Garages are an excellent way to add more storage space to your home. They are also a great option if you need to keep your car or other vehicles safe from the elements. If your house did not come with a garage, you may be wondering if purchasing a garage kit or a prefab garage is the right choice for you! This article goes over the pros and cons of each garage option to help you decide what is best for you, your family, and your home. Want to know more about portable storage buildings? Contact Classic Buildings today!

Garage Kits – Pros & Cons

Garage kits are prefab garages that you build and set up yourself. They come with all the necessary pieces. You just follow the instructions and have the proper tools on hand. Here are the pros and cons for garage kits.

Garage Kits: Pros

As the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement becomes more and more popular, many people not only enjoy DIYing, but intentionally seek out DIY projects. Garage kits have become more popular as the DIY movement continues to gain traction.

Hands-On Project

Though for some this may be a con, as mentioned above, others absolutely love the hands-on work that comes with garage or shed kits. For those that embrace the DIY lifestyle, a garage kit is a good way to feel involved with your project without building it from scratch.

Easy To Build

Even if you do not necessarily love doing-it-yourself, prefab garage kits make it relatively easy for anyone to build their new garage. Even with limited experience, it is possible to build the garage without too many hiccups along the way. Before you purchase a kit, ensure the instructions and manual are easy to follow to help avoid potential building errors.

Cost Effective

Garage kits are often less expensive than prebuilt garages. There are many options available, and it’s easy to find the garage that best suits your home and budget when you go with a kit. Because you will be doing all of the labor, there is, of course, no labor fees. You simply pay for the materials that best fit your budget and build.

Garage Kits: Cons

Not everyone loves doing-it-yourself. If you do not have the time, energy, or know-how, a “simple” garage kit building process can quickly become complicated. Here are some reasons why a garage kit may not be a good fit for you.

Limited Customization

Prefab garage kits are usually so cost effective because they come with little to no extras. Some garage kits do not give you the opportunity at all to customize unless you choose to go off the manual and add extras yourself. Other companies allow you to pre-order garage kits and add custom options. However, if you do that, it is likely that the cost will end up steadily rising.

Lack of Aesthetic Appeal

Another reason why garage kits are so inexpensive is that they are usually quite basic models. They do not include extra bells and whistles, and they often look relatively plain. You can always choose to revamp your newly built garage, but once again, that will end up costing extra.

Time and Energy

Building your own garage can be fun and may even become an activity that involves the whole family! However, it does require extra time and energy. If you have never built anything before, you will have to take the time to learn about the required tools and building process. If you just don’t have the extra time between family life and work, it may end up taking you quite a while to finish your garage!

Durability

Garage kits are often not as durable as prebuilt garages. They are often not as resistant to the elements, and usually only come with a simple coating. In order for your garage to withstand harsh weather or harsh conditions, you may need to put some extra time into reinforcing your garage.

Prebuilt Garages – Pros & Cons

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Prebuilt garages may be built on-site by the manufacturer or transferred as a prebuilt building and installed on your property.

Prebuilt Garages: Pros

There are many pros when you choose to go with a prebuilt garage. Prebuilt garages often offer many customization options and are the perfect choice when you just don’t have the extra time or energy to DIY.

Highly Customizable

Prebuilt garages are often significantly more customizable than garage kits. When you purchase a prebuilt garage, you often get the chance to work with and talk to the garage manufacturer. This allows ample time for you to make changes to your garage and add additional features and custom options if you need to. There are often more options for styles, features, and size. For example, at Classic Buildings we offer one car, two car, and three car garages, as well as many more options!

Durable & High Quality

A reputable portable building manufacturer will ensure all buildings are durable and high-quality. When you purchase a prebuilt garage from a reputable company, you can rest assured that your building will be able to withstand tough conditions. At Classic Buildings, all of our buildings are built with the highest quality materials by skilled craftsmen!

No Mistakes

What happens if you make a huge mistake while building your garage from a shed kit? Unfortunately, if that happens, there may be nothing you can do aside from work with what you’ve got. When you purchase from a reputable company, you will have peace of mind knowing your project is in good hands. There are also warranties in case something goes wrong in the future.

