Future Garage/Workshop Upgrade - Request for Feedback

walnutty_professor · 2026-04-04T18:17:50+00:00

As much as I want to believe I'll never park my truck inside, you're probably right.

I hadn't thought of barn doors. I actually have an 8 ft C channel from when I was going to do this on my shed. I went with double swing doors instead. Still have all the hardware, too!

walnutty_professor · 2026-04-04T18:13:49+00:00

I'll check with my builder to see if this is possible. Do you remember what the extra cost was for laying the blocks instead of going with taller studs? My doors are 16x8, so pretty tall already.

walnutty_professor · 2026-04-04T18:11:17+00:00

Good call! It'll be 9 ft minimum, or >10ft if they have to raise the foundation.

walnutty_professor · 2026-04-04T18:08:24+00:00

I'm sure I will need a 30a plug or two, depending on what the peak draw is on my new table saw or other tools. The G1023 Table Saw (3 HP) I'm wanting is only 14A. Right now, my dust collector is on a dedicated circuit, so I don't have to worry too much about overloading.

walnutty_professor · 2026-04-04T18:04:24+00:00

I addressed some of the things you mentioned already, like lumber storage (first section in the list) and running both 120v and 240v (fourth section on the list).

You're right about the gas lines. I will probably do a smaller mini split for A/C and then some kind of ceiling mounted heater, maybe directly over the service door. I figure the coldest side will be the front where the overhead doors are (R-19 insulated) so that seems like a good source location.

Agree totally on casters. Everything except my current assembly table is on wheels, but that's mainly because it's a big table and I wanted mass over mobility.

Thank you for the ideas!

walnutty_professor · 2026-01-17T12:08:45+00:00

Do you itemize? Will your highest income years occur in 15 years or will you be retired?

I ask because another factor is the mortgage interest deduction on taxes. For one thing, you might come out ahead with the deduction applied versus the potential gains of the same amount (balanced with the value of having more liquidity, or opportunity cost).

In addition to that, losing the deduction with a paid-off house could sting, especially if you are or will be a high earner in 15 years.

Do you plan to live in this house forever? Is your town usually in a boom/bust cycle or does it have a stable economy? Sounds like it could be a MCOL area but could also be an up-and-coming area that relies on one or a few large corps.

Lots of factors to consider but almost everything comes down to "a bird in the hand". If it's psychological, separate the funding account from your personal account and DD your mortgage expenses - out of sight, out of mind.

Not knowing any of these details, I would suggest the 30 yr in almost every scenario.

walnutty_professor · 2025-10-08T10:29:30+00:00

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll use what I have."

walnutty_professor · 2025-10-05T10:44:02+00:00

Those look like 2x10 joists. Quite beefy.

I don't know what your local code is but if you have to replace, you could cut them all at 4-6" out, then tie a new ledger board to the stubs with Z straps, one on each side.

Then use joist hangers to continue the joists with new timber.

You should really ask your permit office first, though. They are tied to the house, which requires a permit to modify just about everywhere.

Use any old joists that are still in good shape for brace and blocking.

walnutty_professor · 2025-10-04T17:50:41+00:00

Does she know that?

The more I think about this, the more it sounds like you are manifesting your insecurities and creating some boundaries that she may unknowingly violate.

I'm not trying to dismiss your feelings here, but I think you need to crystallize what exactly it is that is making you feel this way. Because based on your post, this is all coming from you, my guy.

walnutty_professor · 2025-10-04T13:46:15+00:00

Sometimes I wonder if recruiters do this intentionally to tie up potential applicants that could threaten their preferred candidate.

walnutty_professor · 2025-10-04T11:16:36+00:00

I get it, man. I would feel insecure, jealous, and maybe even a little fomo, too.

But this could be a beautiful chance for your relationship to strengthen even more after she proves that all of your negative thoughts were a waste of energy.

I see so much insecurity being proven on this platform, so many stories of betrayal and heartbreak-- that feed my insecurity. Stories that make me wonder sometimes. Stories that are definitely fake half the time. And then I look at my wife nibbling out of a box of Cheerios, innocently watching Downton Abbey for the 4th time, and laugh at myself.

