Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I finally tackled the job I’ve been putting off for nearly two years — installing proper lighting in the downstairs garage/workshop. While we’re still living upstairs in the cartlodge during our self-build, everything downstairs has been powered through a mess of extension leads. It’s far from ideal, and at one point I even ended up with a melted plug, which shows just how risky temporary electrics can be.
Instead of paying for an electrician (I’ll admit it… I didn’t want to spend the money), I set up a temporary DIY garage lighting solution using LED strip lights, a switch, and a 13A plug. This isn’t a tutorial and it’s definitely not the recommended way to wire a workshop, but it made a huge difference to the space — and more importantly, it stopped my other half complaining about how dark it was down there! Her reaction at the end makes it all worth it.
If you’re interested in garage lighting ideas, workshop lighting upgrades, DIY electrics, or you’re just curious how sketchy things were before, this video gives you a look behind the scenes of our ongoing self-build and the temporary fixes we’ve had to make along the way. From the melted plug to the final switch-on, this is budget lighting, cartlodge living, and DIY problem-solving all rolled into one.
This isn’t advice — always use a qualified electrician for real electrical work. This is just what I did in my own garage.
Here's my Amazon page to check out the products I use*:
amazon.co.uk/shop/theaidenproject
*As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
About me:
I'm Aiden and I'm documenting what was supposed to be my barn conversion, which has now ended up being a new build. I don't have a trade, I just have a go and I'll be doing lots of work myself. This is the boring bit in grand designs that you don't get to see. Subscribe and follow along to find out how our future home turns out.
Instagram: instagram.com/the_aiden_project/?hl=en
contact email: aiden@acer-view.com
I finally tackled the job I’ve been putting off for nearly two years — installing proper lighting in the downstairs garage/workshop. While we’re still living upstairs in the cartlodge during our self-build, everything downstairs has been powered through a mess of extension leads. It’s far from ideal, and at one point I even ended up with a melted plug, which shows just how risky temporary electrics can be.
Instead of paying for an electrician (I’ll admit it… I didn’t want to spend the money), I set up a temporary DIY garage lighting solution using LED strip lights, a switch, and a 13A plug. This isn’t a tutorial and it’s definitely not the recommended way to wire a workshop, but it made a huge difference to the space — and more importantly, it stopped my other half complaining about how dark it was down there! Her reaction at the end makes it all worth it.
If you’re interested in garage lighting ideas, workshop lighting upgrades, DIY electrics, or you’re just curious how sketchy things were before, this video gives you a look behind the scenes of our ongoing self-build and the temporary fixes we’ve had to make along the way. From the melted plug to the final switch-on, this is budget lighting, cartlodge living, and DIY problem-solving all rolled into one.
This isn’t advice — always use a qualified electrician for real electrical work. This is just what I did in my own garage.
Here's my Amazon page to check out the products I use*:
amazon.co.uk/shop/theaidenproject
*As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
About me:
I'm Aiden and I'm documenting what was supposed to be my barn conversion, which has now ended up being a new build. I don't have a trade, I just have a go and I'll be doing lots of work myself. This is the boring bit in grand designs that you don't get to see. Subscribe and follow along to find out how our future home turns out.
Instagram: instagram.com/the_aiden_project/?hl=en
contact email: aiden@acer-view.com
