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OP, I am with you. A garage is for cars. A bit of storage on shelves, yes, but cars are the stars (of the garage show).
And I get your "shocked" - you are annoyed. So am I when I see my neighbors park their cars just outside their garage. Get a Tuff Shed for your ham radio shack, man!
Two more car-related pet peeves of mine (but more to do with drivers than cars): 1. People backing into parking spaces.
2. People driving with their disabled placards hanging.
Some folks have 4-wheelers, kyaks, their kids prom float, grandma moved in and is sentimental to her furniture or the largest collection of pokemon cards in the world.
That being said, most...just have piles of crap in their garage.
Kayaks shouldn't take up space. I personally took pride and made the garage into something I enjoyed year round.
Last edited by FreedomPenguin; 01-05-2019 at 05:12 PM..
My view is there is a place for everything. Kitchen things should be in the kitchen; no pots & pans should be in a bedroom. Dining room items should be in the dining room or butler's pantry; no serving platters or chafing dishes in a guest bedroom.
And automobiles, tools & supplies should be in the garage. If the garage is also a shop, then shop tools & supplies should be in the garage.
The garage is not a general storage area.
And the floor is NOT a shelf. The only thing that should be on the floor are the 4 tires of a car (or 8 tires of two cars, etc); everything else should be inside a cabinet or on shelving.
Whenever Mrs. RationalExpectations wants to put something that doesn't fit the automotive/shop category into the garage, I bring it out of the garage and into the living room. "That doesn't belong in the Living Room," she says; I respond "Neither does it belong in the Garage."
When she wants to hold onto the Cuisinart box and wants it to be in the Garage, I bring it back into the house. The garage has a purpose, and its purpose is not to store Cuisinart boxes - or wrapping paper, or Christmas lights/ornaments or "other." I don't store my tools in the master bedroom for obvious reasons. I won't store suitcases in the garage for the same obvious reason.
Ever consider changing your username to "HighExpectations"?
A garage was near the top of my "wish list" when looking for my present home. My previous house did not have a garage, or even a carport.
I have an oversized 2 car detached garage with a high ceiling, and other than my SUV and my trash can, there is little else in it. I have plenty of storage inside my house for everything else. Yes, there are lots of shelves and cabinets all around in my garage (not to mention some extra storage rooms), but I have no need to store anything on the shelves or in the cabinets or in the storage rooms.
I always park in my garage, and I love parking in a big empty garage like that. It's easier and more pleasant to park when one has lots of room. There is plenty of room to fully open all car doors and/or tailgate inside my garage, if I want to retrieve packages or whatever. My car is protected from the elements, safe inside my garage. It doesn't snow here (often!) but I still think my car looks better for some reason due to parking it in the garage where it is protected from rain, bird poop, and everything else that dirties up a car parked outside, not to mention theft.
I know some people like to use their garage for a storage facility, but I don't need to use it for that and I am so glad.
I don't store my tools in the master bedroom for obvious reasons. I won't store suitcases in the garage for the same obvious reason.
I completely agree!! Although I must embarrassedly admit that my tool chest is kept on the floor of my linen closet, which is in the hallway just outside the master bedroom.
That's probably not the best place for tools, but NO WAY am I going to store them way out in my detached garage. I like having my tools close by.
I know some people like to use their garage for a storage facility, but I don't need to use it for that and I am so glad.
I give you credit for acknowledging that some people don't have a lot of other options, which is a point that seems to escape so many in this thread.
Keeping your garage empty except for a car is one thing if you are two people in 3500 square feet including a finished attic and/or basement, dining room/den/guest rooms/mudroom etc., plus a big yard with a shed.
It's quite another for five people in 1200 square feet with none of the above.
Kayaks shouldn't take up space. I personally took pride and made the garage into something I enjoyed year round.
Very nice... looks like you could eat off the floor.
Garages, large garages with built ins are high on the custom home features here in the Bay Area...
I have never heard anyone complain they have too much garage space.
One of the nurses I work with pays $400 a month for a one car garage in San Francisco that her Civic just fits into... that is 5k a year for a garage that probably cost $400 new in 1920
Very nice... looks like you could eat off the floor.
Garages, large garages with built ins are high on the custom home features here in the Bay Area...
I have never heard anyone complain they have too much garage space.
One of the nurses I work with pays $400 a month for a one car garage in San Francisco that her Civic just fits into... that is 5k a year for a garage that probably cost $400 new in 1920
Thanks! I took a lot of ideas and work put them together. My house is one of the only homes in my area with the recessed area in the back right area on their garages. My house is 2500sq feet, and the garage attached is 22x22ft wide, the back is like 8 or 9 feet deep, by 6 or so feet wide, so about 500 square feet garage. I wonder if they paid extra for the garage recessed spot. I tried to make best use of space too back there, got a wall hanger with a lot of tools, and such. Everything has a place. Need to organize some more come spring. The giant wardrobe houses all my helmets/jackets/life jackets for kayaks. That sucker was 600 bucks!
Originally it was a garage, all nasty low light, spiders etc. I insulated whole house to R65 and insulated the attic and walls of the garage as well. Never gets to below freezing, its un heated stays about 50* in winter due to shared walls to house. I have an electric oil filled heater I turn on a night before if I want to do something that takes awhile in garage. It sucked insulating though, I had to fill like 200 holes in the walls from cellulose filling the walls and repaint all the walls but turned out nice in the end.
I use a little Ryobi electric 18v blower periodically and a mop like 3-4 times a year it stays looking new. I can fit my vehicle in it, I just only park when it is calling for hail, otherwise its just a vehicle. Cost a pretty penny but everyone who comes in my house and happens to see garage are like, jaw dropped. People have actually stopped while ive detailed my bikes or something and complimented my garage asking if I would be interested in doing theirs lol.
Last edited by FreedomPenguin; 01-26-2019 at 12:12 PM..
I only have a single car garage and right now my lawnmower, wheel barrel, gardening supplies, vacuum, Christmas stuff etc. is in there. I hope to buy a shed soon so that I can park my car in the garage once again especially during our hot Florida summers.
I'd much rather back into a space than out of one.
*My* parking pet peeve is people who park alongside the store because they are too lazy to actually park in the parking lot!
Quote:
Originally Posted by FreedomPenguin
Kayaks shouldn't take up space. I personally took pride and made the garage into something I enjoyed year round.
A 65lb 18' sea kayak does, so it sits outside Your garage is gorgeous!! What did you use on the floor, and did you have to do something about the cracks in the floor first? Mine is one entire slab but there is a crack running across it these days.
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Your garage is gorgeous!! What did you use on the floor, and did you have to do something about the cracks in the floor first? Mine is one entire slab but there is a crack running across it these days.
