We bought this foreclosure almost four years ago. FOUR!
Right now there are about three rooms that are ‘finished’…the office bathroom, the kitchen and the nursery. That’s it.
How pathetic.
Go ahead. Judge me. I deserve it. Throw all that shame right at your computer. Go ahead and put my photo in the dictionary under “WHAT THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON?!” I got it. I know. It’s terrible.
But since LJ has been born, we finally feel a burning desire to finish some of these spaces. In order for us to wrap up some of these rooms – paint, décor, furniture that actually fits, the whole sha-bang…it requires us to have a workspace. We tried tidying up the basement workroom but after a come-to-Jesus moment, we realized…the basement is just not a good fit for us. We do a lot of projects in the garage (it’s huge!) and the boys have a place to play right there in the driveway so it just seemed like a great fit….make the garage a workshop. That’s the plan.
The biggest problem with that plan is that our garage currently looks like this:
Did you see that butcherblock?! That is our laundry room countertop. Still not installed.
The back of the four wheeler currently acts like a wood rack…
And we have the miter saw in there but it wasn’t much of a storage space or a workspace.
My mom gave us her old standing freezer and fridge. The fridge died so it’s going to the recycling center. But the freezer has proved immensely valuable. I back the car up to the garage after grocery shopping and all my frozen stuff just goes right inside. Why didn’t anyone tell me about the values of upright freezers?! I mean…that should be on every couple’s wedding registry!
Also…want to experience the fresh smells of nature while in the safety of your own home? Handy with potty training and bouts of explosive diarrhea, the garage toilet is all the new rage.
Kidding. It’s not hooked up. Just a random toilet sitting in the garage for…like…a year.
Ideally we would like to make this space into a spot for doing building projects. And storing tools, wood, and yard toys. The freezer needs to stay because obviously it is my true love. And I want have an ‘extra essentials’ rack – for extra drinks, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.
Jer and I haven’t decided whether to keep the lawnmower or the fourwheeler in here. And when I say ‘we haven’t decided’ I mean…we disagree.
Most people probably think…you have a three car garage and you aren’t gonna park your car in it?! Why not?!
Well…that is a great question.
And we don’t have a great answer. Well…not a great answer to most people. We would just rather have a workshop than a place to pull in our car. Pretty straightforward reasoning.
We’ve already started some progress…building some storage, removing a bunch of junk, planning for more organization! And hopefully all of this will help us get other inside rooms DONE. Because I am ready. I am beyond ready. I have ready in my blood and bones and git-er-done in my DNA. Let’s do this thing…so then we can do those other things. Can I get an amen?!
Sounds like it will be a really useful space once it’s all set up. I am a little confused, though. With a three-car garage, there’s really not room to have both a workshop and at least one car inside? It seems odd to me that you couldn’t find some way to organize it so that it could work (of course, you might need to move the car to work on a big project). Obviously, you should do what works best for your family. I’m just thinking if it were me, I’d like the ability to load up my three little guys inside the garage in bad weather.
What an amazing space to work with. A three car garage is a dream come true for anyone that does DIY’s. I’m sure you’ll make it awesome!
If it makes you feel better – we built a 34’x38′ garage less than a year ago. This is supposed to be a 3-car garage. It’s never going to see a car inside of it. Ever. It’s like a house on the inside, without a bathroom…… My office is in the “garage”, there is a man-cave, my craft room, my giant pantry and my husband’s office. I did save one part of the “garage” as a car bay – but it’s my workshop….there is tools and wood galore in there. We also live in NY – where we get tons of snow…..but yet, out of the two garages we have, neither is holding a car. Ever. 🙂
This is why we want to sell our current (garage-less and adequate work-space-less) home and build one with a garage just for parking and a separate shop. I can totally see how if this is your main storage area for outside and workspace that you have no room to park. We have a one-car carport right now and I do park in it but the kids toys are always under there. Then my husband has to store all his tools, 4-wheeler, mower and such in a small shed and open barn. Thankful to have those but would love something better for him and a garage to close the door so all the neighbors don’t have to see our stuff. We also have an upright freezer in our basement and it’s awesome!
Katie,
This is probably gonna creep you out, but here it goes. I love your blog and think you’re great. I think you bloggers need to hear that. A lot. Cause you all put yourselves out there and hope for the best. So, I’m making myself your cheerleader so you can hear the good.
Oh my, your one of those georgians that has a non working toiliet just sitting around! lol! I’m ready to see this all organized!! I’m a minimalist, so I don’t even have a garage, just a small metal building, I organized it this summer, much to my husbands dismay, but I didn’t care. I threw mostly everything away! Good luck!
Katie, you shouldn’t be ashamed! You’ve been in that house 4 years, but you’ve also had two new kids in that time! That is a lot to handle! I’m excited to see your workshop come to life! We’re working on our own workshop right now too!
We are doing the same thing right now and we also don’t park in our garage. We’ve had the opportunity to for the past 3 years and we just don’t so workshop seems like such a better use of space!
