Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
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Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Hello,
My wife and I have a home that we are likely to keep for many years that meets all of our needs and most of our wants. One of the things that it doesn't provide is a large garage space that can be used for storing big toys (campers, boats, etc.) and support bigger projects like woodworking, working on cars, etc. I am interested in trying to purchase a space that could be used for this and am curious how others may be doing this today. I have a friend who is a pilot and has a hangar for his plane and added extra hangars for this purpose. I also have another friend who purchased an old machine shop with his family and uses that space in this same way. Neither seem like good options to me, though.
The main things that I would want are a fair amount of space with concrete floors and garage doors to get the bigger things in and out. I am in a cold weather area so I would want a heater of some sort but it wouldn't necessarily need to be insulated and A/C is not needed. A half bath would be needed since I would likely be there for long periods of time while working on projects. I live in a small city and expect that to be ~30 minutes away in a more rural (lower cost) area.
I don't know if in the end I would need to buy some land and have something like this built or what other options might exist for finding something like this. I could just contact a realtor to see if they have ideas how to find something like this but I'm not sure if it would just look like an oddball request. I would be interested to know if/how others may have addressed finding or creating a space like this.
Thanks in advance,
LS
My wife and I have a home that we are likely to keep for many years that meets all of our needs and most of our wants. One of the things that it doesn't provide is a large garage space that can be used for storing big toys (campers, boats, etc.) and support bigger projects like woodworking, working on cars, etc. I am interested in trying to purchase a space that could be used for this and am curious how others may be doing this today. I have a friend who is a pilot and has a hangar for his plane and added extra hangars for this purpose. I also have another friend who purchased an old machine shop with his family and uses that space in this same way. Neither seem like good options to me, though.
The main things that I would want are a fair amount of space with concrete floors and garage doors to get the bigger things in and out. I am in a cold weather area so I would want a heater of some sort but it wouldn't necessarily need to be insulated and A/C is not needed. A half bath would be needed since I would likely be there for long periods of time while working on projects. I live in a small city and expect that to be ~30 minutes away in a more rural (lower cost) area.
I don't know if in the end I would need to buy some land and have something like this built or what other options might exist for finding something like this. I could just contact a realtor to see if they have ideas how to find something like this but I'm not sure if it would just look like an oddball request. I would be interested to know if/how others may have addressed finding or creating a space like this.
Thanks in advance,
LS
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I only know people who have these spaces because they end up loaning/renting some of that space to the people I know directly. Does one of your buddies have extra space?
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
No, seems like a waste of money.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
My grandpa had one of these and it was adjacent to a farm. He loved it and was out there multiple times a day when he retired. If u have the funds why not?
- RickBoglehead
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Seems like a judgmental comment.
I brew beer. We have a boat, with a trailer. We may someday have 3 vehicles and just 2 drivers. If we buy a retirement property with insufficient garage storage, and no place for my brewery, I could see doing exactly this.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
A neighbor up the street has a separate two story garage away from the main house built in a manner to match the exterior of the home. It's basically a two car garage with a loft/second story that is conditioned (air/heat).
He works for a US based car manufacturer and does classic car maintenance on the side. He's currently working on a 60's XKE convertible for a friend.
Needless to say, I'm a bit jealous of his setup ...
- Ron
He works for a US based car manufacturer and does classic car maintenance on the side. He's currently working on a 60's XKE convertible for a friend.
Needless to say, I'm a bit jealous of his setup ...
- Ron
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Some guy I used to work with supposedly had $3 million of wine in climate controlled storage in NJ...
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Than you need more money- its awesome actually.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
A friend of mine does. He is a stay at home dad, they just moved and are renting a place without a garage. So he rented a separate space to use as his hobby workspace. I think it also helps him to "get out of the house" after a day with the kids.
Plenty of people buy a bigger house than they need, or sell and move for more space, and this is expensive too. I imagine that renting or buying the extra space while you need it cheaper and easier.
