I've got to move some cars and stuff out of an old family garage that is being sold,and the garage at my house is completely full.Got a spot down in the back yard where I could hide another garage/storage building.Problem is I'm damn near broke,kids in college,self employed/not been good last few years....So,I'm trying to figure out the cheapest method to build about 24X30 or so,maybe even build it in stages,and keep my wife from divorcing me over another building.Thought about all metal,pole type,concrete block,etc,but I guess the REAL question is which method is actually cheaper?If I do as much of the work as I can?Doesn't have to be fancy,just sturdy and dry.I doubt that I will even try to get a permit,and nobody will see it until the leaves are off the trees,anyway.Might try to get it started without my wife seeing it,either .Any ideas?Any good tricks?
I would think a metal building "kit" would be the cheapest and fastest to put up...like a pole barn style.
I've been having a similar need for a building and have been doing some investigating. The pole barn style does appear to be the cheapest to build but the drawback is that they are the least weathertight as they are generally meant for things like livestock and farm equipment. In building one that is sufficiently weathertight to keep nice cars in I would fear that it would blow the 'cheap-ness' of the project. Like I say, I've researched some of this but haven't tried anything yet so you may want to wait on advice from guys who have done it already. Big Daddy Eric
I am in need of more space too. I live in a subdivision where the garages must match the style of the home-no pole barns or instant metal buildings. So my idea is a garage done in stages. Now I hope some experinced builder types will chime in and offer advice on my idea. I've been paying attention to picnic shelters at parks-gable roof(pitch matching house) and 4x4 or 6x6 posts holding up the trusses. This would be good to use as a carport until late fall and then close it in making it look like a conventional garage. I'm thinking it actually may be a little cheaper, you use a few posts instead of lots of studs. Just add purlins and siding later. But I would want a garage style floor, that is - frost footings and "rat-wall". Any HAMBRs who are carpenters/builders please offer comments/advice.
A pole building is a cheap way to get things outta the weather,,,,,,,,,but all the critters,,,use it too! I built mine some years ago and after I had a few more bucks I closed it in.,,,,,,,,The draw back is it ain't weather tight and all it is is a barn,,,,,,still gits cats and such in to climb up on the top of your future projects. I'm lookin' at building another building also,,,,,,too much junk and I'm a pack rat,,,,,, HRP
Ok I don't know where you live but if you can get away with it I can show you a cheap garage. Listen up ,I did this with a friend several years ago . I was talking to a mobile home dealer trying to screw him out of some axles and he told me he could not get rid of the trade in's that were rough.A couple of conversations later we purchased , for the setup charge ,a 24 x 30 doublewide that had been abused. It was probably pretty classy in the 70's but had some fists thru the interior walls and the kitchen cabinets and counters were gone. He agreed to deliver it,set it on our blocks and hook it together for $600. It would have cost him several hundred $ just to get rid of it normally. We took the outside measurement's and poured a concrete footing for the outside to set on . He delivered and blocked it up to about 36 inches above the footings. We layed concrete block up to a couple inchs of the sills and carefully lowered it down till the outside set on the blocks . The inside I beams also have to be supported until you get it set down . The blocks were added just to get more headroom. after it was set down we just took the interior walls and the floor out in pieces and there it was . Two used garage doors were put in one end ( remember this before you lay all the block). Concrete was poured later for the floor. He did keep some of the bathroom stuff and put the plumbing in the floor to have a bathroom. The area where the floors hooked on the walls he screwed some pressure treated 2 by's and it worked out good. He has an electrical box (100 amp) and was able to use a lot of the wiring and lights.Although he lost the ductwork with the wall and floor he even uses the furnace to heat it. The I beams are used now as a frame jig and the lumber out of the floor and walls built all the storage and benchs. A year or two ago he even put siding to match his house on it. Before the siding he told me he had $ 1700 in it. including the pizza and beer for the free help.(us) Concrete was a major part of that cost,luckily he had friends to help pour it. I always thought a 12 by single wide would make a decent one also but haven't seen it done yet. Hope this helps. If the permit and inspections figures in your area will allow this it is definatly a low buck Garage.
probably won't be what you want to hear, but, your bio states you have a bunch of cars, none running. You also state that your broke, have kids, a job not doing well plus as a wife that will be none too happy for you to build another building, one by the way that you want to build on the sly & cheap. Why not sell some of this new stuff and put the money towards your kids and family and finish a car or two that you all ready own? Sounds to me like you need to get your priorities straight.
