Project Car Garage idea

[Siriustock]

So I have a 30x40 pole barn with a 2 post lift and I’m always having friends ask if they can use the lift to work on there project car. Well then it turns into the car being there for weeks or in one case my buddy has had his car in my barn for 10yrs..
So I was thinking I live in a rural area and have property next to me for sale I was thinking about buying it and building a good size medal building putting a lift in it. Build some stalls and rent out project car space. Someplace a guy could keep his project car and work on it when he wants. The person supplies his own tools and have use of the lift . Or get a couple sets of max Jax and they could rent them and use in there stall. Of course I’d have to have papers drawn up for liability if someone gets hurt.

What do you think?

What to you think I could charge for that kind of facility?

This is just a idea so be gentle tearing me apart..lol

 

[Dogmeat]

Sounds like a real pain in the *** waiting to happen.....Worse than being a landlord, not to mention the fact that you'd hafta be in the right zoning area, or try to get approved for conducting such an endeavor......PLUS I see a fight with yer insurance company to even approve coverage in such a proposal!!!

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Zoning and insurance problems are the big hurdle PLUS collecting rent money... I say this is a bad idea.

TIP! Get some new "friends" that have their own lift.

 

[zkdiesel]

As soon as you say $$$$ money all your buddies will disappear. Try it in your own building to get it cLeaned out of others junk!

 

[slow]

As soon as you say $$$$ money all your buddies will disappear. Try it in your own building to get it cLeaned out of others junk!

This!

I have "borrowed" a friends lift once, drove in at 5:05 pm and drove out at midnight.

I greatly appreciated the use of the facility and his tools, but I could not imagine keeping a vehicle somewhere for that long without come compensation. I pay a friend his asking price to keep one of my vehicles in his spare garage. It's less than a storage unit, keeps it inside and inside air-conditioning. Insurance would be the other killer of this idea, but I wish it was easier to do correct, as I would be happy to pay for use of that kind of facility.

 

[XJSuperman]

I have friends that rent a shared shop space. The original group was 4 guys, but that group is constantly changing as guys run out of money or can no longer play by the rules for tool use or shop care. Its really a nightmare, and the building never improves, so its not even a nice workspace for what they deal with.

Just like a landlord with apartments or a commercial building with tenets, keeping it occupied will be a full time job for you. Don't waste your effort. Just grow some balls and tell them to get out so you can work on your own ****. I see it here all the time and friendships work better when one isn't pissed another has had a project in the shop for months.

 

[Jinks]

So I have a 30x40 pole barn with a 2 post lift and I’m always having friends ask if they can use the lift to work on there project car. Well then it turns into the car being there for weeks or in one case my buddy has had his car in my barn for 10yrs..

Those aren't friends, they're people YOU ARE A FRIEND TO! You're just someone they use. I had a bunch of people like that for several years, then I quit doing the thing that made them my "friends". Most disappeared on their own, but some kept checking to see if I was going to start again. I sat around one day & thought about it. My REAL friends were the ones that returned favors, wanted me to visit them, not just the other way around. They were the ones that had kind words occasionally, not just criticism. I weeded out the ones that weren't really friends to me, & I don't really miss them. I have fewer people now, but the same number of FRIENDS. Life is better & I'm happier than when I found myself doing things for people that didn't appreciate it.

Ask the guy with the 10 year car if he wants to come get it, or where he wants you to have it towed to. Tell anyone else that wants to use your shop/lift to give you a time of completion. If it's not done on time be reasonable, but give them the same options.

The "rent a space" shop isn't a good idea, customers seldom make good friends & friends almost never make good customers.

 

[Dodge]

Buy something, anything, and put it on your lift and leave it there. Tell the guys "sorry, using the lift"!

 

[mepstein]

They are at your place because it's free.
Ask for deposits, first month and last months rent to hold their spots and see how many come through.

Plus renters are always tough on equipment and the space.

 

[PWC Repair]

I think in the right circumstances it could work. Many times through the years I've needed to use a shop and had nowhere to turn. I would have gladly paid a fee to get some space. What if there were 4 bays. 1 plain jane with nothing more than lighting, a floor drain, a workbench and 2 cameras. Another with lighting, a small pit, workbench, and cameras. Then 2 loaded bays with lifts, drains, air, bathroom with muck sink, workbenches, maybe even tools, and cameras. Set up the man doors with an access code entry only....you don't pay, you can't get in. Somebody needs in to work on their rig at 1AM.....no problem....Paypal app that gives them a code to an empty bay. So, that gives you video and card info to anybody in a bay. Of course a waiver stating 'By entering this building you have agreed to the terms and conditions'. They are charged by the hour if they pay like that or day or even week with their first payment.....entry code remains valid for that specified timeframe.

