A garage is a strong selling point on a property, homes that have them are often seen as more desirable as the added space is so handy. If you have a garage at home, chances are at one point or another you saw it as a plus point to buying your property- but do you use it as often as you should? If it's currently piled with junk and just being used as storage, here are some ideas for using it to its best potential. 

Use it for your car

The most obvious use for a garage is to use it as a space to store your car. It protects it from the elements, it prevents theft and damage and for this reason it even can lower your car insurance. But do you put your car in  the garage as often as you should? Admittedly, it can be a bit of a pain getting home and locking up the car, but there are things you can do to make it easier. How about investing in a remote controlled garage door? That way you don't have to physically get out of the car and open it when you get home from work, you're tired and just want to get into the house. You can press the button right from your car and drive in without any hassle. If you like to tinker with your car in the garage there are also a couple of upgrades you could make. How about something like an Ecoflor Resin floor, these make it really easy to clean up any mess such as oil spills. 

Good lighting is essential, and you could even have a sink fitted if you have space to wash your hands and have access to water if you need it. Slatwall Systems are a great way to organise all of your tools so if you need to work on the car, house or garden, everything is in order and you know where it is. They enable you to customise and hang pretty much anything you need onto the wall, saving you floor space. 

See it as an outbuilding

There are lots of ways you can use a garage if you don't have a car (or don't use it for your car) which doesn't require a lot of renovation or expense. You could fit your washing machine and tumble dryer, creating a laundry area which would be ideal if you only have a small kitchen. You could fit a large chest freezer or backup fridge to store extra food/ drink, perfect if you host a lot of parties or occasions like Christmas where there are lots of things to store at home. You could turn it into a home gym, an art or music studio or any other kind of hobby room. If your garage isn't quite up to scratch then local steel building contractors could replace it with something much more suitable, which could then be used as a garage or for any other purpose. You may or may not need to insulate the walls depending on the climate of the place you live in, and how much time you plan on spending out there. 

Use it to extend your home

Finally, if you really don't use your garage and have no intention of doing so, why not utilise the space in another way? As garages are usually right next to the property (or even inside in some cases) it's easy to renovate them and make them part of the downstairs living space. You could remove a wall and completely open up the space, or just fit a doorway and have it as an extra room. It will of course need fully insulating and the garage door will need to be bricked up and a window fitted. Depending on the location of the garage and layout of your home, it could be a cheap way to extend.