Some great ideas,keep 'em coming.I know it can be done creatively,instead of "gold chaining" it. To Mr. Midnite,don't form any serious opinions based on my teeny bio.My priorities are fine,thanks.My car stuff comes in last compared to kids and family stuff,always has,always will.Not sure what 'new" stuff you think I should sell,but the cars I could live without went away on Ebay over the last couple of years.The reason that I don't have any finished cars is that priority thing again,the business,and I do my own stuff.Most nights,I get to the garage around midnight,and might get an hour or two of time in.When the kids are totally gone,and I win the lottery,I promise everything will get finished. But for now,the cars I own(more than on my bio) are the cars I intend to die with,and I need to move a couple of them home,and get them in the dry. Owning a business means you might make money this year,maybe not next year.No raises,or cost of living adjustments.Also no vacations,no Saturdays off,and not many car shows.Not bitching,just stating the facts.If I live long enough,some of these cars will be finished.Some may not.But none of them are for sale. If money wasn't tight,I'd just call 1-800 Garages R Us.I'm just trying to figure out how to get all my cars in one place....
I can only respond to the info provided but sounds like your doing it right then. Not sure I can offer any cheap ways to put up a building, materials cost money no matter what type of building.
It REALLY sounds like you need to move to a place where you can build what you want. As someone mentioned, the cheapest way to get a building is tear one down and reassemble it. And of course, its even better if you can get the owner to PAY you to tear it down and haul it off. It cant get any cheaper than that and those deals are common. Folks FREQUENTLY ask me to tear down buildings and haul them off and they are willing to PAY me to do it. You can do the same thing.
He's right. Take a ride around your town and pay attention to boarded up houses and abandoned business buildings. Look for the "Coming Soon" or "Future Home Of..." signs. Do a little investigative work and you might find the building given to you or the owner/contractor willing to pay you to remove it. I have a garage full of lumber (enough to build 2 very large barns) aquired this way. It took a couple of weekends to knock the buildings down but the price was right and I also got a complete alarm system, electrical boxes and breaker panels and a pile of florescent lights.
Real cheap, fast, and easy...get a hold of some old full size garage doors. Put some poles in the ground for support, a beam or two, and set it up. There are some places that replace them with roll ups, and if they arent free, they are 5 or 10 bucks each. Paint it all one color, and it doesnt look so bad. You can fit at least one car, two close together for less than 100 bucks... Not the nicest garage, but keeps the elements out..
check out versatube building system's metal garage kit....a 20 X 20 is about $2700....i wanted to put one up in my backyard, but my city doesn't allow metal buildings here they are: http://www.versatube.com/
I was in almost the same situation about 10 years ago. Plenty of projects.......nothing running. I was 46 years old. A older gentleman come by with his son and was looking at my stuff. He said "let me give you some advice" . Which one of these do you REALLY want ? I said the 32 Roadster. He said sell the rest....and work on the 32. He left and I said....."crazy old coot" but it got me to thinking. I sold my 49 Mercury coupe, my 56 F100 BigWindow, a 69 DZ 302 Camaro engine, a 67 427 - 435 Corvette engine, a 454 Chevelle and other stuff. I then had a pocket full of cash $$$. For the first time in my life I had the $$$ to really go to town on my 32. Within 12 months I had it finished and on the road. Been riding since...... Thin the herd and fix the one you REALLY want.
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