I have been with my girlfriend for a couple of years, and I love her dearly, but we have always maintained separate houses. This appeared increasingly silly, so I’ve put an offer in on a nice 3 bed property for us and the two kids. It’s got a really great garage; secure door, double glazed window, that sort of thing. I think it may even have electricity.

Anyhow, as we were having a chat about decorating and things, it emerges that she thinks, get this, the KIDS should have one of the bedrooms each and I should put my bikes in the garage!! I tried explaining that it’s important to have separate rooms for road and mountain bikes, and when I was a boy, we would have loved to have a garage to live in, having had to make do with a cardboard box as shelter, but she’s having none of it.

Is there anything I can do, or should I call it a day?

gravel bike?

Are they your kids?

Aye…don’t move in with her…

we would have loved to have a garage to live in

Your dream may yet become reality.

If the kids have a bedroom each and the bikes are in the garage then where will she sleep?
We are blessed with separate bedrooms now and I’d never willingly go back to sharing a bedroom.

Garage is fine for the bikes

I had a family member who maintained a house each with his partner, and in each house they had a bedroom each. I thought it was weird then. Now I’m a bit more experienced I think it’s perfect. No way would I share a bedroom with a partner – separate rooms is the way forward unless you have things like kids stopping you.

I’ve got a garage but the bikes still live in the lounge!

We are blessed with separate bedrooms now and I’d never willingly go back to sharing a bedroom.

You and the kids, or you and the Mrs?

I let the dog in once in a while, the rest of them can **** off 🙂

Does the new pad require a patio??

:-)OP’s post tres amusant. I assume the tone is entirely ironic: obviously you will have to take massive punishment beatings if you don’t concede. Assuming they are not you’re kids be aware that the whole step-parent/step child thing is massively difficult and changes fundamentally when you live together. How often have you heard anyone say: “Hey, being a step parent is really great.” Ref Grimm Bros/Hans Christian Anderson folk/race memory. And genetic programming which makes us inherently hostile to others offspring. She is lioness protecting her young from stranger male from outside gene pool. The step parent scenario also makes Freud/Oediupus Complex fully rampant. At least you are getting new equally shared ‘territory’. Obvs the garage could be a dream for you and your real ‘children’ ie bikes: perfect escape from inevitable emotional mayhem. TV, beer fridge, music, tool rack on walls,shadow boards, poss even alphabeticised shelving systems: I recommend using screwfix or machine mart catalogue as indexing system: the sky really is the limit.

Is it a detached garage? This is important as if it is you could convert it & move in 🙂

The only thing Mrs EGF is allowed to touch in the garage is the rotary clothes drier.

Assuming they are not you’re kids be aware that the whole step-parent/step child thing is massively difficult and changes fundamentally when you live together.

Not necessarily.

How often have you heard anyone say: “Hey, being a step parent is really great.”

Pretty often, from my Step-dad 🙂 Fantastic bloke…

Garages are for when you’re having lots of friends over for dinner… can temporarily relocate your bikes somewhere warm and dry so you can get to the table in your dining room.

Other option is to put a dining table in the garage I guess?

You’re spoilt.

My bikes, 2 mtb and a road bike have to live in a garage that’s not even attached to my house!

Obviously the one I rode most recently is normally in the lounge and this causes arguments!!!

The only thing Mrs EGF is allowed to touch in the garage is the rotary clothes drier.

The garage is no place for such things. Ours lives in the shed along with the kids outdoor toys. That way there is no need for any of them to go into the garage.

I am, of course, joshing. Just lightening the tone a bit. 8)

It will be the first time ever I hadn’t kept all of my bikes in the house, which is a bit weird, but it’s a decent sized garage, double skinned, longer than usual, and pretty secure, so it should be ok. I have the added benefit of a nearly new 12′ x 10′ substantial wooden shed that I’ve obtained to put next to the garage for use as a workshop, so the garage can be a ‘clean’ room. I will need to find someone with a crane to lift it in place, but I think I may have that sorted.

Just got to get the lawyers to stop dragging their feet so we can get moved in.

Assuming they are not you’re kids be aware that the whole step-parent/step child thing is massively difficult and changes fundamentally when you live together.

Not necessarily.
How often have you heard anyone say: “Hey, being a step parent is really great.”
Pretty often, from my Step-dad Fantastic bloke…

Fair point, well made RichPenny.

Whatever happened to my youthful promise to myself to “Never get bitter and twisted.” 😳