Does Anyone Have a Lidget Compton Concrete Garage?

Leodogger

We are considering having one of these concrete garages instead of having a brick garage built as they seem to do some very nice ones these days at half the cost of building a brick one.

Has anyone got one and any recommendations for these concrete garages?

Any "Fors and Againsts" ?

Furts

I know you have posted at least twice before, and it appears the comments given were not favourable to your thought process.

As general principles if I was evaluating a property with such a garage I would view the garage as a glorified shed where the owner had more money than sense. I accept that this may not be a correct judgement but it would be my default setting. Hence a shed offers better value for money.

If I was looking to store furniture with any historical, or sentimental,or genuine value I cannot think of any storage more unsuitable than these garages.

Then I would consider the finances. I fail to see how, on a like for like basis, these garages can be half the price of a proper garage. But regardless, a proper garage might add value to a property whereas it is debatable whether a pre cast garage would add anything, other than aiding a sale.

Leodogger

Furts wrote: »

I know you have posted at least twice before, and it appears the comments given were not favourable to your thought process.

As general principles if I was evaluating a property with such a garage I would view the garage as a glorified shed where the owner had more money than sense. I accept that this may not be a correct judgement but it would be my default setting. Hence a shed offers better value for money.

If I was looking to store furniture with any historical, or sentimental,or genuine value I cannot think of any storage more unsuitable than these garages.

Then I would consider the finances. I fail to see how, on a like for like basis, these garages can be half the price of a proper garage. But regardless, a proper garage might add value to a property whereas it is debatable whether a pre cast garage would add anything, other than aiding a sale.

The comments gave were not favourable OR unfavourable, they were suggestions I hope and advice for us to consider as we felt best for us. Why would this type of garage be unsuitable ? The modern ones have condensation protection built into the roof and apart from this I cannot see any other difference between a sectional panel wall and a brick wall.

When someone is working to a fixed budget on a low income and savings are of paramount importance, then cost is everything. In a perfect world we would just opt for the best and biggest brick garage we could afford, even though it will probably never be used to put a car in as is the case with most people who own a garage. As it is we have to weigh up the importance of having a £7,500 brick garage which would just be a glorified storage container against a concrete garage which would be a budget storage container with no footings to dig out but which would be secure and look just as good as a brick garage.

It would appear after searching forums that quite a few people have concrete garages so they are a considered choice for many.

All I wanted to know was if anyone had one that they could recommend with the advantages and disadvantages. Surely, it is down to personal choice what one wants to buy and not a moral judgment. This forum is a place to come for information and advice and that is all I am looking for. I have read all advice this far on the different options we have considered and are still at the stage of considering what is best for us.

As for adding value, one or two people on the other threads (builders) have already said that garages do not really make much difference to the value of a house, probably in my opinion because most people do not use them and do not consider them an essential when buying a property.

EssexExile

My dad's concrete garage was there when he moved in, early to mid 60s. It's still there & still doing the job of keeping his car & bits & pieces dry & secure. It's not very pretty but it serves its purpose.

Leodogger

EssexExile wrote: »

My dad's concrete garage was there when he moved in, early to mid 60s. It's still there & still doing the job of keeping his car & bits & pieces dry & secure. It's not very pretty but it serves its purpose.

This is the one we are thinking of which I think is quite pretty :

violettasomerset

We had one installed a couple of months ago and we're very pleased with it. There was previously a concrete garage when we moved in, from the early 1980s, and it was in poor condition - the uprights had concrete cancer so bits were falling off, the side door and other wood was rotting and the roof (asbestos cement) leaked. If we were selling, people would have looked at it as an additional cost further down the line; now it may not add value but at least it won't put people off like the old one.

We went for the low maintenance pack which included Upvc trimmings, rather than wood, plus slightly better main door and a steel side door, as well as cement filler around the base to stop water getting underneath. We've been very pleased with it so far. It "feels" dry inside, which the old one never did, and it looks a lot smarter and is more secure. It's a similar size to the previous garage so we were able to reuse the base. You could probably fit a hatchback in it but not a saloon, but that's fine as we only need it for storage as we have driveway space for two cars plus there is plenty of on-street parking for visitors. We paid around £3200 for it and yes it may be a glorified shed to some but that's what we had previously and that's what we need. It was put up really quickly, in around 2 hours and they were able to install it when no-one was in.