Plenty of people buy a bigger house than they need, or sell and move for more space, and this is expensive too. I imagine that renting or buying the extra space while you need it cheaper and easier.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
There are more RV Condos being put up that are also used for the purposes you describe. They usually have at least 14 feet high doors with at least 14 feet wide and at least 40 feet long. You can finish out the interior any way you want it including second floors.
They are usually around bigger cities.
MSTRCVDSTR
They are usually around bigger cities.
MSTRCVDSTR
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Not at all. I have thought about it, and in fact, toured one of those auto garage places in the past, but couldn't justify it all.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Lol. 100%. It's like many things in life. If its something you really want it's priceless, if it's not something you want it's a total waste.
I considered this, but at least as a non-retired person, even a short commute to such a space would seriously crimp my ability to use it. It's so much easier when you can just pop out to the garage to work on something and come back if you are needed. This is much more doable if you live in a rural area where you can just get a large pre-fab building on cheap land. In the city, even a very small warehouse-type space in an industrial part of town can be 7 figures. Renting even a single space in a car storage facility can cost almost as much as a modest apartment. Just doesn't make sense.
It makes a lot more sense if you can combine it with some sort of business use. I could see maybe doing a retirement hobby-type business that requires a large space like this.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Yes, sir. I don't own one but would love one. Not cheap though.learningstill wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:39 am
I am interested in trying to purchase a space that could be used for this and am curious how others may be doing this today.
The main things that I would want are a fair amount of space with concrete floors and garage doors to get the bigger things in and out. I am in a cold weather area so I would want a heater of some sort but it wouldn't necessarily need to be insulated and A/C is not needed. A half bath would be needed since I would likely be there for long periods of time while working on projects. I live in a small city and expect that to be ~30 minutes away in a more rural (lower cost) area.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
We purposely bought our house with no attic and no basement to avoid having a place where stuff accumulates. A remote garage would defeat the purpose for me.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I do not. But I would love to have one. That sounds awesome!
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I'd only be interested in a structure within maybe a three minute walking distance from my house.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Thought about it, but never found one at the right price.
I think people need to understand coastal living a bit to understand why these are a "thing". You might be able to afford a $3-5m beach house (maybe 1500-2500 sqft), but the garages on these things will still be fairly modest (maybe a double if you are lucky). It's not like further inland or the mid-west where you can buy a 3500 sqft house and have a 2 car garage plus 2 car detached garage/shop for $1-2m or so.
The compromise out here for those who have these "1% problems", is you buy your beach house, and then spend $300k up to $1m for your "man cave" or shop. Yes this seems insane, but it's actually pretty pragmatic when you look at what the alternatives would be.
Secondly.... if dropping 300k to 1m on your "man cave" or "car condo" saves you from a $10m divorce.... it's worth every penny.
I think people need to understand coastal living a bit to understand why these are a "thing". You might be able to afford a $3-5m beach house (maybe 1500-2500 sqft), but the garages on these things will still be fairly modest (maybe a double if you are lucky). It's not like further inland or the mid-west where you can buy a 3500 sqft house and have a 2 car garage plus 2 car detached garage/shop for $1-2m or so.
The compromise out here for those who have these "1% problems", is you buy your beach house, and then spend $300k up to $1m for your "man cave" or shop. Yes this seems insane, but it's actually pretty pragmatic when you look at what the alternatives would be.
Secondly.... if dropping 300k to 1m on your "man cave" or "car condo" saves you from a $10m divorce.... it's worth every penny.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
In my area a storage unit (single-car size, garage door) is $125 per month. They have two-car sized rooms at about 2x the price. They have a toilet and wash basin available (facility is inside a security fence). Electricity (a couple 110 plugs) is supplied. You could use a kerosene or propane heater in the winter. This setup worked for us when I was in a "garage" band 50 years ago.learningstill wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:39 am
... a fair amount of space with concrete floors and garage doors to get the bigger things in and out. I am in a cold weather area so I would want a heater of some sort but it wouldn't necessarily need to be insulated and A/C is not needed. A half bath would be needed since I would likely be there for long periods of time while working on projects. I live in a small city and expect that to be ~30 minutes away in a more rural (lower cost) area.