This is us. We have a big garage. One side is for me to park my car in during the snowy winters and one is our workshop area. It will be organized and usable soon. I realized in all my tutorials when pictures are taken in the garage we look like hoarders. Stuff is piled in the background. I dream of a organized and useful garage for DIYing. I look forward to seeing what you do to yours!
Hopefully you won’t just suddenly quit like the fine folks at YHL. A terrible betrayal to their readers. I would miss your great projects and outstanding sense of humor. Keep on raging against the garage. It really doesn’t look all that bad.
I can’t wait to see the result! I am such a sucker for a garage makeover, which I know sounds totally nuts. But, while I love a good kitchen redo, there is something so gratifying about seeing things organized to the max and garages tend to have lots of open, cleaver storage that make organization star of the show. Plus it’s typically a quicker project than a kitchen overhaul and relatively instant gratification is always nice when you are the one doing it. 🙂
I’m with you. We have great storage in our garage (we moved in 4 years ago too) that is not utilized well at all. We even have a built in workbench… Maybe your motivation will motivate me too! 😀 Looking forward to seeing what you guys do with it!
can’t wait to see what you do in the garage. Your plans sounds fantastic. By the way, we don’t p ark our cars in our garage either. Our garage is for storage 🙂
AMEN!
Katie, not only do I not judge, I am extremely grateful to see not everyone moves in and immediately has a finished space! We bought our home (much bigger than our former spaces and therefore requiring more/bigger furniture in most spaces) almost a year and a half ago, and just yesterday ordered new furniture for the living room! We also ripped the nasty carpet off the stairs before we even moved in and have been living with unfinished stairs with threads of carpet still stuck in the staples, have only painted half the spaces, and only have art in the kitchen! We are expecting our first little one in January, and that has spurred us into getting some things, including a nursery, finished before he arrives! Thanks for not making me feel like a failure! xoxo
I can’t get past the fact you have wainscoting in your garage! Very fancy! 🙂 Also? Totally agree on using the garage instead of the basement for your workshop. I think it will be much more ‘user friendly’. Can’t wait to see it all set up!
Your garage looks much like mine! I made some great progress this summer, but stalled, and now am using my garage space as a makeshift workshop (until I get the unfinished area in our basement organized. Again.) Look forward to seeing what you pull together!
Amen sister! I think sometimes having so many do to items on your list makes it harder to get it all done, because the list seems so daunting. Our cabin up North has more projects on the list than I can count, and it feels like it’s taking forever. I always have to remind myself to take it a step at a time, and eventually, years from now, I’ll look back and be shocked with how far we’ve come. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. 🙂
Maybe you need a Wood-Tex storage shed! We have some nice looking buildings 🙂
We just cleaned out our one car garage … it’s tiny but we can fit my car into it. Now most of the stuff is hanging on rails on the sides and we even have EMPTY spaces on the shelves. Everything workshop is right next door in the workshop (yep, cleaned that out too and even put two very old shelf systems out on the curb (promptly went home with someone else). It gets darn addictive, cleaning stuff out and admitting you’ll never ever use it.
Of course we’re cheating; we don’t have any little kids to “help”. And lest you suffer from embarrassment behind all your piles of stuff; it only took me 30 years to figure out how to reorganize the laundry / craft room which started this whole purging, sorting, organizing spree. Thirty (30) years!
So there’s not enough room for a workspace and your cars? Surely keeping some summer sun off your vehicle would be worth sharing this garage?
We just bought a new house with a one-car garage and people give us the craziest looks when we tell them we’re using it for storage! I don’t think they understand that I’d rather get some snow/rain on my car than store my lawnmower in my living room! 😉
I have an idea, no pressure! I will come paint your living room for free and them you can call that room done. All i ask for is you to kidnap shardog and then we convince her to not give up on the blog. Deal?
They were really thorough with the not white trim. How… demotivating? I’m both impressed and depressed for you with that level of attention to detail to undo!
My husband would agree with the workshop vs. car parking. Although it only stays a workshop for a short period before it becomes a dumping ground again in our house…
We’ve lived in our house going on five years and we still have unfinished rooms. Life happens. Kids happen. We work full time and at some point we have to sleep 🙂 you are not alone. I try and focus on one room or one mini home project at a time. Right now, we are laying new tile in my daughter’s room. Woohoo! No more nasty carpet. But I won’t get into my half painted master bath…..
You are crazy crafty and a project go getter. I know your garage will eventually be amazing and I’ll be jealous.
http://www.mysimplesignificance.blogspot.com
I don’t know how you can stand getting into a boiling hot car in the summer and a freezing car in the winter just so a bunch of crap can sit in the garage. It is my absolute biggest pet peeve ever when my neighbors (many of them) park their valuable cars outside while their garages are full or stuff that is both worthless and rarely used. Hopefully once you get organized, you will have space for a workshop, storage, AND parking!!
Love, love, love your blog. Love the honesty of it.
