Dilemma: Garage downsizing

[sprbxr]

Most of what I have seen here relates to expanding one's garage. How many of you guys downsized your garage? That is the dilemma I am getting ready to deal with now.
We are ready to make a move back to the city. My current garage is 50x52. I will probably end up with a garage no larger than 24x30. I know that is still pretty large for a lot of guys. I have parted with all my cars except for my race car and the wife's 65 VW convertible. I have acquired tons of tools over the years and I am trying to decide what stays and what gets sold. It is amazing how much junk you acquire when you have a lot of space in which to store it.

I also realized that my garage has become a storage receptacle for other people's ****. About 1/3 of the stuff in my garage doesn't even belong to me.

Anyway, what advice do you guys have? We can't seem to find a place with a garage so I will probably end up building one. Not looking forward to moving my **** twice but I will just need to **** it up.

 

[Shocker]

Oh the horror!! I just can't think right now...

 

[Gary S]

That's too scary to think about. Just don't move.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Ruthless disposal of other people's **** woulf be a start. A garage with a loft or a house with a garage and a full basement would be another. Think carefully about what you work on and are likely to want to do in the future, or things that you get rid of now might start finding their way back into your life later, at greater cost.

A pod or a race trailer might help you with storage and protection in the short term.

One thing I have learned about moving over the years is that moving into a space where all your stuff is crammed and inaccessable is the kiss of death to your lifestyle. It is way better to have a little facility set up that you can use than it is to have all the stuff in the world, and have it impeding your ability to do anything.

Projects are for people with time, space and resources. Right now your project is to develop a space that will support your future activities. But consider that it is way better to be able to set up in a turn key shop, even if that means less cars and stuff. Way better.

Find the best house you can, and hold out for what you need. Only you can do this, and the universe has a way of delivering to those who do.

 

[december45]

just say NO

 

[bimmer1980]

oh yeah, it ***** to downsize.... when I got married a year ago, I moved from my apartment with a garage to my wife's house, which had about half of a one car garage. I did find space to put everything, but just barely. I set up a small working space in the enclosed porch area. The wood workbenchs were broke down and put in the basement. Some of the bigger studd was put in the portion of the garage. and some of it was put in the garden shed. I kept the most usable stuff for the porch area--it's only about 8' wide and 12' long, and has 3 man doors and a walk thru--which doesn't leave that much room for stuff.

Luckily, I'm in the process of building a new garage, but it has been a learning experience to work in a small space. You have to be very efficient with your tool storage and work habits. I'm still trying to get better at it. However, the good habit will help once I have more space....

best of luck!

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I'm running into this... the GF wants to get a ring on her finger, and that involves planning on where the heck I am going to live. Currently I rent a shop, and with my living arrangements, I pay about as much a month for my place, and my shop, as she does for her apartment. BUT she doesn't want to live at my place since it's got no garage to park her car in. So this weekend we went looking at homes... My God are they over priced in this town, with no outdoor room to work or build a shop. My only way out... is to build. I did however back in the early 2000s have the wisdom to buy a 2 acre lot... that is now paid for, and I have since hauled in all the necessary fill dirt, sand etc for concrete and landscaping. I know your pain, I cannot find a place that will fit just my tools.

 

[930dreamer]

It can't be done, run, run away. I hear you on collecting stuff, we have a Coronet and fairlane taking up room, haven't started them in over three years.

 

[lawfarm]

Been there, done that, bought the T-Shirt.

I grew up on a farm, with a nice, large, heated/insulated shop and a ton of outbuildings. When I went to law school, my parents moved out and I stayed on the farm. Got married in law school, and my wife and I bought our first house. There was an oversized 1 car garage for her and for all of the garden/bike stuff, and an oversized, detached 2 car garage that was heated/insulated for all of my stuff. It was a great setup!

Thereafter, we moved to a house with a 2.5 car garage. Now, space is nowhere to be found. It is possible to do it, but very, very difficult to find a home for all of your tools. I've arranged for tool storage and am reasonably pleased with the outcome, but I still don't have a place to work that I'm happy with. And to do any kind of work at all, I have to pull the cars out and park them on the driveway.

From my experience, I would suggest that tool storage is the easy side of the equation. If I were redoing my garage (which I will do someday), I would go back and find one spot for a workbench, and would dedicate that spot to workbench only...and then I would zealously defend that workbench space from storing ****.

 

[porphyre]

24x30 is workable... IF you're not into major metal fab or woodworking. If you need to make room for 2 cars + a router table, table saw, drill press, glue-up table, etc... there's just not enough room. Same goes for metal fab - welding tables, welders, material storage, grinders.

If you're just into car work/restoration, you can do it. Just think VERTICALLY. Hopefully you have a nice high ceiling (coming from a guy with a 7.5" ) and can fill it to the roof with shelving and cabinets. Be sure and get a good stepladder to keep everything accessible. Dan Dudley is right - storing stuff and not using it is the kiss of death.

