How Old Are You And When Did You Build Your Garage?
- Thread starter evil_twin
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fordcragar
Well-known member
I bought my first house when I was 19, it had a garage; small at 20'x22', but a place to work. We moved twenty-two years later and I built my first garage (a 30'x40' with 10' ceilings).
dipper
Well-known member
Wife and I bought our first house in September 2004. I was 28 at the time. It had a rickety 18x18 garage but it sufficed while I fixed up the house (new kitchen, painting, etc etc). Summer/fall 2007 I tore down the old garage and put up the current 20x22 with loft for storage. Have done everything myself except for foundation and concrete floor. It should suit me good for now, but if we ever decide to move a bigger garage will have to either be included in the sale or included in the mortgage 
I'm 40 right now, bought our house in '00, it had an attached 20x22 garage and an additional garage,my garage, which was an old gas station/store.
In '04 we did some work to the house which included siding, windows, new roof, a wrap around 8x50 front porch, and a nice 24x32 garage, replacing the old rickety 20x22. I did 85-90% of the work myself. Whaich allowed me to purchase some extra tools that I wanted, framing and roof nailers.
My garage, was not in the best shape inside, as the years have passed, I have rewired it, insulated it, remodeled the bathroom(turn two half baths into a single bath with an eventual shower). I would generally do one "major" winter project in the garage like framing in the back block wall, insulating it, sheeting it with OSB and insulating the garage doors. I'd buy the materials on my HD card and have 6 months same as cash, worked well for me.
In '04 we did some work to the house which included siding, windows, new roof, a wrap around 8x50 front porch, and a nice 24x32 garage, replacing the old rickety 20x22. I did 85-90% of the work myself. Whaich allowed me to purchase some extra tools that I wanted, framing and roof nailers.
My garage, was not in the best shape inside, as the years have passed, I have rewired it, insulated it, remodeled the bathroom(turn two half baths into a single bath with an eventual shower). I would generally do one "major" winter project in the garage like framing in the back block wall, insulating it, sheeting it with OSB and insulating the garage doors. I'd buy the materials on my HD card and have 6 months same as cash, worked well for me.
Chris05gto
Well-known member
I bought my house when I was 21, it had a single stall garage, in 2002 I built another stall and a half on.I am 47 and I wish I would have built 2 more stalls!
Just turned 32..
First house at 24, 1 car basement garage. Bought it cheap in real rough shape. Over the course of a few years while living there I redid the kitchen, baths, yard and built out the garage with insulation, sheetrock, and benches..
At 29 I was luckily able to sell the place for double what I paid just before the home market fell, and built a new home with an attatched 28x38. I drew the plans and found a starving new home builder to build it for the price I was offering to pay.
I found a diamond in the rough and it happened to work out for me, I would not have been able to build my current place otherwise. The market is making it harder to flip a house now depending on where you live but there are still deals out there to be had. I highly recommend it for the experience and feel goodness, if your handy and can do the remodel yourself.
First house at 24, 1 car basement garage. Bought it cheap in real rough shape. Over the course of a few years while living there I redid the kitchen, baths, yard and built out the garage with insulation, sheetrock, and benches..
At 29 I was luckily able to sell the place for double what I paid just before the home market fell, and built a new home with an attatched 28x38. I drew the plans and found a starving new home builder to build it for the price I was offering to pay.
I found a diamond in the rough and it happened to work out for me, I would not have been able to build my current place otherwise. The market is making it harder to flip a house now depending on where you live but there are still deals out there to be had. I highly recommend it for the experience and feel goodness, if your handy and can do the remodel yourself.
TheNerd
Well-known member
I bought my first house when I was 26, only 800 square feet and no garage, but we had lots of good times there. After a remodel, sold it for a profit after only living there a few years. Bought my current house about 3 and a half years ago, basic 1950's Ranch home, 3 bedroom, basement, and a 24x24 detached garage. People think I am crazy for not parking my cars in the garage, but it is home to my boat, all my tools, and lots of other things that my wife wont allow in the house. I have been collecting cabinets and decorations for a while and plan to remodel the garage when time allows.
