Minidave's mini Mini shop

[John Gervais]

We've got a 600 sq. ft apartment; the building was built in 1897.  We could move to something bigger, but really don't see the need to.  We've got the summerhouse lot (commonly referred to as 'the estate') and I've got my garage to escape to.

Everyone has different tastes, but to me, it's a waste of money.  I'd prefer a smaller, simpler house of good, old-school materials and craftsmanship (something built before screw/nail guns and perforated joining plates), sitting on a larger plot.

Heck - smaller houses worked just fine for many generations; why must everything be a papier-mâché castle today?

[94touring]

I would agree.  We look at a lot of places built in the 20s with a lot of character.  With that usually comes a big price tag or big remodel cost.

[John Gervais]

I suspect the 'big remodel cost' is because many buyers don't understand that old buildings need to 'breathe' and that older homes don't need so-called 'modern' styles which clash with the basic bones, therefor requiring 'more on top of more'.  Keep it simple, it worked before...  Lay down some linoleum and perhaps a bit of modern formica...

[gr8kornholio]

Don't move down here. Granite is way out.  It's all about quartz now.

[BruceK]

I laid out where I'd like to place a 24 x 30 shop in the back corner of my backyard.   

Looks like I have some issues to deal with. 

[MiniDave]

Well, you got the 30 right, now you need to figure out how to do the 50!   77.gif

Old houses don't just need to breathe, they also usually need wiring, plumbing, insulation and often foundations and roofs.

[BruceK]

Well, you got the 30 right, now you need to figure out how to do the 50!   77.gif

Old houses don't just need to breathe, they also usually need wiring, plumbing, insulation and often foundations and roofs.

I'd love to do a 30 by 50, but I'm stretching from considering a 24 by 24 to go to a 24 by 30.

[MiniDave]

I laid out where I'd like to place a 24 x 30 shop in the back corner of my backyard.   

Looks like I have some issues to deal with.

What kind of tree is that big one in the middle of the shop? Is it alive? Got a chainsaw?

Actually, if they bring a mini excavator in to clear the property and lay down the base they can probably just knock those trees over so there is no stump.

Is the fence the property line?

[BruceK]

The tree is a cedar - very common here in the Texas Hill Country.  Actually these trees are the scourge of the region - very hardwood too. They can't just be pushed over because the "soil" is mostly solid and heavily compacted limestone. Karst topography if you took Earth Science classes. The cedars grow in cracks in the limestone and are very much secure to the earth.  I had a tree service come out this morning and give me a quote on removing 3 trees (need at least 5 feet clearance on all sides of the foundation) and stump grinding on those three and two other stumps already within the work footprint.   I agreed on the quote and the tree work should be done in about 2 weeks.

Yes, the back fence in the photo is the property line.  The side fence on the left of the photo sort of creates a no-man's-land of a 10 ft area away from the neighbor's fence.  No idea why the previous owners did that - probably to keep their dogs separated from the neighbor's dogs.   Anyway, the deed restrictions require 10 feet setback on the side boundary and 5 feet on the rear boundary so I'm planning on snuggling the garage up into that corner.   

I guess I should start my own shop build thread...

[MiniDave]

Yes please do....

[MiniDave]

So, the rumors of the death of my shop project seemed to be premature!

That is, I may have found a builder who can do one within my budget, I found them thru a reference in a thread on Garage Journal, a fellow there is building one and mentioned their name, and they are local to me! So I called them and they're sending a guy over to see my site and work up an accurate estimate.....but based on a conversation with what seemed to be a very knowledgeable salesperson on the phone, it may be do-able.....

It was good to see Bruce's cars parked in his shop as mine will be very close to the same size - mine will be 24X32

Styer's shop project has fallen into limbo after the city rejected his plans for some reason, a surprise to me as I thought his plans were already approved. I know he ran afoul of a neighbor who protested the setback he had proposed, but he has enough property that he could just shift the building around to another spot to meet the complainer's requirements.

I'll see him later this week and find out what's up, but I think it had to do with the façade of the building, not the size or placement.....

[BruceK]

So, the rumors of the death of my shop project seemed to be premature!

That is, I may have found a builder who can do one within my budget, I found them thru a reference in a thread on Garage Journal, a fellow there is building one and mentioned their name, and they are local to me! So I called them and they're sending a guy over to see my site and work up an accurate estimate.....but based on a conversation with what seemed to be a very knowledgeable salesperson on the phone, it may be do-able.....

It was good to see Bruce's cars parked in his shop as mine will be very close to the same size - mine will be 24X32

That's great news.   Do you realize that the 24 x 32 size you are doing is big enough to store six (6!) of your Audi Allroad models?   (3 across and 2 deep). Sure it would be tight, and you'd have room for nothing else, but that helps you visualize the space.   

[BruceK]

So... anything happening on the shop?

[MiniDave]

Yes.......and no. They came out and looked over the site, took some more measurements and said they'd get back to me. After a couple of weeks I sent them an email asking what was up - the bottom line - they're too busy to get to me till next year at the soonest.

So, if I want to wait maybe I'll get a shop built.......someday.

Wanna send your crew up north for a few days?  :-[

[BruceK]

Next year!?   Crazy. 

I wish I could send that crew your way.