HAHA! I wish! But I am so excited for her and her family! I know I will miss the blog too!
xo – kb
Well, the kids stuff alone takes up one car space…and the four wheeler and the lawnmower take up another….so the workshop is left to one garage stall. I guess this means we need a five car garage. #kidding #sortof
xo – kb
I WISH! I saw the Shanty girl’s sheds and am SO SO jealous. Hopefully I will get to see it in person when we go visit 🙂
xo – kb
You think that is betrayal? I don’t. I mean…their blog didn’t cost anything and they never promised to be bloggers forever. As a superfan myself…I miss their blog terribly but a betrayal by definition is “to expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty”. Seems like pretty strong language for someone quitting their day job 🙁
xo – kb
At least it isn’t in the front yard with flowers in it….yet 🙂
xo – kb
I know it sounds odd. One space is filled with kid’s toys…those powerwheels take up a lot of space 🙂 And then one spot is the four wheeler, lawn mower and yard trailer. The last spot is the workshop area. Like I said in the post…we disagree about the four wheeler and lawn mower…I would prefer these to be in the basement workroom space…Jeremy prefers them up here. We shall see. I know this will probably change over the years…but for now…it works.
xo – kb
I can pretty much guarantee ya that we will never have more than one car parked in here. Just different priorities. Now I will say that it is also a pet peeve for anyone to park their cars on the street….I hate that…but we have a little parking area right outside the garage that doesn’t block our driveway so it doesn’t bother us.
xo – kb
Totally agreed, Katie! Good for you for sticking up for them. I’m with you 100% (although I, too, miss them lots). And don’t be down on yourself; you’re showing it like it is. Keepin’ it real, and we love you to pieces for it. Can’t wait to see what you do!
Agree. I miss them terribly and it weirdly feels like a breakup, but they were generous enough to let us in to their lives and share their stories with us. But all good things come to an end and their job as bloggers was no longer a good fit for them. They left to find their happy. That takes a lot of courage and I think that should be the takeaway. That being said, I hope you stick around for a while. 🙂
Agreed!
Whew! I feel like I’m staring into my future. The hubs and I don’t have kids yet and we can’t even fit one car I to our peasly two car garage. But, the toys we have taking up room are a couple vintage motorcycles along with a pile of lumber scraps and various tools. I have a feeling those motorcycles will be replaced with big wheels and wagons in the next few years… Good to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t mind parking outside.
This sounds like a ‘Dude, Get On That!’ challenge 🙂 We recently cleaned out/organized our basement to make it into a workroom. Then, after we were done, we realized that the garage works much better for us, too. Good luck! Thanks for sharing the journey!
Totally random comment to say I noticed your gray Armada & we too have a gray Armada – which I am wildly obsessed with! LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about it! I even almost cried a little yesterday when my hubs took it for the day. He works in the same town that my parents live in & they had our girls for the weekend. So he took the Armada to have to pick them up & bring them home. It’s our bigger safer vehicle, as our other is an older Jeep Grand Cherokee. Totally justifiable & I would always put our babies safety first – but I was kinda sad without my Armada yesterday 😉
*toilet
I’ve lived in my house 4 yrs and not one room is done so don’t feel bad at all. The most competed room is the guest bathroom because I put up new wallpaper and had new faucets installed. Go me! Lol!! 🙂 And our garage houses our cars since we live under a lot of massive trees and right now are dropping acorns like crazy. Plus our crazy winter snow storms here. When we first moved in I couldn’t put my car in the garage since it was already at the car max but now I can and I’ll be honest…I’m never going back 🙂
Katie,
Here in Colorado MANY people never use their garages for cars, opting instead to make them storage and/or work spaces. This is a trend that I have never noticed in other places I have lived (Kansas, Massachusetts) so maybe it is regional? My husband is from Mississippi where I get the impression that many people have some kind of covered parking for their cars rather than a garage. It makes sense to me that you guys would want a space with more flexibility because you do all these projects.
I don’t think there is any “shame” to be had in only having done a few rooms in four years. First of all, one of those rooms is the kitchen. I haven’t redone my own kitchen, but I have lived in my parents’ house through two kitchen remodels, and I feel like a kitchen should count as like 5 rooms, minimum. Also, you didn’t mention all the stuff you have done to your exterior/yard. That’s huge!
I’m just saying you’re doing fine. Why rush? You guys and the house aren’t going anywhere!
I have a garage that looks a little like yours:( Forever on my ‘to do list’. I have many an idea on my Pinterest boards to get myself motivated to re-organize. But… the board has been growing with ideas, but nothing has been done.
Good luck with that!
Michelle
Haha, everyone needs a 5 car garage!! That would have to be a top 10 on everyone’s house list 😉
You’ve done quite a bit…the kitchen makeover alone was a major undertaking. I’m repainting most of my interior and have been here 10 years…you’re never really done when you’re a homeowner.
Good luck!
Don’t feel bad it takes a lot to get a house the way you want it. In time everything will come together great!