Aesthetically Pleasing

Prebuilt garages are often quite aesthetically pleasing and will look beautiful on any property! Because you can customize them, your new garage can match the rest of your property and even help to increase property value.

Prebuilt Garages: Cons

There are pros and cons with any options – nothing can be perfect! It is important to weigh the pros and cons of each option before deciding on what is best for you.

Higher Price

It is no surprise that prebuilt garages are often costlier than garage kits. With a prebuilt garage, you are paying for very high-quality materials, customizable options, and labor. However, if you have a small budget but still believe that a prebuilt shed is right for you, there are options! At Classic Buildings, we offer a rent-to-own program so you can get your storage building when you need it without worrying about paying everything up front!

Less Control

When you build your own garage or begin any other project for that matter, you have total and complete control over the entire process. Do you want to take a week off for building? Okay! Do you want to work 15 hours today? Sure! For those that absolutely love DIY, a prebuilt garage simply does not offer the same level of control over your project.

Is DIY Right For Me?

Doing-it-yourself can be a lot of fun. DIY projects easily allow you to create a budget and closely stick to it, as you have full control over the project.

However, garage kits do not provide all the customization options you would get from DIYing from scratch. A garage kit is sort of in between a true do-it-yourself project and purchasing a prebuilt shed from a manufacturer.

DIYing can also be a good way to get your whole family involved, or maybe a neighbor or a new friend! If you experience a bit of trouble setting up your new shed, why not ask your neighbor to come out and give you a hand?

Make it a fun project to work on with your kids. DIYing is often seen a social hobby. There are many DIY forums online dedicated to helping new and experienced DIYers. Doing-it-yourself can be a fun new way to meet others – online or in person.

DIY, either through garage kits or total from-scratch DIY may not be right for everyone. As mentioned above, it does require a lot of time and energy that many people just do not have. If you can’t spare the time to build your garage kit, it may end up sitting in your backyard collecting mold and fallen leaves.

Building from a garage kit also requires some knowledge about tools and materials. With garage kits, you are often provided with detailed instructions, which is great for the new DIYer. However, these instructions usually assume you have some working knowledge of construction and required tools. If you don’t have the time to learn techniques and materials, it might be best if you skip the DIYing.

One of the biggest challenges for inexperienced do-it-yourselfers is the possibility of injuries. There are many ways you can accidentally injure yourself while working on at-home construction projects. If you do not understand how to safely and properly use tools, you can end up cutting or bruising yourself quite badly.

There is also the chance that you could strain your back, legs, or other muscles while lifting heavy materials. It is important that you know when to take breaks and remember to stay hydrated to reduce the chance of overexertion or heat exhaustion.

When choosing to do-it-yourself, you should know all the benefits and risks before beginning your project.

Carefully plan everything out, know your budget, understand how to safely work with tools and materials, and remember to rest when needed!

Interested In a Prebuilt Garage?

Now that you know the pros and cons of both prebuilt garages and garage kits, you may be ready to move forward with your own portable building. If you’re ready to purchase your very own prebuilt garage, contact Classic Buildings or visit the location nearest to you!

Remember, before buying a portable building you should be aware of the permit requirements of your municipality. Sometimes, permit requirements depend on the size of your building. Make sure you know the requirements of your area to avoid fines.

Classic Buildings has locations throughout the Midwest, including various Missouri cities (St. Louis, Arnold, Columbia, St. Charles, Rolla, Linn, Springfield, Jefferson City, Kansas City, and Washington Missouri). We are located in Swansea Illinois and Kansas and deliver throughout the Midwest and in some cases, nationwide!

If you would like to take a look at Classic Buildings’ storage sheds, check out our brochure, or visit one of our locations to see our sheds firsthand!

“It was a pleasure working with confident and qualified people. The workmanship and materials are second to none…I would recommend Classic Buildings to anyone who requires a building for storage, recreation or whatever your needs are.”

– Mike Dinello – Read more testimonials here!

Sources:

doityourself.com
angieslist.com