Home garage design fun: what would you do?

[16949]

So I went looking for garage space to rent .. and ended up putting an offer in on a house... it is a weird shaped house, the whole first floor is garage. (IKR!!) Right now they have the far end redone into a separate office type space (blue in pic). Green is current garage space. Orange is drive and direction where you pull in. There are a couple support poles i think (black dots)..

Supposedly it can fit 6 cars if i take out the office.. kind of hard to envision since max capacity would require rotation...

Anyone good with design (or not) want to give me ideas? How would you design this garage space?

I'm thinking I'd rather have a bigger work area so i am thinking of declaring it a 3 car garage. Bf who will move in at some point is making a Phelps face when i mention that since he has 4 cars and 2.5 are not running..



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[DMCMW Dave]

How high is the ceiling?

[16949]

How high is the ceiling?

I will measure tomorrow when i am there, 8' or 9'

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[DMC-81]

Cool space! Without seeing pics, I envision 2 cars parked by the entry doors, workbenches/tools/cabinets along walls 19 and 14 and a removable lift in that area, so you can either park or work on the 3rd car. I would put a lounge area in the corner area by 15 and 4.

[Nicholas R]

Sounds like we know who will be hosting DCF tech days now haha!

This is awesome! Talk about giving you a lot of freedom to work. Hopefully the ceiling is closer to 10' since that would allow you to easily install a lift. It could be done with 9', especially since the DeLorean is so low, but 8' starts to get pretty tight. Even still though, at 8 feet you could use a Max Jack and you'd still be able to get the cars high enough to sit under. Let us know if the offer is accepted!

[Dangermouse]

Two car sized doors, I assume?

I would invest in some of those little car dollies for the BF's non-runners. I think that's the only way you would get more than 3 cars in there in such a way that you could move them about.

[SS Spoiler]

Curious what are the other rooms on
garage level? Can walls be knocked out
for more room?

[Jonathan]

Agreed on what Dermot mentioned about the dolleys. Or stick to pulling the cars straight in, in line with the garage doors. That'd look like room for 4 cars if you went that route.

You might want to reach out to an owner in Calgary (StainlessSteelDream) and ask for his thoughts on this sort of big garage. I know he has a similar space and might be able to tell you about the pro's and con's of doing things certain ways.

http://dmctalk.org/member.php?477-StainlessSteelDream

[StainlessSteelDream]

For sure get some dollies. The cheap fixed kind that you need jack the car up and slide them under are great for projects that will be on them for a long time. Let's you get them right up against the wall for max space. (just keep the floor clean) I'd also recommend some with the built in jack. (like this :https://www.amazon.ca/Hydraulic-Vehi.../dp/B000H3TSIU) they are awesome. even just a pair for the back wheels makes driving in and out easy.

Keep in mind what you might want to do for projects.. if you are working with any tools that will throw sawdust,sparks or overspray.. I'd maybe put them in the back office area, sorta like a paint booth.

And super important in a big garage, ventilation! get some CO monitoring in there for sure.

M

[David T]

Keep in mind what would be the best value for the house and other potential buyers if you were to sell it. Make no expensive, hard to undo alterations. Too much garage and not enough other kind of living space is no good, you must have balance. At a minimum you should have space for 2 cars and a workbench. Preferably a utility sink too. What do other houses in the neighborhood have? Also keep in mind how any changes could affect your property taxes. Also consider if and how you will heat or cool the space. In most places you cannot use the heating and A/C system from the rest of the house if it is forced air. Sounds like you will not be able to install a lift. Remember to give the Mrs her own dedicated spot. Check the floor to be sure it can support what you intend to do. In most areas the garage is supposed to be fire-rated meaning 1/2 hour to 1 hour rating sheet rock wall with a self-closing door that is also rated. GFI 20A outlets and a 30A 220 volt line for a welder. Hang a fire extinguisher near a door.