Do our garages really belong to us ?

[prowler777]

She has a parking spot and that's it. The car is subject to being kicked out depending on how much space I need, but it's usually only for a few days at most. We have a 10x16 storage building for household stuff. She can decorate the house however she wants, I claim the garage and the smallest bedroom which is our computer room.

This is just about exactly the deal I have with my wife.

 

[mygarageone]

I do allow my wife to put her car in the shop durning the winter , if I. Didn't I would be brushing all the snow. Off every morning.
I made a promises to her that when I moved her here I would start her car in the morning winter months. So it saves me a lot of head ache.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

The garage is mine, the basement is mine. The rest of the house is hers. If she sets something down on the workbench in the garage, I put it on top of the washer in the utility room, which you have to walk through to get to the garage. What ever she put on the bench magically finds someplace else to go.

 

[K13]

My wife has never parked her car in the garage. (I don't either)I had it full of cars before I even met her so it has been like that from the beginning. I did get her a car starter for her car so she could at leas have it warmed up when she goes out and it is -40 out.

 

[Jagmandave]

Why do we all need so much "stuff"?

I've been working hard the last few years to lighten our load, we have things that have been stored in the basement and not seen or used in 20 years....why? What possible value does that give it?

My wife is an accumulator, but even she is getting tired of stepping over or around all the stuff and has started making noises about how to get rid of some of it. I encourage her anytime she does that.

Latest point - we have a number of movies on VHS tape that haven't been seen in decades, I talked her into converting them to DVDs and selling the originals. Same stuff, less space taken up. Win/win!

We all have too much stuff.

IMHO, of course......

 

[1SlowFormula]

I guess I am pretty lucky, my wife would be the first to admit and sound off that the house is hers and the garage is mine. Even to the point of buying me those signs that say "John's Garage" and those types of things for me. She is even on board with all teh planned work on the garage and it was her idea to put a shower out there, but that was probably so I stopped dragging dirty and grease in with me, lol. Also, she hasn't yet asked me to put anything in there, although the garage does come second fiddle to working on the house and honey do's...

 

[The FIB]

I never get the Longaberger stuff.
So many seem to have it (most of it tucked away) and I see it at auctions everywhere in brand new condition.

Easier than tools to find around here.

Greg

OK, I give up, whats a Longaberger?

 

[Jagmandave]

Here's a clue, this is their building....

 

[The FIB]

baskets?

 

[Kevin54]

I never get the Longaberger stuff.
So many seem to have it (most of it tucked away) and I see it at auctions everywhere in brand new condition.

Easier than tools to find around here.

Greg

Why do we all need so much "stuff"?

I've been working hard the last few years to lighten our load, we have things that have been stored in the basement and not seen or used in 20 years....why? What possible value does that give it?

My wife is an accumulator, but even she is getting tired of stepping over or around all the stuff and has started making noises about how to get rid of some of it. I encourage her anytime she does that.

Latest point - we have a number of movies on VHS tape that haven't been seen in decades, I talked her into converting them to DVDs and selling the originals. Same stuff, less space taken up. Win/win!

We all have too much stuff.

IMHO, of course......

I don't know if your wife is like mine, but my wife attaches sentimental value to everything. About a year before we got together, she had a fire and lost everything she owned. I think a lot of her having quite a bit of things goes back to that. With the Longaberger, she was a consultant in the business, so she got everything at a really low price. Before the bottom dropped out of the Longaberger collecting, she quit as being a consultant, but we still have a buttload of baskets. She wants to hang onto them hoping the price will come back up. I do have to agree though that some are worth quite a bit, but what they are worth, most don't want to pay. A few years back, her collection was insured for $40,000. Today, it may be worth half of that due to the economy.

I've went as far, and I was almost there with convincing her to let the local auctioneer take them, and get whatever she could out of them, and just write it off as a bad move holding them, hoping the prices go way up. For every basket she has collected, she also bought all the liners, and also bought the plastic inserts that go with them. I seriously try to stay away from the Longaberger stuff though. The wife never took any money from the mutual checking account, but the money she made working overtime, plus the money she made selling the baskets to other's paid for her basket habit.

OK, I give up, whats a Longaberger?

