Workshop location advice.

[diy didi]

Hi Guys.
Would like to pick your brains a bit and get some ideas. I do mainly repairs for a couple of music shops, and do work for Roland and Focusrite here in South Africa.
I will be moving house soon as I need more space. It has a 18 square meter garage that I was thinking of using as my workshop. We will be two people working together, plus I need space to store all incoming and out-going repairs. Do you think it will suffice?
On the other hand the house has 3 bedrooms, but they are all upstairs.
Maybe I should use the single garage downstairs for storing all the repairs, and the upstairs room for the workshop.
Don't think there is any insulation in the garage ceiling, but then again it doesn't get that cold here.
How many of you work from home? Maybe use a garage? How many of you utilise a room inside your house?
Please share your insights and photo's.
Thanx in advance!!

 

[cowboybob]

Your garage area sounds fine as your work space and repair item(s) reciept and return section (a counter, essentially, with a small holding area).

From what little I could gather about Roland and Focusrite, it seems as though most of the equipment is relatively small (at least for Focusrite)

So I'd also declare one of the bedrooms as an overflow area until such time as you can get a better handle on your work flow. And the exercise will do you good....

Good luck!

 

[ronsimpson]

In some towns you can't do a business in a house. It takes a neighbor reporting you to get caught. If you don't have much traffic you will be fine. If you rent a office the expenses goes up.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

One comment I have to make is to inspect equipment for roaches promptly. Upstairs may get old after a while. Tax implications - e.g. Space for business only.

Be careful with traffic in and out and zoning. I know second hand where a company had to rent a space because of the neighborhood rat. He rarely uses the rented space and I believe he changed the traffic pattern, i.e. parcels.