The garage, workshop, storeroom and carport...

Let's just say that the garage, storeroom, workshop and carport are all functional areas of the house that don't usually get much of a mention but a house doesn't work nearly as well without them! Our original cottage had a stand alone garage built beside the house which had them been enclosed and made into a bedroom we suspect (though this would have been illegal). The area under the house was then used as the garage (see green garage doors on picture below) though it was only about 2.1m high. It also had many decades worth of 'rubbish' stored on the bare dirt - most likely a contributing factor to the termite damage through the house.

After demolishing the old garage, laundry and bathroom, the house was lifted and the old concrete slab removed and new foundations laid for the lower level. We left the old garage concrete slab and used it as the base for the new carport under the verandah above. This reduced the need to pour a new slab and the cost of removing quite a lot of concrete!

The new garage sits in the same place as the old one but fits two cars side-by-side instead of one. The slope of the block makes the ceilings some 3.4m high, so it is now quite a cavernous space which is an advantage given we own a Kombi campervan that is 2.1m high (we also had to get the 2.3m high garage doors to accommodate it).

We also had some spare space under the internal stairwell so we converted the space under the landing into a small workshop / tool storage area (yet to be fitted out) and a storeroom to put the Christmas tree, suitcases, boxes etc. Eventually we'll get organised and put up shelves in the garage, including the all important surfboard racks! No one can ever really have enough storage can they?

Details are as follows:

• Garage doors: Colorbond Surfmist to match the roof
• Carport, garage, workshop and storeroom floors: (painted in 2 pac Colorbond Basalt paint)
• Workshop door: reused from the original cottage
• Storeroom door: reclaimed
• Internal garage door to house: Custom made to be 2.3m high to allow for tall persons to walk down the internal stairs and not hit their head as they walk through the door way (Supplier: Finlaysons).
• Garage windows: 3 hopscotch casement windows (Bought second hand on gumtree)

The original cottage with stand alone garage on the right

Inside the original garage

The demolition process starts

Almost done!

Under the old Queenslander - just enough space for a laundry and shower

Plenty of junk under the old house

The old downstairs shower / bathroom

The old laundry stuck under the old bathroom

Internal door to garage (2.3m high) is higher than normal to allow tall people stepping off the steps not to bang their heads.

Our double garage doors are high enough to fit our Kombi camper van!

Storeroom under stairs with the new hot water system in it

The workshop ready for the floor to be painted

The new carport is accessed via the white gates under the verandah

The new carport sits on the old garage concrete slab

The carport slab just needed some paint (2-pac) to fix it up!

Finished at last!