I finally have a Garage!! (single retro 70s garage)

Buy a couple of these Linky



you'll get about 6 hours on half power setting from a full charge, take them home, recharge & bring them back with you. You can also recharge them from a car power/lighter socket

Congratulations on your garage.

It is a great thing to have.

Ask a hoarder like me.

Regarding your power supply “issue”

A few options spring to mind.

Firstly. Does the garage back onto any lived in property?
If so, could you approach and offer to have a meter unit and extension fitted at your cost, and paying them for the electricity you used.
I know it is a dream scenario, but worth considering or investigation.

Secondly. What about a small (size is relative) portable power generator?
I had one with the teardrop years ago, but gave it away.
They are often ex-plant/stolen and advertised on FB Marketplace.

Thirdly. Solar. No knowledge of solar or storage and inverters etc.


Work bench ?

Shelving?

Storage?

Security?



Work benches are really useful, and due to the size of your garage, you may need to build something that hangs free and is supported from the walls and/or roof beams.

Something about 900mm deep would give you a load of working space, and if suspended at the right height, you can also park your cars under it.

Adding two layers of shelves of varying depth ie. 450mm and 550mm or so, above the work bench could net you a ton of space.

Along the walls, again, two rows of,shelving, set up in a way that you do not knock yourself out when you move about, could be valuable.


Shelving can be made up of various materials, or even FREE items from marketplace or skips when you drive by.

Pallet wood is a cheap, easy resource, as is used scaffolding, including the short lengths to build a work bench.


Storage is a big thing, and again, depending on how you approach it, can be done cheaply.

There is a depot in A small industrial estate I know of that deals with the US Postal service, they have various sizes of corrugated plastic boxes that get offered out free, for collection that could sit on shelves.

Also use cheap, sealable boxes for valuable stuff to keep damp and dust at bay.


Security……. Sadly something to consider.

I am the last person who should speak of it, but keeping your stuff out of sight is possibly the first rule.

Making it easier for a thug to target your neighbours unit is the first rule. So a double lock system, with a flat bar reinforcement inside the door and frame is a good place to start.

Not all bad news is bad, sometimes it just highlights potential pitfalls.



And one more thing with a small garage like that is possibly sourcing one of those “rally style” awnings….. they fold up tight, take about 2 sq foot of space, but adds 10x10 foot of dry working space if you put it up in front of the door.






I see you are in London.

It is a big city.

I think I have a single set of dismantled Dexian shelves and some big pieces of driftwood that could be the front base for a workbench. Not sure if it will span the 10 foot of your garage.

You are welcome to them, and any other stuff/materials I may have, FREE for the collecting near Allhallows, Rochester.

Morning mate,

Small generators are not noisy, less than a lawnmower.



Obviously they come in different sizes and capacity.

I think the one thing to remember (yup, party pooper me) is that despite the music being really nice to have, it also draws attention.

The cosier we make a place, the more interesting it becomes.

My mate craigrk has a bunch of old gas BBQ’s that he converted into mobile work stations.

Another source could be a local housing association where they often have a corner with a ton of scrap, I bought a complete, large mobility scooter years ago for £35.00 in their charity collection box. Ended up selling it for the same months later as my abilities and motivation had changed.
You can find amazing stuff people walk away from.

Also, do you have a recycling or scrap yard nearby, often they get amazing stuff in that could be had for the price of scrap.

Or like I used to do, trade for coffee, tea, sugar and biccies.

I hope you find a ton of great stuff.

Paint the inside of the garage white, will make a huge difference to the amount of lighting you will need
Ttfn Glenn

Well done on acquiring your garage! I was on a local councils waiting list for about 2 years until I got one. That included getting my local MP to step in as although there were a few empty units, the council didn't want to let them out. Anyhoo, I digress, In terms of power, you have a few choices, the main one being as said, the use of battery tools which are pretty good nowadays. If on a budget, Aldi's Ferrex range are great value and have a 3 year guarantee.
I had a small generator at the time but that was a pain and noisy. In the last few years, mobile power banks have become worth looking at and could easily power many small tools and even proper led light battons which really make the space useable. Think the Jackery units or similar.
Another method I used was an invertor run off my car. I would run the cars engine if requiring a bit more juice and was no noisier than a generator!