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[aaronjb]

Ever tie yourself completely in knots trying to work out what the best course of action is?

I thought I'd embark on a simple project; get a bigger (6.3x5.8m) garage built. Couldn't cost much more than £10k, I thought..

I got an architect to draw up some plans (£800!) and got some quotes - the first was £23k, second £14k.

Alright, I thought, maybe a concrete sectional will be cheaper? Not if you want one big door, it isn't.. though if you're happy with a couple of 7' doors, it is (about £7k all in)..

Hmm, maybe then I should whack down a cheap as possible base and stick a giant wooden shed on it (coming 1m in from the boundary). That'll be cheaper, right? (A little, £6k ish incl base) Ah yes, they say, but our structures are >2.5m tall so you'll need planning permission..


Aaargh. Now I'm all confused 

Does anyone want a kidney? Hardly used, only ~284,000 hours on the clock.. 

(Just thought I'd rant, really.. ugly concrete sectional of ~5.4x5.4m seems to be winning the battle at the moment unless I find a really cheap builder!)

[the alarming man]

CHEAP and BUILDER them two words are rarely seen together

[aaronjb]

CHEAP and BUILDER them two words are rarely seen together

Oh so very true! Even my next door neighbour wasn't much cheaper than the cheapest quote I got elsewhere.. and you'd think I'd get a decent discount considering we all have to put up with him making the place look like a builders yard

[Shackeng]

I'm just working with a builder on my son's house and have done some of the brickwork which really is quite easy, with all the info you need on the internet. (DIYnot is a useful forum). I would have a go yourself, and save £1000's.

[Kevin Wood]

Getting one quote for 23k then one for 14k for the same job would fill me with  :-/

Depends what's most important, I guess - what's going to happen inside it, or how it looks from outside.

There's always the "bricklaying evening course" option.

Kevin

[bigegg]

If you look around (ebay?) you might be able to find yourself a couple of portacabin "link units " (what my supplier called 'em - dunno the proper name.
like a site office/storage container, but with one (or two) of the long walls missing.

they are a standard size of 20' x 9' (container sized), with a 7' ceiling height.
You buy two, bolt them together, add a door at one end -
you have am 18ft x 20ft wide "garage".
you don't need planning permission cos they are "portable".
I bought one about twelve years ago, it came off a building site at manchester uni.
paid £250 delivered (probably nearer 1k now), with insulation, heating, lighting, and a sink plumbed in, and is still completely watertight, draught free, and warm.
(and cool in summer - so much so I keep my beer in it, rather than the fridge (5c cos I drink proper beer, not lager))

[Varche]

Blimey! That is a lot of money.

Must be a looker for that!

[russ0205]

Must have ensuite and utility for 23k 

[pauls]

Why not build a big shed finished mine last year including electrics just over 3k. 22Ft x 22ft x 8ft high. 

[Webby the Bear]

aaron mate, why not forget the garage and spend the money on as many omegas as you can get? 

you could hold the world record for the biggest collection 

[bigegg]

howsabout this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Agricultural-Vehicle-van-Garage-workshop-Building-shed-/220750397054?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item3365bfbe7e

or:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Steel-Building-Supplied-Steel-Build-Masters-/280643540189?pt=UK_BOI_Containers_Pre_Fab_Buildings_ET&hash=item4157a894dd

[Darth Loo-knee]

Ever tie yourself completely in knots trying to work out what the best course of action is?

I thought I'd embark on a simple project; get a bigger (6.3x5.8m) garage built. Couldn't cost much more than £10k, I thought..

I got an architect to draw up some plans (£800!) and got some quotes - the first was £23k, second £14k.

Alright, I thought, maybe a concrete sectional will be cheaper? Not if you want one big door, it isn't.. though if you're happy with a couple of 7' doors, it is (about £7k all in)..

Hmm, maybe then I should whack down a cheap as possible base and stick a giant wooden shed on it (coming 1m in from the boundary). That'll be cheaper, right? (A little, £6k ish incl base) Ah yes, they say, but our structures are >2.5m tall so you'll need planning permission..


Aaargh. Now I'm all confused 

Does anyone want a kidney? Hardly used, only ~284,000 hours on the clock.. 

(Just thought I'd rant, really.. ugly concrete sectional of ~5.4x5.4m seems to be winning the battle at the moment unless I find a really cheap builder!)

You could always do what one "Famous Member" did, go to college and learn how to bricklay, then do your own... far cheap plus you know its done right 

[Varche]

Ever tie yourself completely in knots trying to work out what the best course of action is?

I thought I'd embark on a simple project; get a bigger (6.3x5.8m) garage built. Couldn't cost much more than £10k, I thought..

I got an architect to draw up some plans (£800!) and got some quotes - the first was £23k, second £14k.

Alright, I thought, maybe a concrete sectional will be cheaper? Not if you want one big door, it isn't.. though if you're happy with a couple of 7' doors, it is (about £7k all in)..

Hmm, maybe then I should whack down a cheap as possible base and stick a giant wooden shed on it (coming 1m in from the boundary). That'll be cheaper, right? (A little, £6k ish incl base) Ah yes, they say, but our structures are >2.5m tall so you'll need planning permission..


Aaargh. Now I'm all confused 

Does anyone want a kidney? Hardly used, only ~284,000 hours on the clock.. 

(Just thought I'd rant, really.. ugly concrete sectional of ~5.4x5.4m seems to be winning the battle at the moment unless I find a really cheap builder!)

You could always do what one "Famous Member" did, go to college and learn how to bricklay, then do your own... far cheap plus you know its done right 

Thats what we do. We had some Spanish builders do a job. Never again. We do everything ourselves now. takes longer but at least it is done right.

[aaronjb]

You could always do what one "Famous Member" did, go to college and learn how to bricklay, then do your own... far cheap plus you know its done right 

Y'know it's very tempting - I don't trust people very much, which is why I do all the work I can myself on the house/cars/etc.. 'tis very tempting.

To some of the other posts - planning regs make some buildings impossible (the garage can be at most 1m away from the boundary, so max height is 2.5m, and ideally it ought to be right on the boundary so can't be wood).. unless I just 'wing it' and hope the planners don't come knockin'..

Having said that, I found some cheaper suppliers of concrete prefabs tonight so they'll be getting a call in the morning.

Or, as DLK says.. it's off to college to learn how to lay bricks for me! (and concrete, though how hard can that be? once you have the machinery, that is)

[edit] As someone just pointed out to me - you can find cheap concrete prefabs secondhand on eBay too.. just need to pick them up (wonder if a 7.5t truck is enough?) and lay a base.. maybe £2k for the base and £1k for the building plus some friends to help put it up - that would be much, much cheaper..

[tidla]

conrete base, block and render with a flat roof (30m sq2 x 3m) locally with no planning consent blaa blaa blaa.