Gone garage: are garages becoming extinct?

Nearly 4 million Britons have converted garages into living spaces during past 20 years , with only 22 percent of car owners using their garage spaces to park overnight, research finds...

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance have revealed that garages are becoming a less common feature of Britain’s family homes, with an estimated 3.9 million people having repurposed their garage over the past 20 years to provide extra living space.

The most popular choice is to make it into a workshop (26 percent), followed by an office (20 percent). Other ‘converters’ created bedrooms (13 percent) or playrooms (7 percent); or extended their kitchens or living rooms in to their garage (16 percent).

So how are we housing our motors overnight? The majority of car owners park on their drives (51 percent) followed by 18 percent using the street, while others use an allocated parking space, or park their cars ‘elsewhere’ (1 percent).

With many not having access to a garage, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance issued some tips for securing cars overnight:

- Always lock your vehicle and close the windows and the sunroof

- Don’t leave valuable items on display – use the boot, and lock it

- Lock jackets and coats in the boot, too

- If it looks like you’re trying to conceal items, your car will appear more attractive to thieves

- If parking on the street, try and pick a well-lit, open location

- Use an alarm, and/or tracking device; even a steering lock will act as a deterrent to a thief