A car? In my garage?

If you have a garage, what do you use it for?

According to reports as few as 1 in 5 households actually use their garage for parking their car. Even the highest estimate still has it at less than half of all households using it for the intended purpose. 

1976 Fiesta 50cm shorter

There are a few practical reasons for this - the main one being that whilst the garages of homes built over 40 years ago haven’t magically grown, the cars we might put in them defintiely have increased in size. Let’s use the Ford Fiesta as an example - compared to the 1976 model, the current one is half a metre longer and 17cm wider, as well as being 10cm taller. And that’s just a Fiesta. 

So if such a larger percentage of people no longer use a garage for that purpose - what are they used for? And when people request one when searching for a new home, do they just mean they want the extra storage space?  There’s no doubt we have more ‘stuff’ these days and many garages have become a way station for items ready to be thrown out. But could we be making more use of this extra space?

A simple start could be to check you're actually making the most of the space you have through more efficient storage. And it doesn’t have to be expensive - you might be able to repurpose old containers or cabinets or furniture from other parts of the house. One area I’m seeing more people use is overhead storage - especially for items that you want to keep but aren’t likely to use that often. In fact, there are so many more storage options and ideas that there are whole guides to help you plan; this one if you click here is one of the most comprehensive ones I came across.

If you have other storage spaces either outside or in your attic, then totally repurposing your garage could be an option. 

When homes have detached double (or triple) garages, the prospect of additional living space becomes even more enticing. Some of the homes I currently have on the market provide this option. From a property like Elm Road in March where their detached double garage has a kitchen area and shower room with space on a first floor - ideal as an annexe or home business / office with very little extra work needed.

To the different options provided by the double garage with storage over at Mill Hill Lane, the triple detached garage at Pound Lane, or the extra large garage at Station Farm that has a roll up door to the front and to the back onto the garden. 

These provide the options to have an annexe for extended family - or a teenage suite - or as a guest suite for visitors. These also make excellent alternatives for working at home - as a separate office - or for home businesses that require their own entrance for clients or just to provide that sense of detachment from home. I have also seen a growth in people wanting to be more self-sufficient by growing their own fruit and veg and these types of spaces can be ideally suited for that. 

During viewings, I will have a conversation about the requirements those looking around have about what their new house ‘needs’. Quite often this will include ‘we need a garage’. Now, I’m not saying that’s not the case - but it does seem worthwhile to think about whether by ‘garage’ you mean ‘storage’ space. And when we see a garage - are we really considering all the potential it may have?

What do you use your garage for?

Credit: Garage picture: Image by Bill Kasman from Pixabay