See the above explanation

 

[lat905]

My wife and I have an agreement. The garage is mine. She can walk through it and she unloads merchandise for her business there, but it immediately goes into the basement or I WILL put it on the curb. She has a decent sized internet business via eBay and Amazon. Half of the 1900 square foot basement is hers for the business, and all of the house is her domain. Half of the basement is my gym, and I have the garage.

I refuse to let her store anything because she is basically a slob. She stacks stuff on any horizontal surface and just drops things wherever she is done with them. I'm the opposite---everything has a place and must be in it, or I start getting hives.

 

[The FIB]

See the above explanation [/QUOTE]

Yes, the baskets, my wife is a regular basket aficionado, although I don't think she has any high end baskets. Her baskets are more like the Wally World type baskets.
I'll never understand the whole basket thing.

 

[taumac]

I only have a 20 x 23 and she has her corner with w/d there and that's it. She does have a say since she does need a path to w/d and to driveway.

Have a good one, Gerard

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

 

[HSpencer]

My garage and shop are my Kingdom, my Official Personal Headquarters (OPH), and from wince I publish and review my rules and regulations for my general satisfaction with life on this Earth. Any authority I grant myself within the walls of my garage extend only as far as once I step out of the doors of said garage. I then return to reality as set for me by the conditions of life as I know and have known it.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[taumac]

My garage and shop are my Kingdom, my Official Personal Headquarters (OPH), and from wince I publish and review my rules and regulations for my general satisfaction with life on this Earth. Any authority I grant myself within the walls of my garage extend only as far as once I step out of the doors of said garage. I then return to reality as set for me by the conditions of life as I know and have known it.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

LMFAO, Well said Herb.

Have a good one, Gerard

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

 

[Jagmandave]

My wife lost both her parents (as did I) and she still has a lot of their old **** in the basement which she can't seem to let go of, BUT I feel like I'm making progress as especially lately she's been making noises about selling or getting rid of parts of it.

I keep nudging her along, but I don't push it too hard.

She's been getting better about keeping "her" stuff in her area, but like another poster I used to put it on her washing machine when she'd lay stuff on my workbenches. Finally I figured out (again, like another poster said) that it was smarter to build her some nice storage that she would use rather than fighting over territory. To that end I completely redid the laundry room and really made it into a nice area for her and her extra stuff.

However, I've ceded the kitchen to her and she's done the same with the garage to me....and we mostly abide by the treaty.

However, she is an acquirer....lately she's been on a kick buying old perfume, she's got enough now to smell great for the rest of her life! When she gets on a kick like this she buys one after another - sometimes I have to say (gently) "don't you think you have enough of those"?

I still don't know why we have to have so much stuff tho.....I would like to see us get rid of about half of what we currently have.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I built my garage / hot rod shop for the sole purpose of my pleasure.
However my wife doesn't see it that way and I have been pushed to allow her to store her stuff in there . Rather than having a big blow up I have backed off the it's my space thing.
I have told her time and time again , We men need some place that's just ours and ours alone !

Anyone else have this problem ?

No.

You let her push you. She knows you will give in to persistence. That is poor training.

 

[Bjm364]

I get the basement And the garage. She gets everything else. Her mother is also a baskaholic, its seriously like an addiction for her. She tries to push it onto my wife all of the time. I have explained to my wife that its like the beanie baby effect. 15 years ago people would practically blow their life savings on a rare beanie baby, now you cant give them away. Baskets are the same way, its rediculous.

 

[Joe69]

I'm not even going to dignify this question with an answer.


Joe

 

[turnpikecrusier]

In 2005 we bought 20 acres to build on, first put up a 50x60 metal building to store materials. We used it to make cabinets and such. Built a house with a 30x30 garage. Wifey says she needs 50x60 for her crafts and storage,doesn't want to clutter house garage. Since I have a warehouse downtown I don't need any space. BS! It took 3 years of saving I finally built me a 50x60 next to hers. We are now happy in are own shops.

 

[MFortie]

Funny, that subject came up this morning during coffee. I (we) are working on plans for a 40x60x16 shop. She asked what she could store in the shop -- I said 'nothing, you can have the detached two-car garage once I get my tools out.'

Of course, I could tell her she can have the top rack of the pallet racking I plan to put in and will need to buy a forklift to get to it! (I want the forklift...)

