Options / ideas for back alley parking pad

[RedMileDJ]

Once again I am looking for some insight and ideas from the Calgary Puck brain-trust.

This time it has to do with options or ideas for a parking pad, on our property, located in a back alley.

We're looking for idea about what we could do with the area, short of building a garage. We're going to be moving within the next 2 years, but we do want to be able to park one of our vehicles in the back. Right now it's just a simple gravel layer.

So CP...any ideas? Places or companies to check for quotes? Do it yourself? See the pictures below.


View looking from the back alley.





View looking from the backyard.

[afc wimbledon]

If you are moving in a year or so why do anything to it? just park on the gravel.

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

If you are moving in a year or so why do anything to it? just park on the gravel.

Yah we thought of that. I guess we're just looking to have something a bit nicer to park on...and also add some value to the property.

[Northendzone]

Cheapest option would likely be to get rid of the siding and broken patio blocks.

Hit the weeds with some weed killer, throw down some landscaping fabric and get about 5 yards of 3/4 crushed gravel and spread it out. If you want get a compacter and pack it down

[frinkprof]

Potato farm.

[TurnedTheCorner]

If you're not willing to build the garage, just park on the gravel. Anything else you do will be a nuisance for the new owner, who will likely build a garage anyway.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Red-Mile-DJ

Yah we thought of that. I guess we're just looking to have something a bit nicer to park on...and also add some value to the property.

i don't see how anything short of a garage would add any value to the property. wisest move may be to leave it alone and let the new owners decide what to do with it

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Cheapest option would likely be to get rid of the siding and broken patio blocks.

I don't think any of the blocks are broken. The siding is from back in August, when we had that bad wind storm. Just haven't gotten around to breaking it down and throwing it into the trash.

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Hit the weeds with some weed killer, throw down some landscaping fabric and get about 5 yards of 3/4 crushed gravel and spread it out. If you want get a compacter and pack it down

We did the weed killer thing today. We're thinking of just digging up any other things that have grown there, and throwing down some more gravel.

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

If you're not willing to build the garage, just park on the gravel. Anything else you do will be a nuisance for the new owner, who will likely build a garage anyway.

Good call. See above.

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

i don't see how anything short of a garage would add any value to the property. wisest move may be to leave it alone and let the new owners decide what to do with it

Agreed...including the leaning fence that my brother-in-law built...yuk! He did a great job of the tile inside. The fence...not so much.

[RedMileDJ]

Thanks for the replies.

We're just going to clean up the weeds, throw down some more gravel and go from there.

Cheers!

[1stLand]

I think a community Garden would do wonders for the neighbourhood. It will turn a yucky looking vacant parking pad into a rivitalized urban center.

You can easily take down the urban community garden once you are ready to sell.

Also, you can charge the peasant community farmers rent for farming on your land. It's a win win situation.


*Edit, comments are tongue and cheek. Your parking pad looks fine.

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by 1stLand

I think a community Garden would do wonders for the neighbourhood. It will turn a yucky looking vacant parking pad into a rivitalized urban center.

You can easily take down the urban community garden once you are ready to sell.

Also, you can charge the peasant community farmers rent for farming on your land. It's a win win situation.


*Edit, comments are tongue and cheek. Your parking pad looks fine.

I'm sure I could get someone at Rhino Realty to help me with the negotiations!

[Hack&Lube]

guerrilla potato garden!

[normtwofinger]

Looks like Tuscany.

[Bill Bumface]

Even building a garage, you likely won't recover costs unless you are doing most of the labor yourself.

[Rathji]

If you are putting in more gravel, try recycled asphalt instead. We did it at the recommendation of a friend and it is amazing. IIRC it was cheaper, plus it is starting to harden up a little bit. Normally our pad is a mud hole in the spring, but this stuff has been amazing.

[Buff]

Fix that leaning fence.

[1stLand]

Actually, on a more serious note, one thing you could do is pour a concrete pad.

I bought a home that had an existing concrete pad in place (done by the builder / developer).

When it came time to build a garage, I didn't have to worry about hiring a concrete company.

I think this could be attractive to potential buyers.

Double Detached Garages can be done for a fraction of the cost a garage builder would charge.

This I what I did.

1. Bought a Garage Package at Totem (just the lumber and the garage door, windows and man-door).

2. Bought pre-fabricated trusses separate from a truss maker

3. Bought Siding direct from a suppler (Mitten)

4. Bought Shingles from Roof-Mart

5. Paid Framer, Paid Electrician, Paid Sider, Paid Roofer

My total cost came in at $9,000

[RedMileDJ]

Yah we thought about the concrete pad. Still a possibility. But we're still leaning towards just throwing down some new gravel. I need to research do-it-yourself concrete pads, I guess.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by 1stLand

Actually, on a more serious note, one thing you could do is pour a concrete pad.

I bought a home that had an existing concrete pad in place (done by the builder / developer).

When it came time to build a garage, I didn't have to worry about hiring a concrete company.

I think this could be attractive to potential buyers.

Double Detached Garages can be done for a fraction of the cost a garage builder would charge.

This I what I did.

1. Bought a Garage Package at Totem (just the lumber and the garage door, windows and man-door).

2. Bought pre-fabricated trusses separate from a truss maker

3. Bought Siding direct from a suppler (Mitten)

4. Bought Shingles from Roof-Mart

5. Paid Framer, Paid Electrician, Paid Sider, Paid Roofer

My total cost came in at $9,000

Wow man, that's an insanely awesome price. Good job.