My plan was to do a quick remodel on this house, but after being here a few years I am starting to like it, pretty basic place, but its close to everything and pretty inexpensive. So as of now we are staying put for a while.
My plan was to do a quick remodel on this house, but after being here a few years I am starting to like it, pretty basic place, but its close to everything and pretty inexpensive. So as of now we are staying put for a while.
krooser
Well-known member
My first garage build i built my house and a 30x40 garage when i was 21 with the help of my dad.(ask him he did all the work Now at 38 i realized my car hobby and my business cant share the same garage 30x40. So on a rental property right next door to my main house i built a 30x80 garage. Still in the works on finishing it. Good luck with your build!!!
Now at 38 i realized my car hobby and my business cant share the same garage 30x40. So on a rental property right next door to my main house i built a 30x80 garage. Still in the works on finishing it. Good luck with your build!!!boiler7904
Well-known member
I bought my first house with 19x23 attached garage a month after I turned 27. 3 years later the garage hasn't really been touched except for some homemade shelving and a workbench. I made up my mind to start finishing it piece by piece over the next couple of months but surgery recovery is slowing me down for the next few weeks - paying hospital bills instead of putting the money into the garage isn't going to help either.
25. Just bought a house with a 24 x 24 x 8 garage detached. Not my dream shop...but an unbeleivable feeling to have your own shop and not rely on buddies shops. House is just a 2 bedroom garage sold the house for me. Its only 10 years old the house is 90. Its perfect for working on one car. Dont think keeping 2 vechicles my bike and all my tools will work. Thinking a car port soon $65,000 for a 1300 sq foot home on a dry basement and a new garage. Dont think I did too bad. Unfortunately wallpaper removing is priority over insulating garage flower wall paper wasnt working for a bachelor bad and anyone under 65 lol
flower wall paper wasnt working for a bachelor bad and anyone under 65 lol[email protected]
Well-known member
I'm now 32 .. or 33, can't ever remember... I think that's a bad sign!! I moved into my house because the bottom level of my house has a basement with two windows and two "french doors." Lots of sunlight!!! But, when I moved in, there was one bare light bulb in the bottom level/basement. After running a little over 350 feet of wire, I began to build a shop. I can safely say the majority of materials for tables, shelves, and so on .. were salvaged from dumpster diving.
There's a funny story about that (not AT ALL funny to me at the time) .... On the lot next to me, a house was being built. The only good thing about that was that I could "dive" into the big steel dumpster and retrieve treasures... two by fours that were slightly twisted. The only problem I ran into was when I climbed up over the edge of the dumpster and dived right into it, as normal. Well, at some point, they emptied the dumpster. Long story short (shorter) I found myself in the bottom of a "trash can" without a way to get out. I can safely tell you that sleeping in a dumpster/trash can is not conducive to sleepng well. I can also safely say that yelling for help out of a construction dumpster does not help your reputation--- especially if you have a virgnia state trooper living next to you. None of this turned out to be important because no one heard me --- not even my lousy (sp?) dog, Bean. ... a lot of good SHE is.!! I guess I should have taken climbing lessons! But, this sort of thing is normal for me. For some reason, the stories that no one can believe are the ones I have to tell!! Well, what's life without a few good stories to tell?!! So, that's my long-winded asnwer to that question. Oh, and i'm actually a FEMALE!!! I can't seem to find any other females on this site... or any other site. I'm either missing them, or am the one odd woman on this site. Anyways, now you have more of a story than you bargined for!! cheers, bird
There's a funny story about that (not AT ALL funny to me at the time) .... On the lot next to me, a house was being built. The only good thing about that was that I could "dive" into the big steel dumpster and retrieve treasures... two by fours that were slightly twisted. The only problem I ran into was when I climbed up over the edge of the dumpster and dived right into it, as normal. Well, at some point, they emptied the dumpster. Long story short (shorter) I found myself in the bottom of a "trash can" without a way to get out. I can safely tell you that sleeping in a dumpster/trash can is not conducive to sleepng well. I can also safely say that yelling for help out of a construction dumpster does not help your reputation--- especially if you have a virgnia state trooper living next to you. None of this turned out to be important because no one heard me --- not even my lousy (sp?) dog, Bean. ... a lot of good SHE is.!! I guess I should have taken climbing lessons! But, this sort of thing is normal for me. For some reason, the stories that no one can believe are the ones I have to tell!! Well, what's life without a few good stories to tell?!! So, that's my long-winded asnwer to that question. Oh, and i'm actually a FEMALE!!! I can't seem to find any other females on this site... or any other site. I'm either missing them, or am the one odd woman on this site. Anyways, now you have more of a story than you bargined for!! cheers, bird
nate379
Banned
I did that once, only I landed on a bunch of boards full of nails.
