Creative Ways to Utilize Garage Space

There are many types of residential garages today, and they are utilised in many ways. How are you using your garage? Is it for storage, a gym, a playroom, or maybe a home office?

In the UK, less than 40% of garages are used for vehicles, and nearly as many as six million are full of junk!

If you’re using your garage to store stuff, with some organization, you can store items safely and securely and maybe have room for something else.

This article considers the different types of residential garages and how they can be utilised to improve your lifestyle. We also include seven tips on how to use your garage for storage.

Types of Garages

When it comes to your garage, whether it’s integral, detached, or attached, the type can make a big difference in how you use it.

How the garage is constructed and the materials used can also influence its purpose.

Detached Garage

A detached garage is a standalone structure not physically connected to the house. It can be made of similar materials to your home or a metal garage like the Quonset garage kit.

Detached garages offer a lot of design flexibility. They don’t need to comply with the same insulation standards as a home, so they are also much cheaper. You can also choose where to locate the garage on your property.

The advantage of a detached garage is it can be used for purposes that might not be suitable within the main house, such as a guesthouse, rental unit, or home office, providing privacy and separation from the main living space.

However, if you plan to use your garage for any of these purposes, it must be well-insulated and up to the standards required for living spaces.

Another pro for a detached garage is that it is ideal for activities that generate noise (e.g., woodworking, music studio) since it is physically separated from the main house. For example, you may have a teenager with a drum kit, and the garage could be the ideal location for him or her to practice.

Of course, you can use the detached garage to store your vehicles, gardening tools, sports equipment, and outdoor equipment. If you’re a keen gardener or love woodwork, you could create a workshop, mainly if it is located near the garden or backyard.

The only real disadvantage of a detached garage is access from the home. You will need to brave the weather to get to it. However, this could be solved if the garage is not too far from your house with undercover awnings.

Attached Garage

An attached garage is usually constructed at the same time as the house. As such, it is connected, often sharing one or more walls, and access is via a door.

Due to its structure, the attached garage should be suitable for storing items that are used frequently and need protection from the weather but might not be required inside the house. Examples include pet food or other dry store supplies, outdoor furniture, and seasonal decorations and window furnishings.

Being attached to the home offers many opportunities to use the garage space for more than storage. It could be converted into an additional living area.

The statistics mentioned earlier in the UK suggest that families use their garages for living, not storing vehicles. An attached garage would make a good playroom, mudroom, utility room, or home office relatively easily due to its proximity to the main house and shared walls.

How often do you enter your home via the garage? Attached and integral garages are frequently the main entry point to the house. They are also a dumping zone for coats, shoes, and bags.

Integral Garage

An integral garage is built into the house’s main structure, with direct access from the interior. The main advantage is that the garage interior can be fitted out, so it looks like it is part of the main home. This is helped by the same styling details of fixtures, fittings, and utilities, including heating and cooling.

Using the integral for storage almost seems like a waste of an opportunity to put it to much better use, such as a family room, maybe a guest bedroom, or, like, with an attached garage, it could be a utility room, home office, or a weights room.

If you need to use it for storage, consider its use for temperature control, for example, goods that need a moderate temperature, like wine or dry goods.

Top Tips For Using Your Garage For Storage

If your home is like many in the UK, you will need to use some of the garage space for storage. Here are our top tips.

Tip 1

Don’t use cardboard boxes for long-term storage. They can get damp, destroy your belongings and attract cockroaches. Instead, use storage cabinets, plastic boxes, or other waterproof boxes.

Tip 2

Label every box to help you find what you need quickly. This will help save you time when you come to see these stored items.

Tip 3

Group similar boxes together. For example, all clothes boxes should be stored next to each other. All gardening equipment should be stored together, slightly further away from the rest.

Tip 4

Install shelves so boxes and objects aren’t on the floor. It reduces visual clutter and makes it easier to clean.

Tip 5

Use vertical storage and/or a pulley system to hang larger objects from the ceiling. You will have more garage space left.

Tip 6

Regularly declutter what you have in storage. Go through your storage boxes and create three piles: one for keep, one for donate or sell and one for waste.

Tip 7

If you have a detached garage, such as a kit set or self-built, make sure you regularly check it for leaks or insect infestations that could damage your items.

Summing Up

This article covered the different types of residential garages and provided tips on maximizing their use. If you’re considering adding a garage to your property, choose the best kind, as any garage will add value to your home.  Also, it does matter when it comes to buildings, so if you can add a more significant footprint – do it.