There are somewhere in the region of 11 million garages attached to homes in the UK – and reportedly, less than half of them are used for their intended purpose of storing cars. With more than four million garages in the UK used for little more than storing clutter, that’s a lot of space that’s going unused. But what could you better use all that extra space for, if not keeping a vehicle safe?
Home Office
Many people have taken to working from home in recent years, as the coronavirus pandemic saw a surge in uptake of remote working agreements – and the commensurate improvement of remote working software, enabling more of us to work effectively outside of the office. Of course, not everyone has a ready-made office space to move into, and many have made do with impromptu dining-room desks and kitchen set-ups.
If your garage lies unused, though, it could well be the perfect place to build your own office or study. You may need to invest in a generator to provide stable electricity to the space, so you can run a desktop, lighting and electric heating if necessary. That aside, decorating your garage to feel a little more homely can be a simple process, and leave you with a perfectly functional workspace in which you can focus on your work.
Kitchen Extension
If your garage is built in to your home, it will share at least one internal wall. This presents an intriguing possibility, wherein you could knock through to the garage and increase the footprint of your home considerably. With some involved renovation work, your kitchen could increase in size significantly, giving you more room to entertain guests or to sit people for dinner. Alternatively, your garage could expand your living room into a larger recreational space, with room for larger installations such as a projector or even a table sport such as pool.
Home Gym
In recent years, exercise has become an increasingly popular pastime – at least, if the number of new gyms opening up around the country are to be believed. However, more and more people are eschewing the gym, and its costly monthly membership, for the far more convenient and less expensive option of working out at home.
But gym equipment isn’t particularly sightly, or discreet. For homes where space is at a premium, there is no good place to keep dumbbells. Your garage, though, could become the ultimate workout space, giving you ample room to install your equipment. The additional room means you could also invest in larger equipment, such as a training system or treadmill.
Annex
Lastly, with a little up-front investment, your garage could be completely overhauled into a stand-alone annex property. Turning your garage into a unique living space opens up a number of possibilities, from moving your teenager “out” into their own space to entertaining guests overnight, or even renting out – either as a holiday let, or long-term.