From Tilted Garage to Tailored Storage: How We Built a Better Space for Our Fixer Upper

The Garage That Was Ready to Retire

When we bought this fixer-upper, we knew it had promise, but pulling into the driveway for the first time made us chuckle (and wince) at the same time. Right there, where you’d expect to see a nice, solid garage was… a tilted shack barely standing, looking like it might tip over in the next Texas windstorm. Although, we had a list of items we had to fix first, you can see what we tackled first in this blog here. We knew the garage needed to be dealt with too. 

This detached two-car “garage” had seen better decades. One side leaned so far out it looked like it was waving to the neighbors, and it was laughably short—there was no way our SUV would ever fit under that roof. My husband, DK, who also happens to be our general contractor, used the wobbly side to store his scaffolding and tools, but we knew from the start: this garage would not be permanent parking.

With every heavy rain, water poured down our sloped driveway, under the garage door, and out the back. We set up pallets to keep materials off the soaked floor and made do, using it as a holding spot for supplies while we planned for something sturdier and smarter.

Aluminum Carports: A Quick (and Shiny) Fix

We’d spent years parking under cover, so leaving our trucks and SUVs out in the Texas sun and hail felt like a step backward. Our solution? Temporary aluminum carports. Not exactly glamorous, but they did the trick.

These carports were a fast fix—simple to install and solid enough to protect our vehicles while we focused on designing a more permanent structure. We knew better storage was the first step, and it wasn’t long before we got started on the real solution.

The Lumber Shed: First Step Toward a Better Plan

Before we built the final carport, we had to deal with another priority: material storage. We needed a dry, organized space for everything from sheets of plywood to trim and framing lumber. That’s when we got to work on what we now call our Lumber Shed.

This shed connects to DK’s shop area and gives us a spacious, well-protected place for building supplies. No more soggy boards or disorganized stacks—everything now has a home.

And good thing, too. Every time a delivery truck rolls up, it’s a sign that a new project is about to begin. With the Lumber Shed in place, we’re better prepared, better organized, and ready for what’s next.

What’s Coming Next?

In our next post, I’ll walk you through how we designed and built our oversized carport, complete with a breezeway that connects it to the house. It’s a practical upgrade, but also one that’s completely changed the way we live in (and enter!) our home.