Buying house with garage Vs getting a prefab garage
Discussion
Basically I have to have a garage for my next house. Not for my car, but for my motorbike and my huge collection of tools and car cleaning stuff etc.
Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
Has anyone got any experience with pre fab garages? This one looks fairly well put together but what about adding shelves, running electric to it, planning permission etc, sounds like a bit of a faff
https://youtu.be/Uv8O5CXAwAw?si=_2pzTSf8S6N1bnVM
Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
Has anyone got any experience with pre fab garages? This one looks fairly well put together but what about adding shelves, running electric to it, planning permission etc, sounds like a bit of a faff
https://youtu.be/Uv8O5CXAwAw?si=_2pzTSf8S6N1bnVM
My Dad had a concrete prefab garage for a while, it was OK once we put a decent insulated roof on it.
You can attach shelves by putting brackets onto the bolts that hold the panels together.
Not pretty, but you can hide them with plants or cladding etc.
If you buy a bargain used one, they are comical heavy!
You still need planning (?) and a proper slab etc.
I'd rather buy a house where I could build a decent sized garage than a house with a small, non-extendable garage, but you have to compromise and do the best you can overall
Same goes for metal kit sheds/workshops.
You can attach shelves by putting brackets onto the bolts that hold the panels together.
Not pretty, but you can hide them with plants or cladding etc.
If you buy a bargain used one, they are comical heavy!
You still need planning (?) and a proper slab etc.
I'd rather buy a house where I could build a decent sized garage than a house with a small, non-extendable garage, but you have to compromise and do the best you can overall
Same goes for metal kit sheds/workshops.
I have one (Lidget Compton) which I got installed in 2011. It's absolutely fine at being a garage, it doesn't leak or have condensation problems.
You don't normally need planning provided it is under 2.5m tall or building regs provided under 30 square metres and "substantially non-combustible", but always worth checking that's true for your situation (e.g. conservation area, listed building etc etc) .
You don't normally need planning provided it is under 2.5m tall or building regs provided under 30 square metres and "substantially non-combustible", but always worth checking that's true for your situation (e.g. conservation area, listed building etc etc) .
Acuity30 said:
Basically I have to have a garage for my next house. Not for my car, but for my motorbike and my huge collection of tools and car cleaning stuff etc.
Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
I think you'll find that any house that has enough free space next to it without a garage, is likely to be just as expensive as one with one already, as that would have prime extension possibilities.Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
Finding a house that has space for a garage that currently doesn't have one, but has the access from a road to have one might be harder than you think - depending on area where you are looking.
Similar thing, I've been meaning to get some sort of garage workshop next to my house for ages and this (and having a lot of savings doing nothing) got me thinking again. I have pretty much 6.8m to the side of the house and plenty going backwards.
Options seem to be:
- Brick or breezeblock: expensive because builders have plenty of more profitable stuff to do right now.
- Prefab concrete: cheap and fast, but trickier to insulate and fix things to if you need. They all seem to look a bit nasty.
- Steel building: more expensive, can look nasty but some manufacturers have some nicer looking options. Insulation options seem good.
- Timber: easier to DIY, presumably might not last as long, I think the kits or companies who build them have put up their prices greatly recently?
- Buy a 20ft container and clad/line it, cut windows etc. £2k+delivery it seems. Technically slightly higher than PD but you might get away with it? Obviously will always look like a converted container.
Hanson Steel Buildings have been mentioned here a few times, they look pretty decent? I might draft some dimensions and get a quote. Getting planning permission here shouldn't be a problem.
Options seem to be:
- Brick or breezeblock: expensive because builders have plenty of more profitable stuff to do right now.
- Prefab concrete: cheap and fast, but trickier to insulate and fix things to if you need. They all seem to look a bit nasty.
- Steel building: more expensive, can look nasty but some manufacturers have some nicer looking options. Insulation options seem good.
- Timber: easier to DIY, presumably might not last as long, I think the kits or companies who build them have put up their prices greatly recently?
- Buy a 20ft container and clad/line it, cut windows etc. £2k+delivery it seems. Technically slightly higher than PD but you might get away with it? Obviously will always look like a converted container.
Hanson Steel Buildings have been mentioned here a few times, they look pretty decent? I might draft some dimensions and get a quote. Getting planning permission here shouldn't be a problem.
aeropilot said:
Acuity30 said:
Basically I have to have a garage for my next house. Not for my car, but for my motorbike and my huge collection of tools and car cleaning stuff etc.
Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
I think you'll find that any house that has enough free space next to it without a garage, is likely to be just as expensive as one with one already, as that would have prime extension possibilities.Houses with garages are at a much higher price than same size houses without a garage. So I'm considering whether to buy a house without one and just buy a prefab garage and place it at the side of the house.
Finding a house that has space for a garage that currently doesn't have one, but has the access from a road to have one might be harder than you think - depending on area where you are looking.
I nearly did this, glad I didn’t. I have a large prefab garage that was in situ when I bought. Ran electric to it. It’s ok, as others have said it’s hard to shelve it out, I partially clad my inside walls with ply which allowed me to install the old kitchen I removed from the house in the garage as storage. But drilling into it is hard work, apparently the concrete is vibrated as it is poured hence the mass and robustness.
Hold out for a garage if feasible.
dobly said:
What about a SIP garage kit? - structural insulated panels that you put together on a base. I’m optimistic that any SIP company local to you will only be too happy to make one for you.
For my plans (mentioned above) I thought they worked out more expensive than other solutions like a steel structure, but looks like it might be a viable alternative to a hand-made timber garage, after taking time and lack of framing skill into account! I'll do some research over the weekend although I can't immediately find a local SIP fabricator (Surrey/Hants border)... oh yes the other advantage of a kit is that presumably there will be drawings suitable for submitting for planning permission.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff