5.5m x 5.5m double garage, is it more cramped than I think?
Discussion
Afternoon all.
Considering a house move and finally got a bit of excitment and input from wifey. I currently have my car parked in a 4.8m x 2.5m garage and well, that's it. Nothing else lives in there.
In my head and with a good ole measuring tape it feels that length wise I would actually be able to use a garage of this size as a workshop. I own a track MX-5 which is quite small and a 1968 Mustang but I suspect something like the Mustang (that's what is in the garage) is still just too long to be comforably working around the car. I may also be getting rid of the Mustang to fund the house so that might solve itself.
So does anyone here have a garage of this size and actually work in it? Is it more cramped than I'm imagining? Even an MX-5 leaves 1.5m of space on one end of the car which sounds like a lot but it isn't really once you start putting workbenches and stuff in.
The particular property I am looking at does have a single roller door so parking diagonal is a consideration but driving into a lift with a long car could be a bit challenging.
On a side note this is one of the bigger garages I've come across in my search with the next size up compromising in the width for an extra 40cm in length.
Thoughts? Anyone got pics or layouts they want to share?
Considering a house move and finally got a bit of excitment and input from wifey. I currently have my car parked in a 4.8m x 2.5m garage and well, that's it. Nothing else lives in there.
In my head and with a good ole measuring tape it feels that length wise I would actually be able to use a garage of this size as a workshop. I own a track MX-5 which is quite small and a 1968 Mustang but I suspect something like the Mustang (that's what is in the garage) is still just too long to be comforably working around the car. I may also be getting rid of the Mustang to fund the house so that might solve itself.
So does anyone here have a garage of this size and actually work in it? Is it more cramped than I'm imagining? Even an MX-5 leaves 1.5m of space on one end of the car which sounds like a lot but it isn't really once you start putting workbenches and stuff in.
The particular property I am looking at does have a single roller door so parking diagonal is a consideration but driving into a lift with a long car could be a bit challenging.
On a side note this is one of the bigger garages I've come across in my search with the next size up compromising in the width for an extra 40cm in length.
Thoughts? Anyone got pics or layouts they want to share?
I also just noticed this thread which I am not reading through: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
If you are only planning to keep one car in there, I think you'll have loads of space.
My garage is the same size and I keep my race car and a Porsche Cayman in there. I have various tool cabs, shelving units etc and there's still enough space to work on both cars one side at a time.
When I was building our kitchen, I moved the Cayman outside and setup a workbench to rip down 2.4m sheet material. With only one car in there, I had loads of space.
My garage is the same size and I keep my race car and a Porsche Cayman in there. I have various tool cabs, shelving units etc and there's still enough space to work on both cars one side at a time.
When I was building our kitchen, I moved the Cayman outside and setup a workbench to rip down 2.4m sheet material. With only one car in there, I had loads of space.
Similar dimensions to mine. A big car is a bit of PITA if you want to actually work under the bonnet, but I just have the back of the car poking out a bit to make some room.
I think we spent about 7 months looking for a suitable garage house and came to the conclusion this was one of the biggest around short of spending more than 3/4 of a million or self building one, neither of which were feasible options at the time.
Personally I would go with it and accept the limitations, maybe buy one of those portable lifts so you can put it at an angle.
I think we spent about 7 months looking for a suitable garage house and came to the conclusion this was one of the biggest around short of spending more than 3/4 of a million or self building one, neither of which were feasible options at the time.
Personally I would go with it and accept the limitations, maybe buy one of those portable lifts so you can put it at an angle.
LennyM1984 said:
If you are only planning to keep one car in there, I think you'll have loads of space.
My garage is the same size and I keep my race car and a Porsche Cayman in there. I have various tool cabs, shelving units etc and there's still enough space to work on both cars one side at a time.
When I was building our kitchen, I moved the Cayman outside and setup a workbench to rip down 2.4m sheet material. With only one car in there, I had loads of space.
Most likely 2 cars but 100% always 1.My garage is the same size and I keep my race car and a Porsche Cayman in there. I have various tool cabs, shelving units etc and there's still enough space to work on both cars one side at a time.
When I was building our kitchen, I moved the Cayman outside and setup a workbench to rip down 2.4m sheet material. With only one car in there, I had loads of space.
