Family’s bikes, BBQs or even a few bottles of booze – what do you use yours for?

Space counts and sellers are being urged not to overlook the garage when selling their home, in light of a new report about just what Brits hoard behind that heavy doo

Gone are the days it seems of using the garage to protect your car from the elements, as 42 per cent of UK homeowners say they never park their vehicle in the garage.

A new report reveals that more than half of us (56%) don’t use the garage for the purpose it was originally intended for – using it as a storage place from everything for our decorating to gardening equipment.

Others plan to convert the garage to make space for an office / workshop, creating a bigger kitchen, adding an extra bedroom or providing a larger garden.

But however sellers use theirs, estate agents Harrison Murray are urging them not to overlook the garage when it comes to putting their home on the market.

The house may be clutter free, freshly painted, sparkling clean and ready for potential buyers to walk in the door – but while most sellers will happily spruce up their home and even their garden ready for a sale – many forget about the garage.

Su Snaith, Head of Estate Agency for Harrison Murray said: “In this day and age, it is fair to say that the garage is used less and less for its intended purpose of storing a car. The modern family has a range of uses for the garage. While the car stays parked on the drive, the garage offers the chance to use that extra space as a play area, an additional domestic area for tumble dryer or chest freezer or just a secure place to store garden tools or cycles.

An integral garage could provide future extra living space, as the family’s requirements alter, subject to local planning regulations. At some point, the prospective buyer will want to look in the garage, so don’t be tempted to use it as a place to store unwanted items from the house! Show it off to its true potential – it’s a valuable space.”

Top tips to prepare your garage for sale:

– De-clutter. This serves as a good exercise for getting rid of unwanted items before you move to a new house, and saves the expense and time of taking it with you.

– Try to make your garage look bigger by moving everything off the floor and onto shelves or hooks.

– Make sure that all flammable items, tools and chemicals are stored away and out of reach of children.

– Dust everything – as you would another other room in your house – and remove those spider webs.

– Make sure floors are clean, removing any oil stains.

– If possible, apply a new coat of paint – preferably a neutral, light colour to make the space look bigger.

– Ensure the garage door is working properly – and that it looks as good as the rest of your house, giving it a fresh coat of paint if necessary.

– If you don’t already have one – install a smoke detector in your garage.

According to the survey these items are among the most common to be found in garages:

Paint or other decorating items  – 71%

Tools – 67%

Gardening equipment – 53%

Lawnmower – 45%

Cycles – 38%

A freezer – 30%

Old household furniture – 30%

Wellies – 30%

BBQ – 26%

Alcohol – 18%