The humble garage may be home to too many spiders but Leicestershire residents admit that it still has a place in our homes Property trends change from year to year but one thing is for sure, the garage, it seems, is as popular as ever, according to survey results released today.
Once used solely for storing the family car overnight, today, the garage has become much more of a flexible place and, in fact, has a greater number of uses than many other rooms in the house.
More than 100 new and existing property owners from across Leicestershire have recently been questioned on their garage likes (and dislikes), and the results make for interesting reading. The results of those questioned, a whopping 86 per cent still believe that even though they don’t necessarily park their car in the garage any more, it’s still an invaluable part of the house and without it, they would lose precious storage space.
Reasons – other than a lack of space – for not parking the car indoors anymore, include being too busy to make the effort and cars being more robust to withstand weather damage.
But it’s those unwanted household items that have nudged the car right out of pole position within the garage, with just under three-quarters (69 per cent) of respondents admitting to storing an endless amount of household ‘junk’, which never seems to disappear. And the most popular items of ‘junk’? Children’s toys, bags of old clothes and unloved or unwanted furniture.
Just under a quarter remain loyal to car storage, however, and still see the garage as the place to ‘protect’ it overnight. When it comes to the garage itself, an overwhelming majority (72 per cent) say that it’s the room they like visiting the least because invariably, it is cold, damp and dark.
But in addition to the garage also being home to the likes of mice, birds, bees and wasps, Leicestershire residents – especially females – most dislike the thought and reality of spiders in their garage! A huge 74 per cent of female respondents said that they are most put off venturing into the garage because of our eight-legged furry friends, for fear of them walking into a web or even witnessing a creepy crawly lurking underneath an old blanket.
And finally, if money were no option, 37 per cent of those questioned said that they would convert their garage to a home-gym in a bid to stay in shape. Just over two-thirds (71 per cent) of females would like a relaxation area with books and magazines readily available, together with a coffee machine! Whereas, well over half (59 per cent) of male respondents said that they would value their own ‘hubbyhole’ or ‘man cave’ complete with stereo, sofas, flatscreen TV and their very own workshop – a surprising figure and one which leads us to believe that DIY is, perhaps, on the increase among Leicestershire men – as long as there is a place to chill out at the same time, that is!
Jackie Woodward, sales manager for Jelson Homes, comments: “Garages have always gone up and down in the new home popularity stakes and, from undertaking this research, we now know that whether they are dark and dingy or have had some TLC, they are still a valuable addition to any space-pressed home. And if they could be tailored to the sexes, they could actually be quite a heavenly haven to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life.”