Also, get a backyard shed for all the gardening supplies (mower, snowblower, etc).

 

[pacmktg]

I work in a std 2 car garage. It is tight but doable. I keep one car, my motorcycle (cruiser) along with a full complement of woodworking equipment. I have to pull the car abd bike out to use the woodworking equipment but with everything on wheels but the big cabinet tablesaw it works. I also have my rollaway with my tools. I would love to have twice the room but this works.

 

[djd99]

Oh the horror!! I just can't think right now...

I'm sweating just thinking about it, I have 2 30x40's and there would be no way I could go back to 24x30. Where would my stuff go????? oh the horror...........Nightmares would set in. BIG GARAGE SALE

 

[babzog]

Anyway, what advice do you guys have? We can't seem to find a place with a garage so I will probably end up building one. Not looking forward to moving my **** twice but I will just need to **** it up.

Convince the wife to stay put and live happy.

 

[banzaitoyota]

I just took two of my parts cars to the crusher, placed my dyno for sale. I realized I dont have the TIME to do all I want to do

 

[crewchief888]

a freind and i rented a 35x40 building, had plenty of room for his jeep, my s-10, tools and spare parts back in december we decided neither of us could afford to keep paying the rent. ( along with a couple other issues)
we moved out in january, one trailer with his jeep and a few parts back to his house, 4 pickup truck loads, 5x10 utility trailer loads, and another trailer with my s-10 all going into my 19x22 garage.
my rafters are full of storage totes/ parts/wheels, i condensed 3 sets of toolboxes back into 2 sets that i have room for. welder, plasma, compressor, bender,notcher, chop saw all found a place in the garage the basement got the overflow of parts, and 2 sets of toolboxes.
riding mower, welding table, extra tires /wheels are stacked up behind the garage.
i managed to get the s-10, her saturn vue and my harley into the garage, but when her car is out ive got a little room to work.
i added shelves every place i could, and lined them with large acrobins.
she has one corner by the door for her gardening stuff, and thats all.
all her x-mas decorations are stored in the basement, along with the halloween props, all in storage totes.
anything is possible, if you want to make it work, or have to make it work.

 

[sprbxr]

The things is, I love the garage but I am ready to move back to the city. I will figure out a way to make it work. First thing is to get rid of all of the stuff that doesn't belong to me.

 

[larry_g]

The things is, I love the garage but I am ready to move back to the city. I will figure out a way to make it work. First thing is to get rid of all of the stuff that doesn't belong to me.

If this was suggested to me the first thing I would have to do is get my head examined, what could possibly make you move to the city? On the other hand there are a lot of people around here that I would be glad to see move back to the city.

Anyway to answer your question;

Find a good friend that has no personal attachment to the "stuff" and have them get rid of it for you. We are in the process of moving from a place we lived for 30 years. There was stuff in the garage that the previous owner left us. My son who is frugal came in with a dumptster and started throwing stuff in it. Yes a few treasures went away but a bunch of stuff that had not seen the light of day in 15-20 years also went away. Get rid of the half full cans, any items that you have saved from remodeling the house, the old lumber shorts, all those things that have been in the shop for years waiting to get fixed. Have a day that all the children who have moved away come in and get there stored stuff. What they don't take of theirs is donated or junk.

Good luck

lg
no neat sig line

 

[irondoctor]

That is the same situation that brought me to the Garage Journal. I currently have and have had for the last 4 years a 55x80 shop and we are moving to a house with a 24x30 shop. I have been selling lots of stuff, hauled several truck loads to the scrap iron yard, taken friends cars back to them, and I have rented a building that is approx 30x40 that is now packed with stuff.
luckly my new house has a fair sized yard and the wife says "the first thing your doing is adding on to that shop", How I did that I dont know.
So I have been lurking here watching the shop build and addition threads.

The plus side is my old shop had no heating and the new one has central heat and air! But it is still a tuff thing to do.

 

[Gottspd]

Well, I sure have never had the size garage that some of you guys have, I dropped from a 25x25 to a 20x20 and it's been a fun challenge to figure out how to make it work for me. I'm not a mechanic (like someone else in this thread, I'm a lawyer) and I just do minor stuff in the garage, but I love to be out there.

Some of the things I've done to try to create efficiency with my small space is to mount lots of cabinets on the backwall and otherwise mount what I can to the side walls. Fortunately, I also have a decent sized storage shed that is holding the little tractor/riding mower that I will be selling next year, as well as a bunch of other stuff. A HF tool box is holding my handtools, which is a big step up for me!

Lots and lots of planning my friend, that's what you need. You'll realize you can make do with the smaller space! Good luck!