In all fairness though, we are planting a vineyard this year and might even try making some wine in a few years. Part of the shop will be for production if we ever get to that point. So she will have 'stuff' in the shop building...

 

[Architorture]

Wow people sure do have a lot of stuff...I have a mostly empty basement besides a couple dozen bankers boxes and all of the worldly possessions of friends who are on an around the world trip.

I'm not even sure what "stuff" my wife would need to store...

 

[sunsation288]

Our agreement was , when the night are too cold outside , she will keep her ford flex inside ...damn this winther **** lolll

 

[sctattooer]

The garage belongs to me, although her mustang sleeps in there. It gets the temporary eviction if I need the space. When we first met, I had a Shovelhead motor disassembled on the kitchen counter and the rolling chassis in the living room, so she understands the need for a man to have his space.

 

[HotwheelsYJ]

Our 24x30 attached garage houses our daily drivers, kids bikes, kayaks & one wall has cabinets with all her extra kitchen stuff.

The house is all hers to decorate how she wants. I keep just enough room in the basement for my 71 Chevy truck. The rest is holiday storage & family hand me down type stuff.

My 20x32 detached shop & the 42x56 barn is all mine! Plus I've got stuff scattered thru a few outbuildings spread over 70 acres

 

[SF AV Guy]

I have 100% control over the Theater & The Garage....not a single item in either of those spaces and she can do whatever she likes with the rest of the house....works well for us.

 

[themiller]

parking only and VERY short term yard tool storage. She has her own shed, and NOTHING from the house goes in there - that's what a basement storage area is for. Too much for storage? We must not need it.

 

[Ohio Auto]

There is not ONE thing in my shop out back that belongs to anyone but me.

 

[volleyball]

Wow, maybe it is just this thread but my situation is completely different. We share all the space. I will not be pushed out to the garage or basement. I like her a lot and like to spend time with her. work, family and other things keep us apart.
We decide what is in each space. Luckily we agree on most things, except art, we have never found something we both like, and there is give and take. She doesn't like the big shelves in the living room, I say fine, let me toss your stuff on them and I'll remove them.
I don't like the reading room modification of the guest room but she needed a quiet place to read and study for her classes, so I built it for her. The only space really owned by one of us.
Pick an age,any age, say 50, and you really need to consider downsizing. Sell the collectables if you don't have a kid that wants them. If you have stuff you are enjoying regularly, keep a current value file so the kids don't give it away.

 

[Mach5]

We had this issue several years ago. The garage was getting ever fuller with **** that she never organised went through or looked at. I finally got fed up and stayed home one day and threw out a literal ton of junk and took a bunch of stuff to goodwill. By the end of the day I had usable space and could park two cars again. I also had a PISSED wife. We had a bit of a blow out and then I apologised for getting rid of her stuff without asking but made a point of the fact that the garage was a work space for me and not a collection area for her. I also tried to create space for her in the house and have pretty much dedicated the shed to her. She never goes out there.

10 years on and the excess **** issue is still a problem but the garage is still mine. Now I need another space to store MY stuff for ongoing projects.

Good luck. This is one of those areas where I'd say hold your ground but be smart about it and give her another option if you can.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[SwampCat]

Brother, mother, significant other. Yes they all KNOW who runs and owns the garage, ME. End of story.

 

[classicharleyj]

I bought my wife some hand tools.. drill , hammers, screwdrivers.... etc and put them in her craft (****) room and said.. "don't get anything else out of my toolboxes"..
I also told her that if she gets the saw horses or table out to paint, put them back... I don't go into her space and use her stuff and I expect the same respect. It works..
My dad (God rest his soul) always told me... "You can use my tools all the time... one rule.. you use it , you put it back where you found it"... it worked.. or he MADE it work.
Jim

 

[MonoxieChild]

I guess im lucky. My wife would never dream of such a thing. I dont even allow house stuff like paint, and house specific tools out there. She has our walk up attic for her storage anyways. The only thing she keeps in the garage is her main car. I even keep all the kids toys, and anything yard related in my 2nd 2 car garage away from my main shop garage

 

[larry_g]

We have the shop building which is mine except for the upstairs room which we share for a library/craft room. We have a barn the same size which is hers. She also has a 200' chicken shed which also garages the mule. She has an office in the house and I have a computer desk and files in the family room. We get along just fine.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[aka Larry]

Yeah... My wife has the entire house & two car attached garage. I even park my car outside. BUT the 30'x60' in the back yard is all mine.

