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[twiglet]

Right, so following popular demand, I have decided to start a build thread detailling the construction of a new garage / workshop.

This will hopefully be a long running thread, and I will update with info and pictures as the build progresses.

Ok, so we bought and moved into our current home in June of 2012.  The house was built in 1950, and had only 1 owner until he passed away a couple of years back.  The house is in fantastic structural condition, but as is the way with these things, needs alot of updating on the inside.  This suits me though, as it gives me a blank canvas to work with. 

It's a similar story on the outside.  The previous owner was a very keen gardener, and after his death his daughter continued to work the garden.  So when I moved in I was greetted with a large vegetable patch, an huge greenhouse, a potting shed, and absolutely nowhere to work on my cars! 

Even before I had moved in, I had drawn up some sketches for the garage I planned to build, and in late June I had an architect mate do some proper drawings and submit them for planning consent.  While this was rolling on (not a quick process as I'm sure you're all aware), I set to work clearing the garden ready for work to commence.  I sold the greenhouse, which was dismantled and collected by the buyer (handy  ), I dismantled the shed, and relocated it to a temporary location, with the intention of using it as a site office! 

So, in November of 2012, this is what my garden looked like...



More to come... 

[tunnie]

Looking forward to this 

Also be interested in rough costs too of how much a garage costs to build   

[twiglet]

Looking forward to this 

Also be interested in rough costs too of how much a garage costs to build   

I'll include some costings along the way Mark.  Needless to say, I'm already over budget! 

[twiglet]

To my surprise, my planning permission was granted without the need to go to committee, so on the 25th November, the toys arrived... 







More to come... 

[tunnie]

Looking forward to this 

Also be interested in rough costs too of how much a garage costs to build   

I'll include some costings along the way Mark. Needless to say, I'm already over budget! 

Thanks 

[twiglet]

The first of many deliveries from Travis Perkins...





Prior to starting work, I visited my local Travis Perkins branch and had a chat with the manager.  I explained what I was doing, and he agreed to give me a very good discount on all materials.  I also setup a 30 day payment account.  This is really handy, because I can phone at any time to order materials, which are invariably delivered the next day, without having to pay every time.  I receive invoices for each order through the post, and then once a month I receive a total bill for the previous months invoices.  I can pay this either online or by cheque.  This helps me keep track of finances. 

[tunnie]

Are you doing work yourself or getting a builder?

[twiglet]

Are you doing work yourself or getting a builder?

I'm project managing the work myself, and doing as much of the work as possible myself.  Although I am enlisting the help of my mates along the way.  1 of whom is a groundworker, and another is a bricklayer. 

[tunnie]

Are you doing work yourself or getting a builder?

I'm project managing the work myself, and doing as much of the work as possible myself.  Although I am enlisting the help of my mates along the way.  1 of whom is a groundworker, and another is a bricklayer. 

Going to save money there, if I had one built I'd rely 100% on a builder 

[Seth]

This is interesting stuff twig ... takes me back nearly 15 years to when we built ours.

Same as yourself, we enlisted the services of friends in the trade ... who ... err ... liked the idea of 'hard cash' payments. Undoubtedly the best money that we've spent property-wise, and the whole job was completed over a couple of weeks.

Got mains electricity/water and a phone line/TV/music centre installed too!

Keep us posted mate!

[horsecow]

Hope we dont see this on cowboy builders twiglet. Good luck with it let me know if you need any advice.

[Gaffers]

I remember clearing my parents garden with one of those mini diggers, what fun I had!

I had just done my tank course too so I was nicknamed Rommel for a while 

[twiglet]

First job was to dig a 'borrow pit'.  The intention was to lose the spoil being dug from the foundations in the pit, and then use the top soil to level the garden.  However, as will become apparent, we somewhat underestimated to amount of topsoil that would need to be dug out to get down to material good enough to build on... 





More to come... 

[twiglet]

So we then started pulling back the topsoil to create the new driveway extension to the garage, and also the garage foundations...









In places, we had gone down over 400mm, and were still finding nothing except topsoil!!!    It was at this point that one of my elderly neighbours popped round for a nose.  She informed me that the previous owner had spent a fortune over the years having more and more topsoil brought in to imprive his soil condition.  Great for carrots, shite for building!!! 

In this next picture, you'll get a feeling for how undersized the 'borrow pit' was...



More to come... 

[aaronjb]

How big is it going to end up? Go on, make me jealous..