Another garage topic (different angle)

[green_chile]

I've been reading a lot of the archived topics and didn't see one from this angle. How many of you have rented garage/shop space away from your residence? If so, what advice would you give? Ideally, I could find someone to split the space with but then you have that to work through if someone needs to move on.

I'm in a rental house as of last year's interstate move and don't have plans to buy anytime soon. So, I'm looking into alternative garage/shop options in DFW.

[safe]

I'm part of two garages where we are 6-8 people sharing.

In the first I have been a "member" for 10 years, there are 8 spots with right now 7 people, all Porsches, mostly air cooled. Its really great and fun, most have a garage at home but prefer to have their Porsche in the larger garage/workshop.
We have become great friends and there is a "hang around crew" so we meet every Thursday night at the garage to chat, drink coffee and eat cake.... Kinder garden for men....
We never had a problem filling an empty spot, usually there is someone waiting or someone that has 2 spots. But we rarely change people...
The trick is to choose the right members.
The next thing is to implement security. Heavy duty locks no windows at ground level, alarm etc.


The second garage I started myself when I moved to a big town, finding a garage space was hard, finding one that you could do work in was basically impossible... But I was lucky to find a location after 2 years of searching that was pretty big, around 2400 square feet.
It took 2 months to find 5 other people to share it with, only Porsches in this too and then its pretty expensive.... We haven't changed any members after 1 year and I hove we continue like that.


I recommend this, its really fun and rewarding. Someone is always in some sort of project, doing suspension work, tearing an engine apart, doing a full restoration or something like that.
But you have to accept that your car might get dusty and dirty if you don't have a cover on it.
Obviously its not good if you have your car as a daily driver, but for the weekend warrior its perfect.
From a security perspective it might not be wore to have the garage away from home, it might be better, but it depends on a lot of things.

[911tracker85]

I got lucky and have been renting a double bay garage (24X24) at a shop less than 10 min from my house for over 3 yrs. and the rent is very reasonable compared to other options I investigated. the big deal for me was not just storage but being able to wrench there.

I also rent a small, single garage just to store one. once I sell the 928 will not need it any longer...until another stray follows me home... yea, famous last words....

a couple neighbors approached me about buying/building a garage. they just wanted storage for their Ferrari, Jag, and Aston Martin... they have a lot more money than I do...

at home I get one side of the garage and wife gets the other side. initially did some wrenching on my cars at home but ..... and my house sits on a hill side so no way to build another.

the shop belongs to a mechanic I met years ago when I had him weld the cage plates in my 911. was having him do some work on my wife's car and happened to ask it he knew anyone with space to rent. at that time he had just bought this other shop.

he mainly uses this shop as his used car sales. he uses the other bays to do detailing and to do partial tear down on wrecked cars until ready to take to his main shop. he has offered to rent me the other double bay but I just can't afford to, and it would just tempt me to pick up some more projects... maybe when I retire early next year.

so far it has worked out GREAT. I can jack up a car and wrench on it for weeks or months depending. my 78 930 project has been occupying one side for over a year and I finally got serious on it over the past few months. just had to finish the 951 DE/Street build first.

it has made my increasing venture into P car wrenching so much better, and my wife does not have to listen to the cursing/yelling when stuff does not cooperate.

my area is on the left, just part of the door visible. since this pic have added the 930 and my 951...

really need to sell the bike and 928 for funds to pursue the 930 build...

good luck

[green_chile]

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure the right deal is possible whether it's splitting the rent or working directly with the owners.

[IS300]

I rent for the winter... 30 blocks from my house.... its great Saturday fun ...
it sucks when I forget something at home....

[green_chile]

I've got a 2 car garage at the rental house. No problem parking inside but if I rented a space I would do it to have shop space to work on the car.

[grizzfan]

All I could find is a storage unit. It's very secure with a card pass needed to enter the facility and, of course, locks on the garage door. It's a 10'x20' which is big enough but kind of tight for some operations. Prices vary but I've paid $105 a month for the last 5 years. (Damn, that's a lot of money. ) It's about 3 miles from home, has electricity, lights and stuff.



Tom

[green_chile]

Thanks Tom. That's what I'm researching now. Not my first preference but we will see where it goes. Many of them suitably sized are not climate controlled. Gets pretty hot in TX.