I would also check with a realtor - you would be surprised what might be available. You might find a closed service station, mechanic shop, etc. at a good price - lease or purchase. My brother just purchased a home 10 minutes from a large Texas lake that had 10 contiguous stalls with doors built for boat and general storage on the 3 acre lot. He plans to use 6 of them for his shop - the other 4 for his two boats, tractor, mower, etc.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
There is a workshop co-op (sometimes called a maker space) in my area I'm thinking of joining, if I can get things under control at work and have more time for projects.
Of course, that doesn't address the vehicle storage part of your question, but it's a cheap way to get access to a large workshop space and a wide variety of sometimes very expensive tools.
The other problem is it's a bit far from home (25 minutes), but it is very close to my work, so I think I could make it work out.
Of course, that doesn't address the vehicle storage part of your question, but it's a cheap way to get access to a large workshop space and a wide variety of sometimes very expensive tools.
The other problem is it's a bit far from home (25 minutes), but it is very close to my work, so I think I could make it work out.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I have a few family members that have their "man cave". I will say this, their "man caves" just turned into a complete disaster, crap is everywhere and all they did was start "new projects" that never ever get finished. They spend more money on worthless garbage now.
One of them just had me over a few weekends ago, just crap everywhere. Tools everywhere. His wife complains he's never "at the house" anymore and has strained their relation.
No way would I want to turn into a mindless spending and slob after retirement like they all have. I could easily do it, we have hundreds of acres and space. No thanks.
One of them just had me over a few weekends ago, just crap everywhere. Tools everywhere. His wife complains he's never "at the house" anymore and has strained their relation.
No way would I want to turn into a mindless spending and slob after retirement like they all have. I could easily do it, we have hundreds of acres and space. No thanks.
- quantAndHold
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I don’t, and unless I had a specific hobby that takes a lot of space, like woodworking or something, it just sounds like an excuse to keep too much stuff. We’ve always taken the approach that if we didn’t have enough space, it was time to get rid of crap, not get a bigger space.
That said, my next door neighbor rented a small storefront a few blocks from home, called it his office, and used it as a place to go when he was tired of his wife. They eventually got divorced, so I’m not sure it was all that useful. At the time, though, storefronts we’re going begging, so it was a cheap way to get some extra space.
That said, my next door neighbor rented a small storefront a few blocks from home, called it his office, and used it as a place to go when he was tired of his wife. They eventually got divorced, so I’m not sure it was all that useful. At the time, though, storefronts we’re going begging, so it was a cheap way to get some extra space.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
For the record, I don't think that the OP asked for opinions on whether such a structure is useful or not. I have such a structure in my backyard though it isn't a garage but a workshop.
(1) Base is 10x20: Concrete slab. No permit required for 200 sf structures in my town.
(2) 100A of power coming in from the home supply to a subpanel inside the structure
(3) Structure is prefab (stick built is more expensive), insulated and with a barn style roof. Large doors at either end and fully insulated so we can work there in winter.
(4) Used for metalworking (though not welding) and other fab work. All grinding is done in a separate shop.
(5) I used a company that makes backyard structures like home offices etc.
(6) Work with your city to make sure about setbacks and make sure that electrical is correctly permitted (trenching for conduit etc).
My son and I use it fairly heavily. Was it necessary? No. But I have the money (though not hundreds of acres of land) and I find working with my hands very enjoyable when I'm not coding/hiking/biking/climbing.
ea
(1) Base is 10x20: Concrete slab. No permit required for 200 sf structures in my town.
(2) 100A of power coming in from the home supply to a subpanel inside the structure
(3) Structure is prefab (stick built is more expensive), insulated and with a barn style roof. Large doors at either end and fully insulated so we can work there in winter.
(4) Used for metalworking (though not welding) and other fab work. All grinding is done in a separate shop.
(5) I used a company that makes backyard structures like home offices etc.
(6) Work with your city to make sure about setbacks and make sure that electrical is correctly permitted (trenching for conduit etc).
