong. Get the answer from the title work rather than the listing sheet. My list of what to check before buying in any South Chandler neighborhood covers the rest of that diligence.

If you have got toys and you need somewhere to put them, I can tell you which streets solve that and which ones will fight you. Book a call or text me at 480-448-2020.

Ben Graham, real estate advisor, South Tempe and South Chandler, $1M+ homes.

Ben Graham

You’ve made it. Now you want a home that finally feels like it.

For more than 16 years I’ve helped move-up and move-in buyers do exactly that across South Tempe and South Chandler. More land, more quiet, more character, without leaving the city behind. If you’re buying or selling above $1M in 85284 or 85248, you want an advisor who knows the ground, not a salesperson who knows a script.

That’s the whole job, and it’s the part I love most.

Book a Phone Consultation

Ben is a husband, father, and full-time real estate advisor based in Chandler. Across more than 16 years and 414 transactions, he’s guided buyers and sellers through the Southeast Valley’s best neighborhoods.

His approach is simple: teach the market like a teacher, protect your equity like it’s his own, and tell you the truth even when the truth is “wait.” Clear communication, a proven plan, and your interests first.

Most of Ben’s clients fall into two camps.

The move-up buyer who’s outgrown a great starter home in Chandler or Tempe and is ready for something that feels like an arrival. More space, more privacy, more character, same easy access to four freeways, great schools, and Sky Harbor.

The move-in buyer relocating from out of town who needs someone who actually knows which street holds its value and which one only looks like it does.

He also represents sellers across South Tempe and South Chandler who want their home priced right in week one and marketed like the asset it is.

Faith and family are the center of how Ben lives and works. He’s a follower of Christ, a husband, and a father, raising his kids in Chandler with his wife Sarah. The family is active at CCV, the kids attend Valley Christian, and they support foster care and adoption. One of their sons joined the family that way.

Clients often tell Ben his faith is part of why they trusted him with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. He doesn’t take that lightly.

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https://www.8448luxury.com/