DaVE and Noemi's Garage
We built a garage from scratch!
About the project
Why: Our property in its current incarnation has never had a garage. The original property had many outbuildings and sheds over the years, but the last lot subdivision in 1978 left no garage. We bought the house knowing we'd embark in a major construction project first thing, even though (or perhaps because) we were complete amateurs as homeowners, let alone at construction projects.
What: Is it a garage for storing vehicles, or a workshop to work on vehicles and build things? Like most people, we did not have the luxury of two buildings, so it serves as both. However, most features were added with an eye on workshop functionality. Also, we also wanted it to match the house style, so it has some features that are purely aesthetic as well.
How: First we hired a draftsman to draw plans and get our building permit from Sunnyvale. Plans and permits in hand, we hired a general contractor who came strongly recommended by an aerobics instructor at Noemi's gym! We were heavily involved in the inevitable day-to-day decisions, changes, questions, and problems that came up, and even did some of the work ourselves (thank heavens for a forgiving contractor).
When: All told, the project took almost a year and a half, and was completed in June of 2001. That sounds like a long time, but that time included interviewing draftsmen and contractors, settling into our new house, and a winter of weather delays -- not to mention planning and pulling off a wedding and honeymoon. This was also during the big dot-com boom when contractors and tradesmen were in excessive demand. By the end of the project, I was 2 months pregnant.
Aesthetic features
Rough construction timeline
(See Phase II Construction for more detail on construction timeline)