My son and I use it fairly heavily. Was it necessary? No. But I have the money (though not hundreds of acres of land) and I find working with my hands very enjoyable when I'm not coding/hiking/biking/climbing.
ea
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I own an industrial building that was built originally for an electrical contractor. A large shed that housed the contractor's fleet of vehicles now has my two classic cars and three of my brother-in-law's vehicles (two cars and a motorcycle). There are three office rooms as well. When my mother was still living she used one of the rooms as an art studio, mainly jewelry making. I pay the utilities and my brother-in-law handles the general maintenance. We split the cost of a car lift a few years ago. It's ten minutes from my house and it's worked very well for us.
In my area commercial and industrial real estate sales or leases are mostly handled by specialist realtors. OP might want to check out what they are listing -- as an earlier response said, you might be surprised what you find!
In my area commercial and industrial real estate sales or leases are mostly handled by specialist realtors. OP might want to check out what they are listing -- as an earlier response said, you might be surprised what you find!
- White Coat Investor
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I just built it into my house with our major renovation a while back. It's a 4 car garage (really 3 cars and a 24 foot boat) with tons of storage and lighting, shelves/racks, sheet metal walls, tons of plugs, epoxy floor, insulated doors, and a heater. There's a "bunker" below part of it (maybe that makes it a 5 car garage now except you can't get a car into that) with a trap door and a walk out mini garage door on the back of it for additional storage so we can actually use the garage to store vehicles when necessary. I work out, prep for trips, and do little projects. In the Winter, we can put all our vehicles inside. I'm kind of wishing I had put A/C in, but may try a swamp cooler and/or a fan or two first.
The renovation wasn't cheap, but I can't imagine the cost of the garage itself was higher than buying new property, building an entirely new building with a bathroom, and the hassle of commuting to and from it.
The renovation wasn't cheap, but I can't imagine the cost of the garage itself was higher than buying new property, building an entirely new building with a bathroom, and the hassle of commuting to and from it.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Sounds like a great idea. Except, would need a full bath and space for a sofa bed too
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Concrete slab and a steel building is what my dad did. Not too pricey.
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Agreed. If I had to drive 30 mins away to indulge in a hobby, I don’t think I would go. Sometimes when I’m working away, my spouse will bring me a sandwich. Or I’ll go upstairs to show off my work.
Is there really no spot in your home or yard to accommodate this space?
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
No; I would not do it away from home. Too many problems with logistics, costs and security etc.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I think I do have one.
I have a detached garage, 200 feet away from the house. It's 24x36 with a 4 post lift, stand up compressor, my tools and I do always keep some number of our family cars in there. I'm currently in the middle of a project fabricating a steering stabilizer relocation bracket for my Jeep. I like welding projects to build steel things and this is a project I needed for my offroading vehicle. I built a Factory Five Cobra 20 years ago in the garage, mostly in the winter after my little kids went to bed. No heat, so winters were cold, but I can turn wrenches just fine at 20 degrees. It's not a finished garage by any means. Just storage, workspace, a workbench with a grinder and vice and tools stored between pegboards and tool boxes.
I've actually considered building on an attached garage to the house as we don't have one. It could make it nicer to be able to get out of the car and not have to walk outside in bad weather. And of course, that frees up space in the bigger garage.
I have a detached garage, 200 feet away from the house. It's 24x36 with a 4 post lift, stand up compressor, my tools and I do always keep some number of our family cars in there. I'm currently in the middle of a project fabricating a steering stabilizer relocation bracket for my Jeep. I like welding projects to build steel things and this is a project I needed for my offroading vehicle. I built a Factory Five Cobra 20 years ago in the garage, mostly in the winter after my little kids went to bed. No heat, so winters were cold, but I can turn wrenches just fine at 20 degrees. It's not a finished garage by any means. Just storage, workspace, a workbench with a grinder and vice and tools stored between pegboards and tool boxes.
I've actually considered building on an attached garage to the house as we don't have one. It could make it nicer to be able to get out of the car and not have to walk outside in bad weather. And of course, that frees up space in the bigger garage.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Any chance of moving a wee bit further out to a place with a pole barn outbuilding?
- ...Have you considered splitting up your functions? These places can get rather large..