 

[OccupantRJ]

I went from a 28 X 50 to a 26 X 26, and have been expanding it by adding a 8 X 20 room onto the back, and a 10 X 26 room onto the left side. That works up to 1,136 sqft. I am now allowing only tools and equipment into the shop, and I built the storage barn pictured below for all the materials I always seem to keep. I will also be storing my forklift in this barn when I finally bring it home from my son's house. My farm tractor will sit outside as it has for the last 20 years. Not like it's beautiful, anyway. I'm into woodwork, metalwork, and restoration, so my shop will be kinda tight. No vehicles will be kept stored there.

 

[JSBriggs]

You will have to be very efficient with your space. Jack Olsen is a good study in making a smaller space very efficient.

-Jeff

 

[HemiRambler]

sheer terror!

 

[PhilR1957]

You will have to be very efficient with your space. Jack Olsen is a good study in making a smaller space very efficient.

-Jeff

I was thinking the same thing....

You just need two words... Jack Olsen...

He has an amazing set up, and great ideas for maximizing space. I used to dream off building a big shop until I saw his set up. I have an oversize two car garage and a basement. If I want to work in the garage, I just move one of the cars out. I built a shed about ten years ago for all the lawn, garden, and pool supplies. My basement is additional storage, and I have a small work bench in there. It can be done if you are creative.

 

[drmoonshine]

Most of what I have seen here relates to expanding one's garage. How many of you guys downsized your garage? That is the dilemma I am getting ready to deal with now.
We are ready to make a move back to the city. My current garage is 50x52. I will probably end up with a garage no larger than 24x30. I know that is still pretty large for a lot of guys. I have parted with all my cars except for my race car and the wife's 65 VW convertible. I have acquired tons of tools over the years and I am trying to decide what stays and what gets sold. It is amazing how much junk you acquire when you have a lot of space in which to store it.

I also realized that my garage has become a storage receptacle for other people's ****. About 1/3 of the stuff in my garage doesn't even belong to me.

Anyway, what advice do you guys have? We can't seem to find a place with a garage so I will probably end up building one. Not looking forward to moving my **** twice but I will just need to **** it up.

Good Luck it's gonna be hard to choose which tools to keep. Word of advice if the tool fits you hand like a glove keep it.

 

[cabriolet]

I went from a 30x40 to a 17x23 (oh the horror!!!) and it is in the city and I'm enjoying myself very much. It is quite a challenge to outfit a small space and I find I'm enjoying the challenge.
I also made it very clear to the new bride at the outset when she moved in, her stuff as well as lawn equipment etc. is not allowed in the "shop".

 

[jay50]

Most of what I have seen here relates to expanding one's garage. How many of you guys downsized your garage? That is the dilemma I am getting ready to deal with now.
We are ready to make a move back to the city. My current garage is 50x52. I will probably end up with a garage no larger than 24x30. I know that is still pretty large for a lot of guys. I have parted with all my cars except for my race car and the wife's 65 VW convertible. I have acquired tons of tools over the years and I am trying to decide what stays and what gets sold. It is amazing how much junk you acquire when you have a lot of space in which to store it.

I also realized that my garage has become a storage receptacle for other people's ****. About 1/3 of the stuff in my garage doesn't even belong to me.

Anyway, what advice do you guys have? We can't seem to find a place with a garage so I will probably end up building one. Not looking forward to moving my **** twice but I will just need to **** it up.

don't do it.
Better off just divorcing. You'll be much happier.
Find yourself a country gal.

 

[primered_69]

You know if you are moving into the city the shorter commute can mean more time in the garage...seems like a good trade off to me...

 

[Jack90210]

Well, I sure have never had the size garage that some of you guys have, I dropped from a 25x25 to a 20x20 and it's been a fun challenge to figure out how to make it work for me. I'm not a mechanic (like someone else in this thread, I'm a lawyer) and I just do minor stuff in the garage, but I love to be out there.

Some of the things I've done to try to create efficiency with my small space is to mount lots of cabinets on the backwall and otherwise mount what I can to the side walls. Fortunately, I also have a decent sized storage shed that is holding the little tractor/riding mower that I will be selling next year, as well as a bunch of other stuff. A HF tool box is holding my handtools, which is a big step up for me!

Lots and lots of planning my friend, that's what you need. You'll realize you can make do with the smaller space! Good luck!

I'm right there with you, not a "real" mechanic but I like to do my own work when I can -- and I enjoy being in my own space. Built my dream garage (24x24 with adjacent 9x18 workshop, epoxy floor, 220v, HVAC, premium R13 belt-drive doors with a 4' steel door to the workshop, covered outdoor work space with light/power/water, I could go on) in '08 and the wife decided that she didn't like living in that area. We're in a townhome for the time being, I have a 20x22 garage and it's really tight. Currently getting organized, building shelves, and thinking about a workbench on wheels. (Basically, if I need to pull a car in, I need to clear a section of the back wall so it'll fit.)

It's not fun. But it's doable. For years I worked outside, kept my tools in a shed, etc ... this is way better than that.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I went from using my SIL 2 car garage on the house she rented to the place we bought. My garage now is easily three times the size of that rented garage. I'm not sure what i would do if I had to downsize.