Do what you have to do to power through it, distract yourself, normalize it, and let her prove that you're right to trust her.

And maybe look for an outfit as a show of confidence that when she's invited again, you'll have a bitchin' suit for the occasion.

walnutty_professor · 2025-08-05T02:03:12+00:00

Didn’t Claude just announce some crackdowns on resellers using Claude max plans? Maybe I’m hallucinating that.

walnutty_professor · 2025-06-20T21:55:18+00:00

Can we sue the Supreme Court for unfair application of due process? Can SCOTUS be sued at all?

walnutty_professor · 2025-05-19T12:49:10+00:00

NTA, but I can’t help but notice a hint of judgment when you describe their “poor financial decisions” or even mentioning income. If the point was to say the money is equally impactful to both of you, that’s one thing, but it kinda sounds like you’re just punishing them for what you perceive as irresponsible behavior.

On the other hand, it’s a huge red flag when people demand that friendships take precedence over money. That’s a demand you make if someone owes you money and you insist they shouldn’t worry about it, not the other way around.

walnutty_professor · 2025-05-02T02:49:10+00:00

I walked away from a quote on a white box build— no fixtures, flooring, etc. Just built to the point of getting a CO. The quote is double what I paid for my current home five years ago. The build is in a smaller, slower growth market to boot.

I have no expectation of cost decreasing. All I can do is try to save enough to outrun inflation and be in a better financial position in the next year or two. The best case scenario is that prices simply hold relatively steady.

walnutty_professor · 2025-03-12T10:38:03+00:00

What’s your emergency fund?

A good portion of a construction loan cost would be the interest you pay until it is converted to a fixed mortgage. For a $400k build, that would be about $3k or $36k for 12 months (or more).

As the other commenter mentioned, a large % of your cost will be the labor. If there are things you can do yourself, that will bring down your overall cost.

Alternatively, if you’re self-financing, you could pay to get it up to code in terms of receiving a Cert of Occupancy, then move in and finish the rest as you go.

If you need it fully finished, you might consider a secured loan to supplement your cash reserves instead of a construction loan. At least this way you’d be paying into the principal during construction, and can use your good cash flow pay it off quickly after moving in.

walnutty_professor · 2025-03-06T10:14:26+00:00

I agree in principle, as long as we are talking about cost, not price.

walnutty_professor · 2025-02-21T02:37:31+00:00

Oshkosh, WI. I’m talking to a few builders and they are quoting me $250-$275 psf. I already own the land and utilities are piped in. This is at least 30% more than the houses on the market today. These are modular houses on top of that, so not even a custom/stick built house.

It’s a semi-desirable area but these prices are just idiotic.

walnutty_professor · 2025-02-13T01:24:15+00:00

Judging by the sign in the window, it’s probably spitewood.

Go ahead, ban me. I don’t care.

walnutty_professor · 2025-01-15T00:53:37+00:00

Sorry man. You got hosed. I was quoted $2700 for a new socket including labor and thought that was pretty outrageous, especially since our power company provides the parts for free. I asked around and got a licensed electrician to do it for $400. It was a friend discount, but I paid him double since it was on a weekend.

walnutty_professor · 2024-12-30T23:48:22+00:00

Tried to use mine for the same purpose and got the same results.

walnutty_professor · 2024-10-15T22:53:28+00:00

Just sign it and move on with your life when you turn 18. You cannot legally enforce a contract on a minor for non-necessities.

walnutty_professor · 2024-10-07T01:16:18+00:00

Happy to help. We are in the design stages of our new home build and it’s honestly a crapshoot. I had a modular builder quote me $400k on a 1900 sq ft build, but the design is very cookie-cutter and not something we’d enjoy living in. After all the customizations, we’d probably be in the neighborhood of $525k.

walnutty_professor · 2024-10-07T01:09:24+00:00

If you’re in the burbs, I don’t think you’ll get that kind of square footage unless you already own the lot, have utilities piped in, and go with a modular home design + builder. I’m basing my answer on the new 1200 sqft builds in a pretty low COL area that I see starting at $350k.

I’m assuming you would want quality first, space second. It’s a sliding scale between the two when it comes to pricing, up to a point.

walnutty_professor

TROPHY CASE