- 30 min sounds like a ways...I’d want to be very close to a workshop - otherwise we’d either never use it, or it would be like commuting, need a bathroom, need to pack a lunch - too complicated. Or maybe you do want to be able to step out for an afternoon or the whole day?? Plus, tools far away are tools we can’t use on the house.
- For spare vehicles, rental space is fine if you’re not taking them out very often - as in you can pick up the boat for the week and head out with it.
- Separate the clean from the dirty. Changing oil/fluids vs fine furniture refinishing; woodworking vs parking the speedboat. It is possible to have a very clean, immaculate shop if you really want, but that can be it’s own job.
- Do you need your own bathroom or just one nearby? Big difference if you’re building.
- If you buy and build, check the zoning. Sometimes areas have different (less strict) rules for land zoned as a farm or agricultural.
- ...Have you considered splitting up your functions? These places can get rather large..
- 30 min sounds like a ways...I’d want to be very close to a workshop - otherwise we’d either never use it, or it would be like commuting, need a bathroom, need to pack a lunch - too complicated. Or maybe you do want to be able to step out for an afternoon or the whole day?? Plus, tools far away are tools we can’t use on the house.
- For spare vehicles, rental space is fine if you’re not taking them out very often - as in you can pick up the boat for the week and head out with it.
- Separate the clean from the dirty. Changing oil/fluids vs fine furniture refinishing; woodworking vs parking the speedboat. It is possible to have a very clean, immaculate shop if you really want, but that can be it’s own job.
- Do you need your own bathroom or just one nearby? Big difference if you’re building.
- If you buy and build, check the zoning. Sometimes areas have different (less strict) rules for land zoned as a farm or agricultural.
Please spell out new acronyms. Thank you.
- MillennialFinance19
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
+1 for awesome. Mine is a 40x60 shop with a 12x60 leanto that has a matching exterior to my house. But if I didn’t have it co-located, I would build one 20-30 minutes away. Go for it, you won’t regret it!
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
In some ways detached garages are nicer. I can stink mine up with kerosene, gasoline , exhaust etc and not have the fumes enter the house. Also detached is better in case your Tesla battery goes up in flames! (just kidding) . A Little Buddy propane heater works for me in the winter .Jack FFR1846 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:30 pm
I've actually considered building on an attached garage to the house as we don't have one. It could make it nicer to be able to get out of the car and not have to walk outside in bad weather. And of course, that frees up space in the bigger garage.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
My parents have one at their house, and I really want one. If we buy recreational land nearby, I’ll basically have what you’re talking about. My parents is 40x60 fully finished with ac and heat, with an unfinished basement. So close to 5000 square feet. 3 garage doors upstairs and 1 down. Upstairs has the boat, kayaks, side by side, woodworking area, pool table, fishing tackle, and wood stove with couches and tv and a lift that we haven’t used.. Downstairs has tractor, other mowers and implements, storage, etc.
Where I live, lots of people have big outbuildings. Need lots of room to keep tractors and all the stuff associated with country living. I wouldn’t want one that is just the garage with no associated recreational land.
Where I live, lots of people have big outbuildings. Need lots of room to keep tractors and all the stuff associated with country living. I wouldn’t want one that is just the garage with no associated recreational land.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
We have a 40x80 toy barn that we keep our bus in as well as a Jeep, waverunners, jet ski, and our 17ft Montauk...we added a golf simulator this past winter as well and not the place is getting crowded...we also have a 4 stall garage on the house so we are pretty well set...we have a 10x20 barn for the lawn tractor, gas cans and that stuff....
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I like “toy barn” rather than “man garage”.OldBallCoach wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:21 pm We have a 40x80 toy barn that we keep our bus in as well as a Jeep, waverunners, jet ski, and our 17ft Montauk...we added a golf simulator this past winter as well and not the place is getting crowded...we also have a 4 stall garage on the house so we are pretty well set...we have a 10x20 barn for the lawn tractor, gas cans and that stuff....
I wish I had one!
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I live in the country and have a shop that is nearly finished~185 feet from my house. Plumbing for a sink is the last thing to be done. 30 x 40 metal building on a slab. 200A service with a 50A circuit for a welder. Purpose is a shop for wood/metal working, auto repair and whatever I come up with. Also home to my tractor. My son and daughter are looking forward to using the shop as well.