Do you have enough space to work at the front of the car with all your equipment/storage/surfaces? Lets say to remove the engine as an extreme example. (so back for you lol)
TheLoraxxZeus said:
Do you have enough space to work at the front of the car with all your equipment/storage/surfaces? Lets say to remove the engine as an extreme example. (so back for you lol)
I think removing the engine is pushing it, unless you have a very short car, just due to space at the front. But it depends on what's in front as well - if it's tarmac to the front you've got a bit more room vs gravel.TheLoraxxZeus said:
5.5m x 5.5m double garage {..} So does anyone here have a garage of this size and actually work in it? Is it more cramped than I'm imagining?
I think that's a decent size - for working on a single car.My garage is 4.6m wide x 4.9m long and I have racking/workbench down the sides to allow a single car in the middle with access all around. Obviously I have a bit less space to play with, but my constraint was more storage = less space to work on car so a balance. I think you could put on the back wall instead, but you'd run out of room for many everyday cars.
Rubbish pics, but you can see with the BMW Z4 (MX5 sized) there's acres of room. With a BMW X5 (which is 30mm shorter than the garage...) it's a squeeze but still much better than outside.
Edited by Jakg on Monday 6th July 17:35
Great for one car, OK for storing two maybe.
Mine is very very slightly less than 5.5x5.5, 30m²
I've a 4 post lift on one side but a car can go in full length, tother side has a bench at the end which limits to about 4.7m long vehicle. And then you struggle to get past it at the back and can't use the bench. Width wise it's fine for the one on the right but the one on the 4 post is pretty close the the wall.
Mine is very very slightly less than 5.5x5.5, 30m²
I've a 4 post lift on one side but a car can go in full length, tother side has a bench at the end which limits to about 4.7m long vehicle. And then you struggle to get past it at the back and can't use the bench. Width wise it's fine for the one on the right but the one on the 4 post is pretty close the the wall.
It's funny because 4.9m wide sounds like tons of room but once you have that X5 slapped in the middle and stuff up the side it goes fast!
The garage at the property goes out to flat tarmac so level, so I could hang the arse of the car out the garage for stuff like engine out.
One thing I hadn't considered is the vertical clearance, I've yet to see the inside of this garage but apparently it's "finished" with a floor but they did not mention anything on the walls or if the ceiling had been actually done.
The garage at the property goes out to flat tarmac so level, so I could hang the arse of the car out the garage for stuff like engine out.
One thing I hadn't considered is the vertical clearance, I've yet to see the inside of this garage but apparently it's "finished" with a floor but they did not mention anything on the walls or if the ceiling had been actually done.
TheLoraxxZeus said:
Most likely 2 cars but 100% always 1.
Do you have enough space to work at the front of the car with all your equipment/storage/surfaces? Lets say to remove the engine as an extreme example. (so back for you lol)
My race car is very small (I think about 3.7m long) and there would be plenty of room to do that. With the Cayman it would be a bit more of a squeeze but maybe doable (it's a bit hard to tell as I have a roller door on the side where I keep the Cayman and that loses a bit of length).Do you have enough space to work at the front of the car with all your equipment/storage/surfaces? Lets say to remove the engine as an extreme example. (so back for you lol)
I think 5.5 x 5.5m is fairly average size for a double. We live in the South East and getting more than that proved to be very tricky (even with a fairly chunky budget...) without compromising elsewhere
Skyedriver said:
Great for one car, OK for storing two maybe.
Mine is very very slightly less than 5.5x5.5, 30m²
I've a 4 post lift on one side but a car can go in full length, tother side has a bench at the end which limits to about 4.7m long vehicle. And then you struggle to get past it at the back and can't use the bench. Width wise it's fine for the one on the right but the one on the 4 post is pretty close the the wall.
So looks like if I was to put workbenches/cabs down one side then fitting in 2 cars would be tight but not entirely impossible if they are practically touching. But that would be more for storage if I'm "between projects" such as the wife making me spend weeks on the house.Mine is very very slightly less than 5.5x5.5, 30m²
I've a 4 post lift on one side but a car can go in full length, tother side has a bench at the end which limits to about 4.7m long vehicle. And then you struggle to get past it at the back and can't use the bench. Width wise it's fine for the one on the right but the one on the 4 post is pretty close the the wall.
But like you said it looks like 1 car offset will fit nicely with benches down one side however a 2 post lift looks like it may permanently make it a 1 car workshop.
Ours is about 7x7 but with a corner cut out for a small utility room narrowing the effective width down to about 5m at the back. It also has shelving about a meter deep across the back. It's very comfortable to work on one car and big enough to store two if you're careful with doors but not spacious for two cars by any means.
Without the utility room it would feel very comfortable but not oversized for storing two cars.
Without the utility room it would feel very comfortable but not oversized for storing two cars.