[BruceK]

I don't know where he is based, but this guy has a bunch of videos on YouTube of building very reasonably priced garages.  There must be somebody similar in your area.

[MiniDave]

I would love to have that guy build my shop, but he's a bit out of my area, and I can't seem to find a local guy like him.

I did have a guy come by today who owns a "Handyman" service, tho he claims he's able to build "anything I want" and has done plenty of garages already. I sent him the drawings and he came and took a few pics, we'll see what he comes up with but I will def want references before I let him swing a hammer on my project.

The local metal building builder who swore they could easily have me in my shop before cold weather hit now say maybe after the first of the year - as in that seems to be when they'll have the bid ready!

[cstudep]

Whats your shop look like Dave? Is it completely detached like the video above the guy is building or is it attached to an existing structure? Just curious

Completely detached is a whole lot easier and faster to deal with that is for sure.

I sometimes do design/construction stuff on the side, but do not live close enough to be able to tackle something of this nature since I also have a full time job. LOL

Here's to hoping you can find someone to do it within your budget, it can be hard to find good builders these days because the good ones are always so busy.

[MiniDave]

My current shop is the garage under the house - I have a mid-60's split level house, the garage is under the bedrooms. My plan is to build an attached structure directly on the back of the house, opening to the current garage. Car access will be thru a door on the back wall of the garage.

I found an interesting thread on Garage Journal, where a guy is doing almost exactly what I want to do, he's in south Carolina so build requirements are a little different in his area, and he's on a corner so his driveway will come into the back yard and he'll have an outside garage door access. But the plan is very similar - same size - and his build is coming in right at my budget. So, obviously it's possible - at least somewhere!  ::)

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460683

[cstudep]

Makes sense, and seems like it ought to be fairly straight forward.

I didn't read through that whole thing, mostly just browsed the pictures, I assume he is doing the concrete block just to grade and is then building stick frame walls on top of that? It's usually cheaper doing concrete block rather than poured wall but that also depends on who is doing it and where you are.

[MiniDave]

Yes, he's doing stick built.....I would too if I could find anyone to build it....

Because of the lack of interest in builders around here, I took a different tack - we looked at a house for sale that has a 24X24 shop already on the property - only downside is I would have to go inside the house for water. great property, out in the country a ways but near town, on a 1 acre lot so I have plenty of room for the doggo's to play - all fenced already. Of course the wife hates the house....it's not "open concept" enough.....sheesh.

https://www.redfin.com/KS/Stilwell/8340-W-172nd-Ter-66085/home/83225307

Or, they have one of those car condo places about 20 min from me, several friends have one there and are urging me to buy one of them too. downside there of course is it's 20 min drive anytime I want to work on something.....and all my tools will be 20 min away too

[cstudep]

Lot's of money can be made in the Trades these days. The folks who are good and want to work are so busy they can't take on a lot of new stuff. The ones that are left either don't know what they are doing or just don't seem all that interested in actually working.

Nice place with the shop!

The car condo idea has me intrigued, what exactly is it? Is it like a mini storage place, only with larger garages for us mechanical types? Or is it a larger garage with lifts and such where you basically rent space?

I have always thought a mini storage unit type setup, only with more garage sized stalls for cars/tools and such plus a central larger garage with things like lifts, more specialized tools, trailers etc.. that could be rented out would be cool. As you mentioned though the inconvenience of a drive to the place any time you wanted to work on something would be a hassle.

[MiniDave]

Yea, sorta like mini storage but with 20 ft ceilings! Some are designed that you can pull thru a large 45 ft motorhome, of course that's not what I would buy. The smallest they have is a 20 X 30 which is what I would get. The problems include no HVAC unless you buy an end unit - you can put an electric heater in but good luck warming up a room with 20 ft ceilings and no insulation with a plug in heater! Also, no bathroom - there is a "clubhouse" with a restroom of course, but you'd need to drive to it!

http://garagecondoskc.com/?fbclid=IwAR05NyuMzi_UOe496Scs5HLxiqPck9B9afM2jZptTTLrsAVuiNnJynkvC-c

https://www.facebook.com/CarriageHouses

Advantages are all my shit is in one place and room to store at least 4 cars, I can put a real 2 post lift in it and so on.

Downsides are no water, no A/C, 20 min drive and property taxes, HOA costs about $200/year and so on......I'd rather either buy a place with a shop or build one here if I could.

Hey, I have an idea, how about a good old Restoration Mini barn/garage raising this spring at my house?? I'll get the concrete poured and we'll have it closed in in one weekend I bet!  77.gif  62.gif

[gr8kornholio]

Should see the garage condos they put up around here.  Can't remember the name or I'd post a link.  They are ac/heat insulated bathroom second floor inside veranda or whatever it's called and easy fit 4 cars.  Downside they started at close to 250K.

[cstudep]

That is pretty cool, but I can definitely see where the no heat, no cooling, no plumbing etc.. would be a pretty serious deficiency that could easily get cost prohibitive trying to solve, if they even let you solve it.

You are probably correct on the barn/garage raising. With enough people it could probably be, at the very least, enclosed in over a weekend. The incorporating it into the existing structure is where things can get complicated. Well, that and the entire permitting process I am sure the city makes you jump through.