You guys all have good advice. Thinking about it, I should make it as big as I can. Maybe I should build a temporary shed type 10x20 garage next to the house while I work on the dream garage. The longer my Vette is in Cal, the more I will pay on storage fees. I'll try to get some pics of the property tomorrow after I come home from work.

 

71coupe,
All of these fellas have given great ideas. I recommend one more.

Find an architect. When you find one, he's gonna ask you two things.

1. What do you want? and
2. How much money do you have?

If I was you, I would write down all of the things these fellas have mentioned, they're great ideas. Then add a couple ideas of your own. Do you have a wife? Ask her what she wants too. Then figure out how much you want to spend. The architect will help balance your dream garage with your budget. He may also have a couple of ideas that you haven't thought of.

Before you go to the yellow pages to find an architect, ask around. A recommendation from a friend may save you some headaches.
A "professional" anything may cost a few bucks, but it might be worth it in the end.
My $0.02 worth.
good luck,
Oscar

 

I disagree with the architect idea; it is a waste of money for a garage. The money you save without an architect you can spend on materials. A barn is generally no more than a box, or a box with another box attached to it. It is usually the roof and siding materials that defines a barn's style. If you are building or remolding a home, then spend the money on an architect.

I finished up my second garage on my property the summer before last. Designed it and did the engineering myself (I am a registered civil engineer in California). I have a couple of acres in Northern California and I built the garage to look like an old barn, complete with fake hayloft doors. I stick framed the roof so I could use the ceiling area for storage. What the other people have said about space is so true, there is never enough. Make sure you have enough room for cabinets, work benches and be able to walk around the vehicles.

If the property is on a slope, bench it into the hill using a retaining wall. Just remember to put a “French Drain” around it.

If you have a nice looking house, put a nice looking garage next to it. Drive around the area and look at old barns in the area. Back East I would definitely put PEX tubing in the concrete floor, even if you don't use it at first. I am currently building my new home on my property that has the garage and bedroom wing which will look like an old barn that is connected to an old farmhouse by a rock wall.

If you are interested, I can send you some pictures and the plans. E-mail me if you want at EricU@DiamondServices.net

Don't rush into the design if you are planning to stay there for a long time. You don't want to drive home everyday and say to yourself, "I sure wish I had done something else".

Good Luck, Eric

 

When you finish the inside use 1/4" Peg-board instead of drywall. My friend did this last year. It fantastic, put a hanger anywhere you want, a self, etc. Wish I had gottne that tip before i finished mine with drywall

 

Thanks for the info Eric I really want to build a nice garage/shop, but I have a feeling it will snowball quickly ($$), and I don't want to rush it. My goal is to have a garage that I can spend a good deal of time in wrenchin' during the middle of winter, and it kinda needs to match the 100 year old house. I'll probably be in this house for at least 10 years. The 2 car x 2 deep sounds like a possibility. I would like to build it myself if possible. I like the barn idea. I'll have to see if the wife will go for it. BTW, it's outside of Brookfield, CT (north of Danbury).
Nice county here with plenty of good driving roads.