Can a garage ever be too big?
Discussion
I've currently got a large single garage seperate to the house: 6.8m x 3.3m. It fits one large family car (VW Passat) with a good sized workbench. I'm needing to expand as I'd like "indoor" space to store or work on 2 cars. I was simply going to double the width but builder and architect have both suggested I maximise the size of what I build for the future. That has got me thinking, and I've got a sketch done of a 6.6m x 11m garage. Can a garage be too big? There's plenty garden space around the house.
colin_p said:
No, never too much space.
However, also consider going tall so if you ever fancy a 2 or 4 post lift there is headroom.
Make it as big as you can afford, my boss built a huge new workshop 8 years ago and we've now outgrown it. One of our customers has out grown his workshop before its built. But due to availability of affordable land he can't just sell what he has to go bigger, so has to work out of his old site aswell as the new one. Which is a pain as they're different sides of town.However, also consider going tall so if you ever fancy a 2 or 4 post lift there is headroom.
bogie said:
No, but when you get to warehouse size you may need to think about the heating bills more 
Im sure could easily compartmentalise it at a later date if it became a problem.... internal stud walls, insulated etc would mean only one part needed heated at a time if so required. As above, consider going tall and/or second storey - office, study, kids play room, room for the mother in law (with no heating obviously) :-)
I'd say no, up to a certain point. If it is vastly bigger than you need then you (or your wife) will just end up filling it with junk and it'll look rubbish, and be a nightmare if you ever want to heat it.
When we move next year, i'm aiming for a decent sized triple, say 6 x 9 approx.
When we move next year, i'm aiming for a decent sized triple, say 6 x 9 approx.
Sat at the desk in my 10 x 5 typing this, only the one car but if I had more cars I'd want more space. No point having a big space, but still being cramped when you're working and if you start filling it with decent kit you won't want to be constantly moving stuff around to work. There's nothing more satisfying than a properly organised workshop that just makes it easy to get on with stuff.
Although I am surrounded by junk, it is all in a pile ready for eBay/Gumtree and when I'm finished everything will be tidy and organised.
So definitely go as big as you can.
Although I am surrounded by junk, it is all in a pile ready for eBay/Gumtree and when I'm finished everything will be tidy and organised.
So definitely go as big as you can.
"Can a garage ever be too big?"
Ok, I don't understand this question.
Unless you are particularly fond of the floor I'd suggest you plan for vertical space too as you'll be needing a 4 post lift in there.
If you don't mind being on the floor sometimes and insist on a 2 poster (not as capable or safe as a 4 post IMO) you'll also need to specify a very strong floor.
In light of the multiple drawbacks of 2 posters I'd consider a reinforced floor area for a single poster in the build if you need more than one lift.
Additionally height will allow you to 'stack' two cars with a 4 poster should you end up with 'too many'
Ok, I don't understand this question.
Unless you are particularly fond of the floor I'd suggest you plan for vertical space too as you'll be needing a 4 post lift in there.
If you don't mind being on the floor sometimes and insist on a 2 poster (not as capable or safe as a 4 post IMO) you'll also need to specify a very strong floor.
In light of the multiple drawbacks of 2 posters I'd consider a reinforced floor area for a single poster in the build if you need more than one lift.
Additionally height will allow you to 'stack' two cars with a 4 poster should you end up with 'too many'
As big as you can. I did, only had room for a large single, but the plan was it would be big enough to work on a car. The reality is that by the time I have shelves and storage and a workbench there is no room to get round the car or work on it anything at the sides. Have had a car on ramps in there and done radiators etc.m but forget doing anything in a wheelarch. Couldn't even get wheel dollies in due to extra width needed 
Depends what you want to do in it. Simply just park a car or two? Do you want park two cars, but be able to give the insides a vacuum without shuffling? Think how wide that *should* be.
Car = 2m width max
Doors open + 1m each side.
walk around space = + 1m each side.
So to be able to walk around two cars, doors open you need the garage to be a minimum of 12 meters wide :-)
Car = 2m width max
Doors open + 1m each side.
walk around space = + 1m each side.
So to be able to walk around two cars, doors open you need the garage to be a minimum of 12 meters wide :-)
Edited by dublove on Saturday 25th March 20:31
.OP here: having had a think as big as I can is my answer!
Had another sketch, of a 'double width' and 'double length' job which I'm liking the look of. Primary use will be to store cars as I'm not the best mechanic... and I've 2 cars that need to be kept indoors long term. And that would allow those 2 cars to be stored on one side, a work bench and plenty space on the other side to work on one vehicle, or store 2 more.
With a bit of time this could turn in to a build thread.
Had another sketch, of a 'double width' and 'double length' job which I'm liking the look of. Primary use will be to store cars as I'm not the best mechanic... and I've 2 cars that need to be kept indoors long term. And that would allow those 2 cars to be stored on one side, a work bench and plenty space on the other side to work on one vehicle, or store 2 more.
With a bit of time this could turn in to a build thread.
I live in Green Belt, anything over 60m2 or with a "room above" just wasn't going to happen due to the Planning Nazis. I ended up with 7.6m x 8m which less the wall thickness gave me about 2m2 that I could have gone bigger by. I don't really begrudge it that much as I just put another 20m2 over the other side of the Garden which would have been in the "room above" had they let me do what I originally wanted. The farce that is planning policy & development rights has meant I've ended up building two building with a bigger footprint than I'd asked for and there's FA they can about it.
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