Once you’ve tried a do-it-yourself project as big as a pole barn kit, as we did, you’ll be ready to tackle more projects that add to the functionality and convenience of your home, farm, or office. The kits that are on the market today do not require sophisticated knowledge, we discovered. With a bit of help from friends, we’ve saved a bundle while adding to the value of our property.
So after congratulating ourselves on the pole barn we put up for use as a farm storage shed for equipment two years ago, we took a year off. But in May we decided it was time to do something for our own cars. Given that the original garage had “disappeared” and become the family den ages ago, we had been parking our truck and car outside for the last few years.
So this summer we bought a garage kit to put right next to the house with easy access to the kitchen door. Even though we only currently own two vehicles, we purposely chose a three-vehicle model with three separate doors for ease of use. We figured the extra space would eventually be necessary, and it looks like we are well on our way to filling it. And that is even before our two adolescent sons, 14 and 16, have cars of their own. As you will see, they have definitely earned a parking spot when that day comes!
In fact, the space is already being taken over by our growing handyman and handywoman projects, as this is an equal opportunity family. One thing that we are noticing as we pursue more and more of these types of adventures is that our teenaged children are showing more interest.
We did allow them to participate in some of the discussions about color (white) and placement of the building (by kitchen). But at first we did not include them in the actual construction activities. That little taboo seemed to serve as a temptation to pitch in. Finally we did let them help with some of the easier, safer tasks, with supervision. We’ve noticed how they point out the garage with pride to their friends who visit, with a casual “Yeah, I helped build that.” And then they bask in at least as much peer admiration as they get for top scores on video games!
Overall, our experience with pole barn and garage kits has exceeded our expectations. Not only do we have the storage and garage space that we have long needed, but we did it at a much more economical cost. The results of our experience are attractive and absolutely functional!
Also, seeing how the whole family really pulled together to put our prefab garage kit together, we’ve come up with a new motto: “The family that nails together stays together!”
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