Hi people..

Currently looking into buying a house, not entirely fussed on one having a garage, as long as there is suitable space to build/place one.

Just wondering peoples opinions on the best options?

Personally I reckon a custom build would be better and more sturdy than a bolt together jobby, better walls to put shelves and stuff up, but likely more costly.

I think structure wise would probably be breezeblock & rendered instead of fully brick built, with an apex roof for storage...size would depend on the space I have to play with, hopefully at least standard double width, then maybe 1.5 cars in depth, so you could comfortably work on one car in there, with some storage space etc, and a door for pedestrian access then the main door.

Also main door wise, whats best?

'Barn' doors?

Conventional 'up and over'

Roller shutter (some are just plasticy type these days, then obviously a metal one)

But yeah, just wondering peoples opinons, general costs etc... I know a colleague just built a nice fully brick double, electric roller door...water & electric and was about £10k, which is a bit much to me, well more than I'd want to spend for the use it would have anyway!

Discuss :)

Got a colleague who is still building a garage 2 years on. Make sure you check all the regulations for position and size of garage in your proposed plot.

He's going for barn doors as up and over door stops access to some roof space.

Mum and dad got a second hand concrete sectional off ebay locally. Me and my brother took it down, several van and trailer runs to get it home, then paid a brickie and his mate for 2-3 days to lay the slab and chuck it up.

Things we learnt in hindsight, mark the panels up before you take it down.

Hire a 7.5 tonne to move it.

FWIW........ Barn doors. One door can be open a wee bit for ventilation if required, and you can still see approaching pikeys...

You can get in and out in a hurry...

Factor in plenty of lighting inside & out (roof lights too? + security and land mines..........

power sockets everywhere and maybe compressor and airline plumbed in (keep the compressor outside in a shed thing to keep the noise down)

Enough height for a 2 or four poster ramp.......

- not that I've put much thought into it :)

To me barn door or roller, not up and over. I'd agree Nic brick ones are too expensive, block and render look mint anyway! Just make sure the block are of a decent grade not the breeze block that crumble in you're hand!

He's actually done wooden bi-fold style barn-doors. Looks like best compromise for space inside and in front of the garage.

Make sure you check building regulations! I believe once you get over a certain floor area the regulations kick in.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/

Edited 12 May, 201511 yr by jacksmartie

Yeah I'll have to look into it properly at the time, I was hoping to build around a standard double width, and slightly longer than standard, so you can work on a car in there and still have some storage/workbench etc

I currently have an application for a garage at the moment. I've actually decided to go for a wooden structure so I can do it (with a chippy friend of mine) myself. I've laid 3 concrete plinths the length of the garage (18') and will have a suspended floor. I'll be going with 'Barn Doors', but more for aesthetics than anything else although they do have the added benefit of not interfering with roof space although you need to account for the space in front of them. I have a ditch at the back of my garden and may go with a rather 'unique' solution to get over that one (I'm building my garage at the end of my garden, with access through it to a drive in the garden itself. I'm not sure about breeze-block garages, but pre-fabs tend to get very damp. something a wooden garage will not do. Hence one of the reasons I'm going wood. Also, wood is cheaper. My friends just had a concrete pad laid for a single garage and it cost them 5K!

Planning is important, and they are pedants. If it is refused, challenge it. My parents had theirs refused because there was a listed window overlooking their drive where dad wanted the new garage. Originally there were concrete pre-fabs and he was erecting a wooden garage that looked a million times better. As soon as they were challenged the council reconsidered. Seems the officer was just causing problems.

good luck with the house hunt too.

Regarding planning, I don't need planning for a 5.7m x 4.2m wooden garage, but I do need to comply to building regulations as it will be made of mainly combustible materials within 1m of a boundary.

This is a very useful page if you haven't seen it already

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings

yeah planning permission and building regs - a temporary structure - most wooden and concrete prefab ones dont need the paperwork and expensive stuff done.

I was looking into getting my prefab concrete one rebuilt in brick. - 15k a bulider wanrted as he was going to have to dig foundations 1.8m deep as a perm structure and that near the drains which are 1.5 deep.

I'm looking at additional concrete bits now and a better roof.