Hot Rods So normal people don't care about garages?

Most garages for 'normal" people have $500 worth of CRAP stored inside while their 50K+ vehicle sits outside in the elements
all year long.........................................

 

My garage houses two of our cars (mine and my sons). Mine is the 57 Plymouth and my sons is an OT muscle car 50 plus years old. It is also my shop, and I cannot imagine not having it. When my wife and I bought the house in 1977, I told her she could pick out anything she wanted as long as it has a two-car garage.

 

If the ability to work from home and flee the big cities for lower cost housing isn't completely blocked by the big corps, an extra work space even if it isn't for cars will be a more common feature.
I knew of a dental fixture guy that ran his business out of his garage. Think of other small light industrial businesses that wouldn't create quite so much mess as a home car shop.
Inform the 'normal' masses that the huge expense tied up in that transport with a warranty will have better resale after being garaged. That will cause more competition near term, but realtors and builders will eventually figure it out. I see my old growing up area has a ton of backyard BNBs to help with the cost of housing there. I don't think that's healthy, but I'm as abnormal as the rest of you here in a small subset of the auto hobby, which is facing declining numbers for a variety of reasons.

BTW< zillow also has a drop down menu More, which has Parking spaces (1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) and a check box for Must have a Garage.

 

First house, 1 car attached garage. Postage stamp lot. By the time we were moving on, 3 cars and lots of stuff. So I held out for a 2 car garage.

Second house, 2 cars detached garage, about 24x24. And by the time we moved on again, there were 4 cars and more stuff. SWMBO’s car had to be inside in winter. I preferred the same. And the ot Corvette stayed inside. With difficulty, all 4 fit in.

3rd house 2 car attached and a small shed in the back yard. And lots of stuff in the basement. The Corvette went, the shed held the ot Mini and some tools, and the dd were both in the garage, with some difficulty again because of tools.

So when SWMBO talked about a “NEW” house, built for us, my main requirement was a larger garage, 24x30. And it wasn’t enough! So, another “shed” actually a small garage,12x20. And room for another out building if I really want one. But we’re starting to discuss retirement type housing, so probably not. And way too much stuff. The DDs sit outside in the summer and I rearrange for the winter, cause I don’t like to clean snow off of the cars before I can go anywhere.

It seems like I’ll never have the garage like my parents house had, 24x60, and a barn, and a small attached garage originally sized for model Ts, used for storage. Okay, I’m done… back on the meds now. And no I don’t want to be normal if it means no garage and shop

 

I consider myself fortunate. We worked our way from a small home in the city with a small two car garage to a nice home in the country with a two and a half attached garage and a 24x30 detached building. Thirteen years ago we moved to a slightly larger home on acreage with an attached two and a half attached garage, I then designed and built a 40’ x 60’ shop that now houses everything I own. It is setup with hydronic heat, small machine room, a four post lift, and just about anything else I need to build/ restore cars and two wheeled vehicles.
If you are interested in seeing a real dream shop check this out, I knew the guy who owned it, he passed a few years ago. The two out buildings are unbelievable, one of them is two stories and can hold vehicles on the top floor.
Obviously not in my budget but it sure is fun to look at.
Scan all the pictures..
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3515-Oak-Ridge-Rd-Crystal-Lake-IL-60012/5043068_zpid/

 

wow--didn't know the midwest commanded such good prices!!

 

$46k annual property taxes

 

Normal people have huge shops and also a huge garage

Idiots dont care about garages

.

 

When I bought my place it had a one car garage. it now has a 2 car attached and a three bay plus lift out back. plus I just poured concrete in half my barn for another one maybe two cars. I still have half the barn and a couple sheds for yard stuff. Seems perfectly normal to me. Most all new houses around here have some type of garage but they're real small.

 

The last time I moved I told people it was not for a bigger house it was the bigger garage!

 

We have visited Lake havasu to see Dick R and loved all the houses and garages for motor homes or car collections

 

Speaking as a "Car Guy" all my life and always have had a garage from my first home to present. But until my retirement I made do with a 2 car garage and like many, my drivers sat outside in winter, I gave the wife 1/2 for her car in Winter. I ran a successful race operation, Midgets, then Wing Sprint cars for many years out of that small garage and going back to Hot Rods for many more. 5# in a 2# bag is a PIA but I made it work. I started on my retirement property 35 years ago, first enjoying it as a weekender in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin. 2000 sq ft house, double deep 2 1/2 garage and then 12' side wall pole bldg for Total of 2700 sq ft of garage. Everything went according to plan with the exception of getting old issues "Aging Sucks ! " Still enjoying the hobby and Thankful and Grateful to be here, but garage fun now is now just work. I guess my point is work hard, be smart, you can do it all. Best advice I ever got from my parents "There are No Excuses, Make it Happen"

 

Something I’ve always known, I’m not normal!

 

My buddy down the block always says, don't trust a man that doesn't have a garage. And I agree with him.

Guys who get bamboozled into giving up their garage for another bedroom, they sit down to pee.

 

This is me…My happy place, my neighbour not so much. lol! Only issue is I need a dedicated 2,000 sq ft shop.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AcKbeFJCx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Great comments. Looking to move to a house with no stairs and a bigger garage with running water & a floor drain. I know I’m not normal.

 

After looking at other guys garage setups, I have come to the conclusion that having a house in the middle of a cul de sac on a pie shape lot is ideal. From the front, it doesn't look like much to thieves and the back side is huge to allow for a decent size garage.