I don't have boats, RV, etc..
I would not want to drive to a shop. I also loath the phrase "man cave".
I don't have boats, RV, etc..
I would not want to drive to a shop. I also loath the phrase "man cave".
Coach
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
30x40 Ameribuilt is what my dad has. 12’ ceilings on the first floor and 8’ on the second.jayars35 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:34 pm I live in the country and have a shop that is nearly finished~185 feet from my house. Plumbing for a sink is the last thing to be done. 30 x 40 metal building on a slab. 200A service with a 50A circuit for a welder. Purpose is a shop for wood/metal working, auto repair and whatever I come up with. Also home to my tractor. My son and daughter are looking forward to using the shop as well.
I don't have boats, RV, etc..
I would not want to drive to a shop. I also loath the phrase "man cave".
No welder tho’
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Well since my wife uses the golf simulator about everyday yea...better name...LOLmike@jb wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:28 pmI like “toy barn” rather than “man garage”.OldBallCoach wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:21 pm We have a 40x80 toy barn that we keep our bus in as well as a Jeep, waverunners, jet ski, and our 17ft Montauk...we added a golf simulator this past winter as well and not the place is getting crowded...we also have a 4 stall garage on the house so we are pretty well set...we have a 10x20 barn for the lawn tractor, gas cans and that stuff....
I wish I had one!
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
That's about twice the square footage of our entire house.We have a 40x80 toy barn...
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
And they didn't say how many stories!Northern Flicker wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:39 pmThat's about twice the square footage of our entire house.We have a 40x80 toy barn...
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
Yes, yes it is actually awesome. I have 2400 sq ft with a 2 post lift 1 mile from the house. Holds 2 race cars, 3 special cars, etc. Also stuff, a few things I don't want to put in the garage at home. It's $700 a month. Selling cash secured puts every month generally pays for it and if it doesn't so what. I also, drum roll.... drink $60 scotch. Piss away another $30 a month there I guess.
I don't need to eat fish heads and rice to meet my goals and be happy, and I don't want to be the richest guy in the cemetery.
If I decided "the garage" was too expensive, my wife would pay it for me just so I leave...
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
If I had the money I’d build a barn on property… we could more than use the space. In the next few years I’ll probably put up a small shed to at least get a lot of junk out of the garage for storage and get the riding mower out from under the deck.
When we retire I’ll seriously look at properties with a barn for the extra parking and space for projects. Right now I make due with a 15x20 worksop space in the basement utility room and it’s very cramped, especially working around the boiler and AC air handler. It’s barely enough space for my model building projects, but any time I need to do woodworking for the house it’s a contortionist show and all the big tools (table saw, chop saw) etc have to be stored away on fold out contractor setups.
Converting the garage to workshop is a no go. We get a lot of snow in the winter and summer severe thunderstorms with hail are becoming more common. Had a near miss with a tree coming down and almost totaling the car once, don’t care to repeat it. Cars stay IN the garage where they belong.
When we retire I’ll seriously look at properties with a barn for the extra parking and space for projects. Right now I make due with a 15x20 worksop space in the basement utility room and it’s very cramped, especially working around the boiler and AC air handler. It’s barely enough space for my model building projects, but any time I need to do woodworking for the house it’s a contortionist show and all the big tools (table saw, chop saw) etc have to be stored away on fold out contractor setups.
Converting the garage to workshop is a no go. We get a lot of snow in the winter and summer severe thunderstorms with hail are becoming more common. Had a near miss with a tree coming down and almost totaling the car once, don’t care to repeat it. Cars stay IN the garage where they belong.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I once rented a space in an industrial building for this purpose. The building had drive-in access, a sink in each space, a shared bathroom, heat when needed, high ceilings, concrete floors -- basically everything you're looking for, but as a tenant, I didn't have to deal with building maintenance and could easily give up the space when my needs changed. I had a lot of fun there.