 

[Siriustock]

Like I said just an idea. I might still buy the property and sit on it. As for my buddy with the 10yr car it’s as much my fault as his. He always helps out when I need him to and we just never get to his car. I did tell him I need it out this spring because I’m turning half the barn into a wood shop and my son will be working on his cars on the other side.

 

[infinkc]

this place in my area does this. https://diyordietech.com/

 

[tstaude]

Three friends of mine rented a 10,000 SF shop, they started much smaller but this is where they landed. I think it was $2k a month rent. they offset it by renting out space to nice cars and equipment for seasonal storage.
It seemed to work out ok as all 3 guys were pretty picky and clean....I think that was the key.

A guy I work with is a member of an auto club, they have an awesome facility and dues are something like $300 a year. All of the fees are really reasonable too.
You could go non-profit from a tax standpoint, I don't know much about how that all works but it is really reasonable for their setup.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Buy something, anything, and put it on your lift and leave it there. Tell the guys "sorry, using the lift"!

^Poor advice!
Just say NO!...... "IF" your "friends" give you any grief tell them to F OFF!

TIP! Want even more friends?...... Buy a pick up with a snow plow!

 

[slow]

Three friends of mine rented a 10,000 SF shop, they started much smaller but this is where they landed. I think it was $2k a month rent. they offset it by renting out space to nice cars and equipment for seasonal storage.
It seemed to work out ok as all 3 guys were pretty picky and clean....I think that was the key.

A guy I work with is a member of an auto club, they have an awesome facility and dues are something like $300 a year. All of the fees are really reasonable too.
You could go non-profit from a tax standpoint, I don't know much about how that all works but it is really reasonable for their setup.

That's a fantastic price for rent. Around here it is about $8.50/ sqft per year for a place around here. So a 10K would be like $7K a month plus utilities.

 

[tstaude]

That's a fantastic price for rent. Around here it is about $8.50/ sqft per year for a place around here. So a 10K would be like $7K a month plus utilities.

the shop was fricken huge too, great price for what it was and the building was maybe 10 years old.
This was in a pretty rural area just outside a town of 25k.

They even had a portable chassis dyno for a while.

 

[alcorelli]

The rule in my shop is, I do not work on anyone else's motorcycles. No motorcycles can be stored. If you have an emergency, or you want to work on your bike, you can do it in the driveway. Whatever you take off your bike leaves with you, especially tires. Even oil and other fluids. I know some people who would gladly leave a bike on one of my lifts for years because they ran out of money or they expected me to front the money for parts and labor. So the answer is just no, actually it is f*** no. I have enough of my own stuff to work on and I don't need to work on anybody else's or provide space for them to work.
The same goes for cars as well as bikes.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Jimbo*]

If you do this, you should change your name to "Will Darnell"

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Yeah, horrible idea- from a business prospective.
The insurance you would have to carry would be so f’ing expensive that you’d have to charge at a level most DIY’ers couldn’t afford.

And, isn’t that the reason they’re doing these projects themselves to begin with???

 

[Glemon]

I have thought about doing this if I had spare money and space more as a social thing than a business, place guys could go to fix cars, talk, relax, etc. on a Saturday afternoon or whenever. But unless I win the lottery won't happen.

 

[CraigStu]

This type of idea works until someone gets hurt or a vehicle gets damaged. I have heard of places that do similar but it's a full time job for the owner manager because he is always in the shop watching out and providing assistance. The first thing I would do is check on insurance cost. I can't imagine how it would work out having all kinds of people w/ widely ranging skill levels working by themselves in my property. After checking on insurance, check on setting up some kind of corporation to own and operate the garage so a suit doesn't wipe you out personally.

 

[andyvh1959]

At least get a contract form they have to sign to indemnify yourself and your property. Then include a rate per hour/month they have to pay to cover your insurance costs. That is IF you really want to do this. When they have to sign a form and pay the "friends" will weed themselves out pretty quick.

Even just a seasonal storage business, to only store motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, jet skis, would probably be more of a pain in the *** than the dollars gained.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

HUGE liability issues. There are a few places around here that cater to high end cars. All they offer is "protected" storage. They are heavily insured, have high end security and fire protection systems. None of them allow working on the cars at the facility.

