Is your garage great or grim?

If you own a garage, I know you will sympathise when I tell you that I recently had the absolute misfortune of finding myself in need of visiting said outbuilding hands-on in my quest to find ‘that food processor attachment that we never use’.  

Flung into a box more than 2 years ago when we moved into the property, ‘the food processor attachment that we never use’ had not even been missed, until now, when it was required in order to complete, in my opinion, an overly-complicated Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe that I was never likely to attempt again and my entire family would probably turn their noses up at anyway. 

But I am not a quitter, and so I found myself stood, hands on hips, contemplating the mountain of furniture, boxes, tools, suitcases and assortment of things that fall into the category of ‘let’s put it in the garage just in case’ that we had been steadily stock-piling for years.

You might think I was alone, stood in this lonely world of accumulated clutter, but I can assure you I was not, because you see, a study by RAC Home Insurance found that nearly half of Britain’s 10.6million garages are no longer being used for their original purpose. That’s 4.6 million garages bursting with stuff that is not motor related!
 

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Britain’s Top 10 Garage Fillers

10. Motorbike
9. Shoes, Boots and Coats
8. Food and Drink
7. Fridges and freezers
6. Scrap wood
5. Bikes and scooters
4. Gym equipment
3. Gardening equipment
2. Decorating equipment and ladders
1. DIY Tools
 
And when it comes to selling a home, the garage is often overlooked – even though it can be a huge asset and something that many prospective purchasers will actively look for when deciding whether to view a property.
Whilst not technically a ‘room’ as such, the garage is a part of the home that is often overlooked....by sellers. Chances are that if you are anything like me and have been in your home for more than a few years, you will have collected a fair amount of ‘stuff’ which when surplus to requirements ends up in the garage. 

For most people the garage is simply a holding pen for years of junk that we can’t or won’t get rid of ‘just in case’ and so the ‘stuff’ builds and builds. Now, this may not seem like a big deal on a day to day basis, but if you are selling your home, then clearing out your garage should be a consideration.
 
Remember that when your home is viewed, every room, yes, including the garage, will be under scrutiny. 

A clean and tidy garage space can even help sell your property, particularly to those viewers who have a vision and may want to utilize the extra space to create a home gym, an office or playroom. Or goodness – perhaps they might even want to park their car in it. 

So, maybe it’s time to sort through your stuff and decide what is really worth keeping. Be brutal and tip, sell or give away anything that you do not need. Then, once you’ve done that, invest in some shelving to improve the look and feel of your garage as a whole.

You’ll feel better for it – and it could help you sell your home faster.

Oh, and by the way, in case you’re wondering, I never did find ‘that food processor attachment that we never use’.