Leodogger

violettasomerset wrote: »

We had one installed a couple of months ago and we're very pleased with it. There was previously a concrete garage when we moved in, from the early 1980s, and it was in poor condition - the uprights had concrete cancer so bits were falling off, the side door and other wood was rotting and the roof (asbestos cement) leaked. If we were selling, people would have looked at it as an additional cost further down the line; now it may not add value but at least it won't put people off like the old one.

We went for the low maintenance pack which included Upvc trimmings, rather than wood, plus slightly better main door and a steel side door, as well as cement filler around the base to stop water getting underneath. We've been very pleased with it so far. It "feels" dry inside, which the old one never did, and it looks a lot smarter and is more secure. It's a similar size to the previous garage so we were able to reuse the base. You could probably fit a hatchback in it but not a saloon, but that's fine as we only need it for storage as we have driveway space for two cars plus there is plenty of on-street parking for visitors. We paid around £3200 for it and yes it may be a glorified shed to some but that's what we had previously and that's what we need. It was put up really quickly, in around 2 hours and they were able to install it when no-one was in.

I'm so glad you are pleased with it, I don't think they look the same these days as years ago when they looked like a concrete box, now with apex rooves and stylish garage doors they look the business plus with the low maintenance package thrown in, they are a good investment I think. We are still considering what to do as we are going to lose a foot in space between this concrete garage and the garage next door as the salesman said they would need the clearance for facia boards on the boundary side and this would mean ripping our path up whereas the brick built garage would not affect our path. Not a huge consideration you might say, but there is a lot of work to do with re-siting the path together with the concreted in edging stones which would need to be moved further into the border of the garden which we didn't want to do, so still not sure which we are going to opt for.

Furts

JWhite wrote: »

This is the one we are thinking of which I think is quite pretty :

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I look at this garage and am aghast that it can be considered a suitable product. This is from both a technical and an aesthetic perspective. One then adds in the cost and the life expectancy. The logical conclusion is that it does not make rational or sustainable sense. However, it is your purchase and if you are happy with all this then I too am happy.

onomatopoeia99

I've got one, 29.5 square metre internal area (therefore no building regs needed) and of a height to fall under permitted developement, in the corner of my garden. It neither leaks nor suffers from damp.

I could have paid twice as much and waited much longer and got something built of the same size in traditional block construction, I wanted something I could get put up as cheaply and as quickly as possible, so it suited me fine.

I use it for motor vehicles and parts thereof. It serves the purpose I purchased it for admirably.

Fors : cheap, quick to get built and installed, functional.
Against : not pretty.

Furts

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

I've got one, 29.5 square metre internal area (therefore no building regs needed) and of a height to fall under permitted developement, in the corner of my garden. It neither leaks nor suffers from damp.

I could have paid twice as much and waited much longer and got something built of the same size in traditional block construction, I wanted something I could get put up as cheaply and as quickly as possible, so it suited me fine.

I use it for motor vehicles and parts thereof. It serves the purpose I purchased it for admirably.

Fors : cheap, quick to get built and installed, functional.
Against : not pretty.

.

MIL has one. However the slab is breaking up because it cannot take the weight of her car. Also the de-icing salts dripping off the car have ruined the slab. The slab also sweats as do the wall panels to a lesser extent. The wall panels are helped by copious ventilation - she leaves the up and over door open much of the time. There is no realisitic chance of getting fixings into the wall panels for good shelfs - the concrete is too hard and too thin.

The biggest drawback is poor detailing like the posted photo. The rain hits the garage runs down the wall and into the garage under the wall panels. Sealant does not help - there is too much wet,movement and general grime.

Ultimately posts here refer to £3500 when a good shed from Wickes is around £600 and a log cabin shed £800. Better sheds are available, and better prices are available, but this serves as an example.

Then consider the life. Violettasomerset had a garage that had failed in less than 30 years, A brick garage will last many lives longer than this so represents better, long term value.

onomatopoeia99

Like any purchase, it's a matter of whether it is appropriate for the needs of the purchaser. I agree that the walls are not suitable for fixings, which could be inconvenient for some. I use floor standing racking for storage rather than wall mounted shelving, but I do that in the conventionally constructed (block) garages as well. Unfortuntately their roofs leak and need replacing, so the prefab is the only dry outdoor storage I have at present.

The quality of the base is a reflection on who laid it rather than the garage manufacturer, I had a local groundworks contractor lay mine and have no complaints, it has held up for 4 1/2 years since being laid. Obviously that's no guarantee it will continue to do so. The person from Lidget that installed the garage did comment that it was nice to work on a slab that was square, level, the correct size and properly finished on the edges, and told me many that he had to install onto weren't.

I do not get sweating from either the base or the walls, even after the weather we've been having recently.