Ours is a similar size at just under 5.5 x 6.0 deep,
ideally, and if I was building from scratch, it would be a fair bit bigger,
but it's okay, and if I put the car in (which I currently do to charge it back up), I've got plenty of room to the left and right despite the garage being full of my tools and some white goods, and a few feet front and back to walk around it.
I intend building a large carport to house the car though, as I fully intend converting the garage into a small workshop when I get around to it.
Thanks for the insights folks. The property I'm looking at has plenty of space to extend the garage forward and to the right by several meters without losing usable outside space so I think my initial approach would be to keep it purely a 1 car workshop with car offset from the centre with workbenches down one side leaving the back free. I'm not sure about going in at an angle but that may also be an option which will give me quite a bit more space. This MAY also allow me to fit a 2 post lift depending on the eaves clearance.
It does sadden me slightly that the idea of working on a long car may be impossible (the Mustang is 4.8m long, give or take) but it's not as if I'm set on sticking with these "type" of cars.
We are just waiting for our viewing to be confirmed and I've very excited!
It does sadden me slightly that the idea of working on a long car may be impossible (the Mustang is 4.8m long, give or take) but it's not as if I'm set on sticking with these "type" of cars.
We are just waiting for our viewing to be confirmed and I've very excited!
I've "nearly" finished restoring my Alfa in a double garage of a similar size. It's amazing how much room you need to work on a car with both doors open, room to store/work on bits which aren't on the car, plus tools, workbench etc. A pal of mine did his in a single garage and I have no idea how he did it!
RicksAlfas said:
I've "nearly" finished restoring my Alfa in a double garage of a similar size. It's amazing how much room you need to work on a car with both doors open, room to store/work on bits which aren't on the car, plus tools, workbench etc. A pal of mine did his in a single garage and I have no idea how he did it!
I've taken the engine out of an MX-5 in my current garage. That absolutely sucked ass because I had to hang the back of the car out a bit and it was just me doing it and because I had to also drop the transmission and stuff I had to move the car in and out of a few days by pushing. Never again, I'll just brave the rain/cold lol.I did have concern about where to store stuff that is off the car, hoping there is access to the "loft" of the garage to put long items up there but anything that can survive the weather will just be getting dumped outside on a palette with a tarp. These are problems I can deal with because all I really care about is if I can go into my garage every single night no matter the weather and make progress.
Right now I do everything in the drive which means:
1. Jacking up the car
2. Getting all my tools out
3. Watching the weather
4. If ground is wet it sucks under the car
5. I have a mixture of slabs and stones, dropping a screw or something is 50/50 on recovery
6. If the car is stuck there for days I have to take tools in and out each day, a bad spell of weather could end up with the car on jacks for weeks
I hate it.
TheLoraxxZeus said:
I've taken the engine out of an MX-5 in my current garage. That absolutely sucked ass because I had to hang the back of the car out a bit and it was just me doing it and because I had to also drop the transmission and stuff I had to move the car in and out of a few days by pushing. Never again, I'll just brave the rain/cold lol.
I did have concern about where to store stuff that is off the car, hoping there is access to the "loft" of the garage to put long items up there but anything that can survive the weather will just be getting dumped outside on a palette with a tarp. These are problems I can deal with because all I really care about is if I can go into my garage every single night no matter the weather and make progress.
Right now I do everything in the drive which means:
1. Jacking up the car
2. Getting all my tools out
3. Watching the weather
4. If ground is wet it sucks under the car
5. I have a mixture of slabs and stones, dropping a screw or something is 50/50 on recovery
6. If the car is stuck there for days I have to take tools in and out each day, a bad spell of weather could end up with the car on jacks for weeks
I hate it.
In that case a 5.5 x 5.5 garage will feel like a palace! Get the radio on and enjoy your own space. Sometimes I'll just go in for half an hour and rearrange my spanners or something inane just to decrompress after a sI did have concern about where to store stuff that is off the car, hoping there is access to the "loft" of the garage to put long items up there but anything that can survive the weather will just be getting dumped outside on a palette with a tarp. These are problems I can deal with because all I really care about is if I can go into my garage every single night no matter the weather and make progress.
Right now I do everything in the drive which means:
1. Jacking up the car
2. Getting all my tools out
3. Watching the weather
4. If ground is wet it sucks under the car
5. I have a mixture of slabs and stones, dropping a screw or something is 50/50 on recovery
6. If the car is stuck there for days I have to take tools in and out each day, a bad spell of weather could end up with the car on jacks for weeks
I hate it.
tty day. 
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