Ditto. My 40x40 SHOP is all mine, and not one thing of hers is in there.

 

[R6 Racer]

When we first got married I had 2 bedrooms in our rental house that were filled with my MC stuff. One for the bikes & tools, this was my shop. The other was for all my gear. Pop up tents, coolers, lawn chairs, bins of spare parts, all my riding clothing, boots, boxes of gloves & so forth.
When we built a house with a garage she demanded that all my stuff was to be kept in the garage. It has been fairly simple ever since.
One time years ago I found a dozen boxes of Christmas decorations in the garage. I stored them on shelves in the garage & filled her second closet with my racing gear. That lasted about 2 days & the decorations disappeared from the garage. In our current home we have a dedicated storage room in the basement hat has really made things great. We both use it, we both go threw it kind of regularly & purge what is not necessary.

To the OP, you could start using the kitchen table for small projects. That might let her see that you need a space of your own. If not slowly increase the size of your "projects" until she realizes the need for you to have your own space.


Good luck
Steve

I'll also throw in that a buddy of mine had a bunch of Christmas decorations that were in his garage ruined from grinding dust & sparks. His wife found a better spot for them in the house.

 

[whatnow]

i let my shed get to such a state (plus didn't kill a spider or dust a cobweb in there for 9 years), that my wife lined up a garden shed for the house stuff. "you need a space that is just yours... and I really hate going in there to get stuff".

now I'm culling and re-organizing it into a functional enjoyable space. I won't be putting up pictures any time soon for fear of causing heart attacks amongst the members here, but it is progressing.

 

[BikerDad]

Didn't say she had much just said she wants some of it. Get some balls Huh ?

It's not about showing who has the biggest Kahunas , it's about having peace in the relationship. I have most of the garage but not all of it. By the way , I have heard that from those big bad Twruck drivers about how they are the boss of this or that and they tell them what to do , those very bad Twruck Drivers are squeamish as a Little girl when they have to go over our Mighty Mac Bridge.
They are very intimidated by this things but they say they have Balls . That is until they have to go over that bridge ?
If you"ve never seen it , do a search for Michigan Mackinaw Bridge .
You'll see what I mean.

I've been across your bridge, and it is scary. Of course, I was on a motorcycle, and it was raining, the wind was blowing, and for some insane reason y'all have a steel deck on that thing, probably spec'd by some jumped up plumber Professional Engineer with more licenses than sense. As far as truck drivers being squeamish about it, until you have the "pleasure" of being in a big truck when it decides to lay down and take a nap, you can take your "Twruck" and park it where the sun don't shine.

Status:
Wind ******

Saturday May 10th 3:24 AM

Currently we are experiencing winds of sufficient force in the Straits area to require an ****** of certain "high profile" vehicles across the Mackinac Bridge.

Examples of high profile vehicles include pickup trucks with campers; cars with small boats, bicycles or luggage attached to the roof; Ryder or U-Haul trucks; any vehicle pulling a boat; semi-tractors with enclosed trailers and all trailers with side walls over two feet in height. High profile vehicles must be escorted.​

- Mackinac Bridge Authority

 

[bobemmerich]

My wife will go in only if I insist, doesn't like anything of hers in there and generally considers the garage a horrible and disgusting place that should be left alone.

I have done nothing to change her mind on this matter.

About tghe same here. I sent her in there once to get me a couple tools, and she was amazed that:
1) It was more organized than anyplace I have stuff in the house (basement, attic, porch area)
2) I was actually able to tell her Exactly (drawer and location in the drawer) where the tools were I needed
Uh-Oh, I may be in trouble...
She pretty much stays out unless I need her to get me something, or she needs a rake or something.

 

[Makoto]

When we got this house the agreement was this:

she gets the 2600+ square foot house and attic and shed out back. I don't ask questions or critique what she does with it unless asked.

I get the 2.5 car garage entirely to do with what I wish. I think she's got the good end of the deal.