 

I told my wife once if anything ever happened to her I'd sell the house and move to some rural property and build a 60'x120' shop. Then I'd buy a big camp trailer like around 40' and park it in one bay of the shop to live in. The rest would be my play area.

 

you'd think so, but he missed a few of mine...for one thing, wherever those Saguaro cacti grow, it gets HOT in the summer. Too hot to be in that building.

 

Out in the burbs here all new homes being built have huge shops they put the man cave in the back and store there store there side by sides ,boats,and campers out front of the shop. Shop condos are everywhere here and more being built they get 250 to 300k for 4 walls and a craper and still have to pay condo fees and taxes.

 

I have a similar plan.

 

Best not to look at anything in a subdivision. One thing I'll say is that you shouldn't hurry or get discouraged. Usually something better comes along.

My son wanted to buy a home with property in Indiana. He works in Ky, so bridge traffic and tolls everyday. It did not appraise for what the owner was asking and he wasn't willing to adjust the price.
Disappointed......somewhat, as he had been looking for a while. Then he came across a really nice place with a 40x50 "pole barn". Actually a finished insulated building with drywall inside, a bathroom and a/c. It looks better than my house. Then there were 2 more newer metal buildings and a thing that looked like you could park a motor home under it.....but it was for livestock. We concreted it and put walls up to make building #4. It has geo thermal heat and 22 acres.
A dream place for most car guys.

He would not have gotten it if he had settled for the first place. The owners were going thru a contentious divorce and being forced by the court to sell. He got a really good price on it, and loves being there...........especially some of the sunsets above a hill on a neighboring farm. My suggestion is to spend some weekends cruising rural areas around where you are interested in moving and see whats out there.

 

Wait a minute! Soooo, the plan is for something to happen to the wife and then, with the sale of the house and I'm assuming the insurance money, you get all that?

 

All I need is the sale of the house and I can fund what I would need. However, this same plan somewhat applies just for retirement whether anything happens to my wife or not. After 4 kids moved out (technically I still have one at home, but hoping he gets on his feet soon), I have way too much house...

 

My advice is if a garage is important to you, make it a non-negotiable part of the plan. I'm sure she has a few items that are non-negotiable to her as well. You agreed to move as she wants to be closer to family. That is important to her and you understand. Surely, she should know by now that your garage time is important to you. I have been in your shoes. We moved so my wife could be closer to her family. Every project I had was under roof at my old house. That was a condition of what I wanted if we moved. I gave in and agreed to a place that was lacking on shop and storage space. It is bigger and more beautiful house than either of us had when we got married, and she agreed I could expand the shop if I would agree to buy it. 6 years later despite her objection, I built the addition to the shop. She still complains about it and I'm still trying to get it finished. I can't tell you how much friction it has caused and is still causing. In my opinion it is better to disagree now rather than years of friction because you give in and aren't happy with the result. You have a partnership and if garage space i a deal braker it should be right up there with a tiny kitchen or any other items being deal brakers for her.

 

Been with better half last 22 years, moved in with her 10 years ago. She had no garage so I said I had to build one. Took 8 months to get thru zoning, max I could build was 26 x 30 and that needed a variance. Poured the foundation
Thangsgiving weekend, worked on building it all winter while still working full time. Had to clear snow off roof 3 times while shingling it. Daily drivers have never been in it except for repairs. Have to clean out a bay for her inherited
60 Lincoln Mark V convertible, that thing is huge. Garage has a walk up attic for storage, working om cleaning out
what I can to make room.

 

I tried normal once, it is very overrated.

 

We bought our first house that didn't have a garage. It was the only house we could afford. Then I rented a garage a few blocks away.
When we started looking for the next house, I told the realtor I was not interested in any property that didn't have at least a 2 car garage. My wife was already tired of me not being home after work most nights, so it was pretty high on her priority list as well. The only houses realtor would show us had at least a 2 car garage. The one be bought had a 26' x 36' garage.
When we were ready to move again, my wife told the realtor we only wanted a house with an over sized 2 car garage. The house we bought that time had a 24' x30' garage. That was the first place my wife was able to park her car in the garage! Garages before that were work spaces. We only lived then just over a year, a storm came up and killed the garage.
Then we needed a house with a business zoning, with at least an over sized 2 car garage. The house we bought had a 2 car garage, with another 2 car garage under it (a basement garage for the garage). That one was zoned business and had a 88' x 75' flat side yard I could have built a building on. I ran my welding shop business out of that upper 2 car garage (I added an 8' x 24' side storage on the side of it) for 20 + years there. The intention was that I was always going to build that building, but it never happened. Now that I am retired (2018), I'm pretty happy I didn't add the extra building (the red primmed truck is my 49 before the blue paint was done, would have been 2022).

The business property, from the street level.

The "basement garage" view from the side street.

The back part of the side yard. The driveway you see at the bottom of the picture is 19' wide, and 88' long to the garage door of the upper garage. The ground level drops 8' from the front of that garage to the back wall of the garage. The white building on the right is not on my property. The tan building is across the side street from my property, that side street dead ends at the far side of the white building (the ground level drops 20' to the railroad tracks, on the other side of the white building). These two buildings are the reason my property is zoned business, my property is the only property on our entire 20 block long street that is zoned business. The bridge you see on the right side of the tan building is the other side of the tan building and is the far end of the State highway bridge that crosses 2 sets of train tracks (that bridge is not in the city limits).
The business zoning allowed me to park cars on that side lot and allowed me the opportunity to work on vehicles, inside or outside, without concerns.