Mottled concrete covered in oil blotches, a rattling old door that takes 30 seconds to open and piles of junk unceremoniously shoved into disorganised and shabby shelves. Is this an accurate description of your garage?
The humble garage is one of the most under appreciated and underused rooms in the Australian home. So often we let it fall into disrepair, which stops us enjoying the space and could even hurt the value of our home. To get yours up to scratch, check out our five top tips for upgrading and organising your garage.
Concrete in the garage is never pretty. It’s often the victim of unidentifiable stains and tyre tracks and for some reason, it’s rarely touched when the home is updated. That’s why garage carpet could be so much better – it’s tough, stain-resistant and looks far tidier.
What’s more, carpet will be safer and less slippery, warmer and more comfortable, and your tyres won’t make that loud squeaking sound on it. The right carpet also reduces any dust and dirt that gets tracked into your home and often comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Garages are victims of clutter – everything that doesn’t fit somewhere in the house gets relegated to a dark corner. This means the average garage resembles an antique shop, inside a rubbish tip, inside an auto repair shop. Step your storage up by using every single inch wisely and the space will quickly look better. Consider the following:
With just a little work and very little money, your garage can be uncluttered and organised, making it a far more livable and usable space.
Not using all the space in your garage is the same as leaving a room in your home half empty. Don’t be wasteful – instead, put a little effort into that extra space so you can enjoy it however you see fit. You could pop a desk under a window and use the space as an office when working from home, or install a planting station and workbench and use it to pot plants for the garden.
Alternatively you could turn it into a space to relax in. A couch and a drop down projector, or even a pool table could revitalise the room and get you using it more often. Whatever you do, make sure you always consider the end use before making changes.
The average garage door remote is a big blocky thing that looks like it’s straight out of the 90s, but thankfully there are plenty other options available for you. Our favourites are remotes that operate entirely through smart phone apps and sensors attached to your garage door.
All that you need to open up is a tap on your smart phone. With one of these installed, forgetting your house keys will no longer be an issue, and you’ll even be able to let the kids or cleaner in while you’re at work, or even on holiday. If you’re more security conscious, there’s garage doors that require a code to enter and alarm systems built specifically to keep that part of your home safe.
At the end of the day your garage is for parking your car and if it doesn’t serve that purpose what’s the point? Making parking easier is simple – just a few quick, cheap, DIY changes might be all you need.
If you’ve ever misjudged your park and nudged your bumper against the wall, a tennis ball hanging on a string from the roof to tell you when to stop could be a good idea. To keep your car doors from dinging the sides when you open them you could even cut a pool noodle in half and bolt it to the wall. It may sound like a silly idea, but it could prevent dented doors and save you hundreds.
If you don’t spend just a little time each month maintaining your garage could eventually fall into disrepair. Therefore, it’s it’s important that you set out an hour when you can to grease door hinges, cover chipped paint and reorganise storage.
With just a little time, money and creativity your garage could become a far better space. And with a spot of maintenance you’ll keep it that way, so that it’s sure to impress buyers when you eventually sell.
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