Have garages gone out of fashion?

Despite the fact that over 70% of households in the UK own at least one car*, the majority of homebuyers would happily forfeit the widespread use of a garage, reports Galliford Try Homes. Their survey of over five hundred consumers reveals that homeowners are increasingly adapting their garage space to cater for their expanding lifestyle requirements.

Once an absolute requisite for new homebuyers, the garage has shifted its dynamic away from an essential space to store the family vehicle, to an extension of the home. It has become the location for additional rooms, housing anything from granny annexes to gyms, as well as becoming a general dumping ground for household goods, with 63% of respondents indicating they no-longer use the garage to house their car.

Ian Baker, Managing Director, Galliford Try Homes:

"While the garage isn't ever going to disappear, with 49% of respondents citing its presence as either important or essential, an increasing number of homeowners are seeing it as an extension of flexible living space to accommodate their family's needs.

"However, today's homebuyers seem to want it all - with 64% of respondents calling for an oversized garage that provides ample space for two cars plus additional storage space. As housebuilders we are constantly adapting our designs to ensure we are providing future homes that meet the changing needs of homebuyers. If space to house the car as well as providing additional storage space is what homebuyers want, then we will increasingly see housebuilders coming up with creative ways to provide this."

*Office for National Statistics: Census 2001