car99r
Well-known member
I am 34 now and built my first house with single car 12x24 garage when I was 24. When I was 28 we found out we were having another baby and a 2 bedroom 900 square foot home would not cut it. Decided after looking at hundreds of homes we would just add on. I bought a 10.00 program from Staples and got to it. Ended up doubling the house size, doubling the garage and adding on a sunroom. This gave us 1850 square foot house, 10x12 sunroom and 24x24 garage. This setup done me pretty good for a few years. Last year I finally outgrew the 24x24 so I built another 26x32 in my backyard.
Needless to say the wife still cannot park her vehicle in out of the weather...lol
Needless to say the wife still cannot park her vehicle in out of the weather...lol
Daniel Dudley
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2009
- Messages
- 3,546
Will be 53 in March. Still don't have my first garage yet. Planning on building but having trouble saving any money. Our economy ***** even in good times, let alone in times like these. The wife and I did build our house in 1990. Getting excellent ideas by following this site. One day I will have a garage and won't have to change motors in the gravel driveway, like I'm doing now on a 1986 Ranger ext cab. Do some quick jobs in Shop at work, but no long projects can be done there. Be thankful you all have what you have! Thought about just pouring a foundation and slab with pex tubing and waiting to frame and build, but contractor freind talked me out of that saying concrete without coverage would deteriorate. O I'm rambling now. Keep up the good thread ideas, guys! Later all.
I put my slab down 12 years ago. It took me three years to get the first floor walls up, and the rest of the summer to get the second floor up and dryed in. Did the roof in the spring. Saved up and did the shed addition a few years later, and another one a few years after that. Then I walled in the smaller shed and opened out the wall between.
This year I insulated the second floor and piped in for water. Just hung the second floor rock. My slab was fine outside in the weather. It's concrete for Pete's sake. But if I had it to do over, I'd probably do a pole barn, and add the slab later. You could probably build a 16 by 24 in a couple of weekends for less than three grand. Make it tall enough to expand out the sides later, and you could triple that size over time.
Don't talk yourself out of your dream, and don't let anyone else talk you out of it either. I'm 51. I didn't get my first house until I was 37. If your contractor friend is really a buddy, he would show up for the pizza party when you set your poles and raise your trusses.
You can do it.
Lou's Garage
Well-known member
I rented my first garage (30' x 30') when I was 23, used it as an auto repair shop for the next 10 years. The building had been built in 1925, last remodeled in 1957 (this was 1976). I did a complete interior remodel with substantial electrical upgrades. Prior to that I worked in driveways, my mom's garage, and good friends gas stations and repair shops (when closed for the night, holidays, weekends, etc).
At 32 we bought a "handyman special" house with a 1 car garage. This was around the time we sold the repair shop so I needed to make it a "working" garage. I did an interior remodel and electrical upgrades along with the rest of the house. It was small but I was able to make use of an adjacent utility room for additional workshop space.
At 37 we moved to a larger house with no garage. I was able to squeeze a 24W x 28D on the rear of the property without any objections from the neighbors (or the zoning board). I subbed out the shell and finished the interior and electrical myself. Unfortunately, at 43 we had to move from NY to GA. The house was sold along with my "dream" garage. The current owners (not who we sold to) really appreciate the garage space and tracked me down just to say thanks for building it!
