| Author | Message | ||
     Duggram |
Does anyone have advice on renting workshop space? ~4.5 years ago I met this really nice lady and ~3.5 years we got married. We live in her giant house and she kindly let me take over most of the 2+ car garage ~26 x 40 for my shop and motorcycle needs (3 bikes, cycle lift, mig welder, torches, metal band saw, table belt sander, table saw, thickness planer, storage cabinets, floor mount drill press, 27 gal stand-up air compressor, role around tool boxes and a bench). I also have a metal supply with sheet steel and aluminum, various angle, enough 4130 tubing to build a Super Cub and lots of wood. I take up my half of the garage. Now I would like to move into some kind of workshop space. I'm thinking about using a drive-up self storage 10X20 unit and getting an appropriate generator to run everything. But I'm sure there are limitations on what can be in the unit. Like no torches or welder. If you have experience with a similar situation please comment. What problems did you run into? How did you handle tools that you would like to have in both places? What about insurance? | ||
| Dannybuell |
why not expand garage? | ||
| Duggram |
Thanks for the suggestion. We live in an Albuquerque community that is very restrictive. We can only use certain exterior paint, no grass, no cutting of the desert shrubs and no out buildings. We could extend the garage but the architectural committee would have to be involved first. We have an artist neighbor that wanted to ad on a small gallery. He got it done for a few 100K. Besides that, the house would stay cleaner if I had my workshop remote. That right there is worth more than anything else, if you know what I mean. | ||
| Oldog |
having done storage for space here in the east, you would be better off streamlining the garage you have if possible, Most storage places will not allow their bays to be used as work shops. I did but I had to do a lot of leg work to find the place. I did it because i had to.... and as careful as I was I still broke some rules.... | ||
| Oldog |
any way to build an out building? | ||
| Jdugger |
Look for a small commercial space. There's lots of 25x25 or so "weldor's shops" around here that are rented to small auto body shops, welders, specialty cabinet guys, etc. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Or find a business that's going under, unfortunate, but...see if they have a facility that works for your needs and if they're willing to lease it out. I keep looking at the old Coca-Cola bottling plant here in Frederick, thinking "wow...what a shop THAT could make!" | ||
| Pwillikers |
And, more ambitiously, it sounds like you have the beginnings of a comprehensive shop. Have you thought of starting one of those "shop share" businesses? There are several such bike / hotrod building businesses extant. I believe they sell memberships that cover rent, utilities and upkeep of the machines. If you're setting up shop anyway and if you know some trustworthy, like minded compatriots, it might be a good idea. I'm sure you could find the terms and conditions from one of those businesses as a starting point. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
There used to be a number of them like that around here but they faded away. I think they ran into liability issues. |