Tommy

 

[Wocka]

If you do this, you should change your name to "Will Darnell"

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Metal-Marc]

TIP! Want even more friends?...... Buy a pick up with a snow plow! :

Great tip!

 

[XS29L9B]

Sounds like a real pain in the *** waiting to happen.....Worse than being a landlord, not to mention the fact that you'd hafta be in the right zoning area, or try to get approved for conducting such an endeavor......PLUS I see a fight with yer insurance company to even approve coverage in such a proposal!!!

Yes, and profitability. All factors.


There used to be a DIY Garage near me. You could rent tools and lifts by the hour. They went out of business. High rent, plus insurance costs, all factors.

Friends do not want to pay for this stuff. C'mon, man. Lemme borrow....

 

[67-ls1]

There are a few of these around me. They’re $600-800/ month for one vehicle. You pay more for things like clogging up a lift for more then a day.
The key would be - no friends. Everyone would need to treated like a client. Vetted prior to being accepted, kept on a short lease, HUGE security deposit, etc.
In my situation, I bought a 1500 sf warehouse that I converted to shop/man cave. I rent, like a business, to a guy I’ve known for almost 30 years. And I take no **** from him. It’s my shop. He’s the tenant.
5 years and so far it’s been great.

 

[Los_Control]

Already said .... years ago use to have commercial business that did exact same thing.
Think they had 4-6 bays, pull in and rent by the hour. I was a poor broke kid, I remember 1 time using it to pull the studs out of my winter tires. Was pretty reasonable price.. Place was always busy, sometimes had to wait in line to get in ....A guy could make a zillion dollars from such a business.
Insurance companies shut them down.

Would be cheaper for you to buy a project car. Just keep it on your lift.
Then when someone ask ... sorry dude... got my car on it, already in use. Then drive your project out of the way when you need it.

 

[ArtisanFarms]

It sounds like what you would like to do is very similar to a MakerSpace or a DIY garage (which is how the Car Guys from the old NPR radio show got started). This can be viable in the right location and if you have the ability to manage a shared space. The Makerspace near me doesn't have space to work on cars, but does offer wood working, metal working, 3D printing, electronics and other work spaces. You pay a monthly membership fee for access and if you want space to store personal tools or supplies, you can rent space for your supplies and equipment. They also offer classes and require certification on individual pieces of equipment before you can use the equipment.

Information on Makerspaces: https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/

Information on DIY Garages: https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...e-auto-shops-cater-to-diy-mechanics/21891903/

 

[rburke65]

Absolutely not.... insurance, liability....let them buy their own lift.

 

[lml999]

It sounds like what you would like to do is very similar to a MakerSpace or a DIY garage (which is how the Car Guys from the old NPR radio show got started).

I think the Good News Garage had a pretty steady clientele, rather than project DIY guys. My Volvo indie rented a couple of bays from them for years...and always got in trouble when he rolled a car into a third bay. I remember him being anxious about having a car in a bay that wasn't "his." Then he outgrew the situation and got his own place.

 

[rmmiller]

I have thought about this too but mine was not going to be a one trick pony. I think the best way to pull it off would be to have a way to pay the bills first and do the fun stuff later.

It wasn't a lift that got me thinking about this but a paint booth. I know a lot of people that have expressed interest in having a booth to rent to paint a car. My vision was to find a chunk of land and start with storage units. once it was off the ground and supporting itself make the move towards the garage condo/garage town buildings. We had one built in town a while back and it sold out fairly quick.

Once those were rolling we move onto the services facilities. Oil change pit, lift, sand blast facility, paint booth, powder coat and a couple lifts. It all sounds great to this point and then a guy starts considering the liabilities and the assholes that would leave a mess for you to clean up.

All that aside, the main roadblock for me is the cost of land around here. A one acre, residential lot in the county is nearly 200K these days so one can imagine a nice size commercial lot would kill the budget fast!

 

[Roschili]

There is a shop here in Knoxville that rents bays and tools. They have staff around to help, and they run classes sometimes. Pretty cool operation, but its a full time job.

I don't have enough posts yet to share a link yet, but google DIY Garage Knox and it should come right up.

 

[orangeblood]

There is a shop here in Knoxville that rents bays and tools. They have staff around to help, and they run classes sometimes. Pretty cool operation, but its a full time job.

I don't have enough posts yet to share a link yet, but google DIY Garage Knox and it should come right up.

Bay with tools - $25/hour
Lift bay - $35/hour


https://www.diygarageknox.com/