When we moved to GA, I was faced with the restrictions of a covenant "protected" (Who do they "protect" anyway?) community so I knew enough to get as much as I could from the builder during construction. Currently we have an attached 24' x 24' two car with 7 x 12 feet of workshop space off to one side. In the basement, there is a 14'/19' x 33' two car deep garage which I'm in the process of wiring and finishing at age 57.
We'll probably move again in 2 or 3 years. All the kids are grown and married now so the wife and I rattle around in this house like 2 marbles in a big tin can. At that point I'd like to be able to build something around 30' x 40' as long as there is one or two cars worth of parking garage to go with whatever house we buy. I'll be about 60 then. I haven't actually built any of these completely with my own two hands but rather used a combination of barter, trading favors, subbing out segments, coupled with my own sweat equity to get them done.
It really is an addiction, isn't it?
Lou Manglass
At 32 we bought a "handyman special" house with a 1 car garage. This was around the time we sold the repair shop so I needed to make it a "working" garage. I did an interior remodel and electrical upgrades along with the rest of the house. It was small but I was able to make use of an adjacent utility room for additional workshop space.
At 37 we moved to a larger house with no garage. I was able to squeeze a 24W x 28D on the rear of the property without any objections from the neighbors (or the zoning board). I subbed out the shell and finished the interior and electrical myself. Unfortunately, at 43 we had to move from NY to GA. The house was sold along with my "dream" garage. The current owners (not who we sold to) really appreciate the garage space and tracked me down just to say thanks for building it!
When we moved to GA, I was faced with the restrictions of a covenant "protected" (Who do they "protect" anyway?) community so I knew enough to get as much as I could from the builder during construction. Currently we have an attached 24' x 24' two car with 7 x 12 feet of workshop space off to one side. In the basement, there is a 14'/19' x 33' two car deep garage which I'm in the process of wiring and finishing at age 57.
We'll probably move again in 2 or 3 years. All the kids are grown and married now so the wife and I rattle around in this house like 2 marbles in a big tin can. At that point I'd like to be able to build something around 30' x 40' as long as there is one or two cars worth of parking garage to go with whatever house we buy. I'll be about 60 then. I haven't actually built any of these completely with my own two hands but rather used a combination of barter, trading favors, subbing out segments, coupled with my own sweat equity to get them done.
It really is an addiction, isn't it?
Lou Manglass
KingConstruction
Well-known member
I'm 24 and almost have plans finished up for my house/garage it will have about 1200 sf of shop space and about 1500sf of living space. Im hoping to get it started by january if I can get the everything worked out
[email protected]
Well-known member
Glad to be in good company!!!
[email protected]
Well-known member
what's up with the woman's ***? A fantacy or a real shot?
stinkythings.com
Well-known member
I am surprised to see so many young guys owning homes in their early 20's. My hats of to you !I am 35 and trying to save for a 30x40 garage.I think I gotta get off of Long Island. $10,000 a year in taxes is kicking my *** !!!! In the 5 years I have owned my house I couldda had some garage with my tax money !
Maybe I should start a thread on the best place to live and why !
Maybe I should start a thread on the best place to live and why !
We bought this house in Dec. '02, when I was 27. It had a little 12x20 detached garage (the 20' length included the "bump-out" on the back wall). I think it was original to the house (1927). It was pretty much used as a storage shed, with most auto repair done in the driveway. We planned to build a new garage from the start, but every year, something came along to postpone it.
This year (I'm 34), we finally put up a nice 28x48 garage. It is completely built, but I'll finish/insulate it as I have time/money.
This year (I'm 34), we finally put up a nice 28x48 garage. It is completely built, but I'll finish/insulate it as I have time/money.
e-tek
Well-known member
Once again OCG.....
While I had or borrowed shops in rental homes I've had, I finally built my own dream shop just 5 years ago. Since then I've made up for lost time! I currently have 4 hobby cars - 3 (mostly) done and one in progress. Plus I've taken on a job for someone else. I love using my shop, all my tools and my skills to bring rusted hunks o' sh!t back from the dead!
car99r
Well-known member
<<<<< That one?
That would be my lovely wife messing around with cell phone one day!
and Thank you
That would be my lovely wife messing around with cell phone one day!
and Thank you