Garage Time matches work space with DIY mechanics
Andrew Koretz formerly lived in a building in Chicago that didn’t have a garage. He had to improvise. When he needed to change the oil in his car or motorcycle, he used the roof of a parking garage across the street from his residence.
A self-described gearhead, Koretz enjoys do-it-yourself challenges. But while working on engines from his former vantage point, he noticed plenty of vacant homes.
“There was no way to get those homes and their attached garages that just sat there empty most of the day together with the demand for auto enthusiasts who didn’t have space to work,” he said. “I was frustrated by that and set put to pair those two together.”
The result is Garage Time (www. bookgaragetime.com). The online marketplace is the equivalent of Airbnb or VRBO for vehicle owners who wish to work on their vehicles, but who don’t have available facilities.
“It’s a peer-to-peer marketplace that helps DIY enthusiasts rent garage space and owners of garages get paid for renting and sharing their garages,” said Koretz, who now lives in Denver but works with those who rent their garages and those who rent garage space from around the country. The site currently has about 45 garage locations.
The idea works in two ways. It’s individuals who rent their garage spaces, often to help offset their mechanical efforts, rents or mortgages. And there are professional spaces for rent.
Garage Time began four months ago and it’s building a following as the only business of its kind in the United States. There’s only one location currently in the Bay Area. It’s a garage in San Mateo, designated by the owner under the name Imperial Acres.
The garage, which rents for $45 per hour, includes an in-ground lift, extensive tools and mechanical assistance.
“There [are] a number of garages set up around the country that are set up to have people come in, either buy a membership or get a daily or monthly rate,” said Koretz, who’s originally from Oakland. “They provide lifts and all the specialty tools they need. Some provide mechanic assistance and they get the customer on their way.”
According to Koretz, who formally worked in the financial industry, DIY garages flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. He explained much of that mentality has been lost as society has evolved into a “service-based culture” and as cars have become more complex to repair. The community sense of working on vehicles, explains Koretz, “is a lot more fun when you wrench with other people.”
Koretz hopes a renewed interest in automotive DIY will boost his business. He receives 10 percent of each booking fee.
“We are seeing this younger generation of auto and motorcycle owners holding onto vehicles for longer than ever before,” Koretz said. “It’s in order to save money and just due to the improved quality. The average age of a passenger vehicle on the road now is 11.5. People need places to work on them.”
Although Koretz, 31, conceived his idea several years ago, he began Garage Time in January. In its short tenure, interest has expanded.
“We’re trying to make it easy for people to find a garage that fits their needs,” he said. “What we are finding is that often somebody just needs a warm place to go change their oil. Coming from Chicago, it’s no fun doing an oil change outside [in] February. It really makes you second guess your love for vehicles.”