There were many spaces on the market when I looked for my space. I looked on Craigslist, but it appears that specialized sites like Loopnet and Showcase are now the better source for such listings.
Have fun!
There were many spaces on the market when I looked for my space. I looked on Craigslist, but it appears that specialized sites like Loopnet and Showcase are now the better source for such listings.
Have fun!
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
learningstill wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:39 am Hello,
My wife and I have a home that we are likely to keep for many years that meets all of our needs and most of our wants. One of the things that it doesn't provide is a large garage space that can be used for storing big toys (campers, boats, etc.) and support bigger projects like woodworking, working on cars, etc. I am interested in trying to purchase a space that could be used for this and am curious how others may be doing this today. I have a friend who is a pilot and has a hangar for his plane and added extra hangars for this purpose. I also have another friend who purchased an old machine shop with his family and uses that space in this same way. Neither seem like good options to me, though.
The main things that I would want are a fair amount of space with concrete floors and garage doors to get the bigger things in and out. I am in a cold weather area so I would want a heater of some sort but it wouldn't necessarily need to be insulated and A/C is not needed. A half bath would be needed since I would likely be there for long periods of time while working on projects. I live in a small city and expect that to be ~30 minutes away in a more rural (lower cost) area.
I don't know if in the end I would need to buy some land and have something like this built or what other options might exist for finding something like this. I could just contact a realtor to see if they have ideas how to find something like this but I'm not sure if it would just look like an oddball request. I would be interested to know if/how others may have addressed finding or creating a space like this.
Thanks in advance,
LS
We have a couple of properties that have what you describe and I think are wanting. One is a 2500 sq/ft house we airbnb with no attached garage, on the back of the property is a 3 car garage with a 30x50 insulated workshop attached (no bathroom). We keep inventory at this location for one of our businesses.
The second is a 1485 sq/ft ranch which is a longer term rental and we have a 3,000 steel building on the back of that property. It was originally built by a plumber for his plumbing supply needs so he put in-floor radiant heat in the concrete throughout the entire building. It has a full bathroom with a shower too. It's sweet, we operate a business out of there and I have a few employees. We fenced off the house with an 8 foot privacy fence. It has 2 12-foot insulated garage doors and we use this for light manufacturing. This space has a 3/4 of an acre gravel lot where we also keep a few of our personal vehicles, boat, RV and toy hauler trailer. Once we retire/sell that business that will be my man cave spot. We live .7 miles away, so it is close too.
If you go onto Zillow, click the "more" tab and in keyword search put in "workshop" and save. Some also list as "shop" so try that too. I've found both of our properties with workshops this way, ahead of our realtor. Good luck!
Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I live on the coast. People store their large boats in their yards, under covers over the winters. They have two car garages for other stuff. I don't think anyone in my community has an rv on their property. Tacky, you know. Maybe if they own them they rent storage.mrspock wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:23 pm Thought about it, but never found one at the right price.
I think people need to understand coastal living a bit to understand why these are a "thing". You might be able to afford a $3-5m beach house (maybe 1500-2500 sqft), but the garages on these things will still be fairly modest (maybe a double if you are lucky).
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
I'd build a shop on your property if you have the room with setbacks, etc. If not, I'd want something close enough that I could drive a golf cart to it.
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Re: Do you have a "man garage" away from your home?
It helps to purchase a home or retirement home with enough land and space to anticipate one’s lifestyle.
For some:
A 12 car custom and classic car garage and shop.
A 50 acre equestrian facility and matching home
A 100 acre mini ranch with various outbuildings and guard cats.
Etc.
Many things in ones chosen lifestyle do not fit well on a spreadsheet, nor must there be a financial justification.
Standard dislaimer: there are more approaches to these things than fingers and toes and paws on every critter that ever existed.
j
For some:
A 12 car custom and classic car garage and shop.
A 50 acre equestrian facility and matching home
A 100 acre mini ranch with various outbuildings and guard cats.
Etc.
Many things in ones chosen lifestyle do not fit well on a spreadsheet, nor must there be a financial justification.
Standard dislaimer: there are more approaches to these things than fingers and toes and paws on every critter that ever existed.
j
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