From One Big Garage to Three

Building Type:

Building Size: 5 x 6m / 4 x 6m / 3.6 x 6m (75.6m²)

Building Cost: Circa £61,000

When Scott Fraser took early retirement after years working offshore, he had a clear vision for how he wanted to spend his time: working on motorbikes and classic cars in a proper workshop. There was just one problem: his house in Aberdeenshire came with a built-in double garage – and it was already bursting at the seams.

“The garage is already stuffed with motorbikes and the old car,” Scott explains. “I want to expand the space. I want a workshop.” What followed was a journey through architects’ quotes, agricultural metal buildings, and kit garages before Scott found his way to Gillies & Mackay – and a solution that exceeded everything he’d originally planned.

The Search

Scott’s initial instinct was to build big – a single 70m² structure that would give him everything in one place. He explored the obvious routes first. An architect drew up plans, but the resulting quote was eye-watering.

“The cost of that was just ridiculous. Bricks and mortar – I was quite amazed how expensive it was, having built a house. How much it’s changed even in 25 years, cost wise.”

Agricultural metal buildings were considered and rejected. Kit garages came and went. Then, through online research, Gillies & Mackay kept appearing. As a self-described champion of local businesses, the fact that G&M are based in Errol – well within Scott’s definition of “local” – gave them an edge. But it was the detail that really drew him in.

“I did a lot of digging into Gillies & Mackay about their construction,” he says. “That’s what kind of drove us down to go to the display site and have that initial conversation with Cara.”

A Conversation That Changed Everything

The visit to G&M’s display site in Errol proved to be the turning point – not just in finding the right product, but in rethinking the entire project. Scott arrived with his 70m² plan firmly in mind. Cara Mackay, G&M’s CEO, gently reframed it.

“I had it in my head, the whole big 70 square metres, and I’ll divide it up into little boxes inside it. And Cara’s like, well, you do realise that’s building control, planning permission, all sorts of stuff involved with that.”

Rather than pressing ahead with a single large structure, Cara asked Scott to think carefully about what he actually needed each space to do. The answer shaped everything that followed: three separate Timber Garages, each with a specific purpose, all falling comfortably within permitted development rights.

“It’s quite an enlightening conversation. It changes your viewpoint.”

The three-building approach wasn’t just a planning workaround – it was genuinely the better solution. A proper workshop for cars and bikes. Dedicated storage for his motorbikes (Scott admits he’s “trying to hide a few from the wife”). And a separate space for garden equipment, lawnmowers, tools – everything that had previously been piled on top of each other in the one family garage.

Built to Last: Construction That Protects What Matters

For Scott, the quality of construction wasn’t a nice-to-have – it was non-negotiable. His motorbikes and project cars represent a significant investment, and he needed to know they’d be properly protected.

“I didn’t want a kind of leaky, mouldy kind of garage. We wanted them protected.”

G&M’s Timber Garages are built to a standard that addresses exactly that concern. Each structure uses a unique three-tier construction method, combining multiple layers of protection to keep moisture out and assets safe – and backed by G&M’s 30-year guarantee, making them Scotland’s only guaranteed Timber Garages.

Standard specification includes:

19mm Pressure Treated Redwood Tongue & Groove Cladding
95mm x 45mm Pressure Treated C24 Graded Framing
Breather cavity and breather membrane to prevent moisture ingress
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) internal bracing

Optional upgrades include Close Board and Strap cladding, or ThermoWood® Radiata 19mm T&G Cladding for those seeking enhanced performance or a different aesthetic finish.

The Build: Smooth from Start to Finish

Scott handled some of the prep himself – clearing an old summerhouse, preparing the site for the team from CSR to prepare the concrete bases. When the G&M crew arrived for the main build, the installation was straightforward.

“They’re a good team to work with. The bases all went pretty smooth, and then the actual installation – a couple of days to put it all up. It was really good.”

More Than Just Garages: A Catalyst for Change

The impact of the project extended well beyond the three new buildings. Having the extra storage and workshop space outside gave Scott and his family the freedom to rethink the house itself – and the confidence to invest in it.

The built-in double garage, now freed from its role as catch-all storage, is being converted into a large room with a shower – creating flexible downstairs accommodation for visiting elderly relatives and adding genuine marketability to the property. A new roof on the family room and solar panels followed. Even the exterior of the house was repainted to match the new G&M Garages.

“We’re at the point where we thought we might move. But doing this has given us a whole kind of different outlook on our house now.”

The Verdict: Quality, Support, and Value That Stacks Up

Scott is clear-eyed about the cost. G&M Timber Garages aren’t the cheapest option on the market, and he acknowledges that upfront. But he’s equally clear about the value.

“When you look into the details, the quality you’re getting, the support you get, and the follow-up – you’ve got a name and a face on the end of the phone, which is really good.”

That after-sales support made a real difference. When Scott had a question about insulating the roof, a quick call to Errol got him a straight answer. Over a year on from installation, G&M are still a phone call away.

And when he compares the total cost of the three Timber Garages against the original architect’s quote for a single 70m² build? The numbers tell their own story.

“The initial architect’s quotation to put up a 70 square metre garage is effectively double what it’s actually cost us to put these up.”

For Scott, the largest Garage at 5 x 6m is the clear favourite – a proper space to strip down bikes over winter and prepare for summer riding. The project cars have a home. The garden equipment has its own building. And the retirement dream he planned while working offshore is finally, tangibly real.

“I’ve got the space now to actually pursue that. And that was always a plan – sitting offshore, dreaming of what I’m going to do when I finally take retirement. This is the dream coming true.”

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