vnew update.
after the home inspection, my inspector pointed out that finishing the attic in our new home was essentially out of the question, as it would cost as much as a garage build! with that being said, a larger garage is now in the cards, with a little bit of a hangout space in the back for me!
this new, larger garage build brings Metal back into the game. a super deep garage built stick grows the costs very rapidly, whereas the metal garages will still seemingly stay cheaper,
case in point:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Duro-Steel-30x40x14-New-Metal-Buildings-DiRECT-New-Residential-Garage-Workshop-/291127540032?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43c88db940you'll note its tall enough for a lift, and possibly even a cool frame din loft area in the back!
A new issue has emerged in my research, though. Apparently metal garages create a lot of condensation, and as such cause a lot of issues if they're not insulated essentially as soon as they're built. since I wanted to run electrical "sometime later" , this now creates the problem of needing to frame in the interior, run electrical AND insulate right after the building is built.
Cost of framing, drywall, and insulation
Framing: $150-200, only frame up the side walls and use a thin sheathing on the roof
Drywall/sheathing:
Insulated roof sheathing: abut $600-700
Drywall: $400
Electrical: I'm going to assume more than $1000.
Spackle, paint etc: $300
TOTAL: (just to finish interior) $2300 using these numbers.
so to total it all up:
$2000 for the slab
$7000 for the building
$2300 to frame, insulate, and run electrical on the interior
Wonderful turbine exhaust fan that was used in an old factory I'm stealing from my mom: $0 This will help keep the building cool as I frame it, and in the summer in general.
TOTAL: $11,300
whew. However compared to the raw materials cost for the stick built garage of the same size this is great! those buildings were coming in at about 12-15k WITHOUT insulation or electrical.
that's all for now. will keep you fools updated.