admin The majority of home improvements are concerned with making your house a better place to live. New kitchen, posh bathroom, back extension. Everything good, yet none of it covers your car.
The point is that your car is likely to be the most expensive object that is parked outside your house every night. However, when individuals consider home upgrades, they do not consider their car. It is similar to spending PS30k on a car and then just wishing it will work out.
I have done a lot of work on my house. Part of it was necessary, part of it was a luxury, and in retrospect, part of it was a total waste of money. But what improvements have produced the largest practical difference? The ones that safeguard my car and simplify my life.
The Garage Door: Best Money You Will Spend.
Ok, we can begin with the obvious one. When your garage door is knackered, it is by far the best value home improvement you can make.
I delayed changing mine. It was an old up-and-over which was likely fitted when the house was constructed in the 80s. It did, just, but it came, it rattled, there were holes at the edges, and the lock was a joke.
Replaced it two years ago with an insulated roller door. Price approximately PS1,800 installed. Good money I ever spent on the house, really.
The new door is safe, it is quiet, it makes the garage warmer in winter and it opens with a button press. I am able to open it on my phone in case I forget to close it at night. The garage no longer leaks during rainy seasons. And my car is well secured, which implies that it will retain its value better.
PS1,800 is nothing when you look at it that way. That is less than two years of depreciation on most cars.
Types of Garage Doors Worth Having.
In case you are going to upgrade, here is what is really worth obtaining:
Roller doors are genius when you have a small driveway. They are rolled up in a box over the door, so you do not have to clear out in front or inside the garage. Safer than up-and-over doors as well, since they are locked at several points.
Sectional doors move up and down the ceiling. They are the most popular type currently since they are secure, do not require a lot of clearance and they appear smart. You may have them insulated, and this is really a difference when you have a room over the garage.
The traditional type is the up-and-over doors. They swing up and out. Less expensive than other varieties, but occupy more space and are not as secure without additional locks. Ok when you are on a tight budget, but when you can afford a roller or sectional, then go.
Side-hinged doors suit old-fashioned houses. As though there were two large doors that opened out. They work well with security provided you instal good locks, but they require clearance in front of the garage to unlock, which not all people have.
Insulated vs Non-Insulated
This is more than you might imagine. An insulated garage door is perhaps PS200-300 more expensive than a non-insulated garage door, but it keeps the garage warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Why is that important to your car? Since high temperatures are unhealthy to everything:
Batteries hate the cold. Warm-ish garage implies that your car will start first time in January. Batteries die in cold weather – I have seen it happen a hundred times.
Painting and plastics do not enjoy extreme changes in temperature. A more stable environment implies less expansion and contraction, which implies less cracking and fading.
When you work on your car, or when the garage is a workshop, insulation will make it really useful in winter, rather than a freezing box where your fingers get numb.
Automatic Openers Are Worth it.
I did not believe in automatic garage door openers. Appeared to be a waste of money. Then I had one, and to tell the truth I would never go back.
You arrive at your home, press a button on your visor or key fob, the door opens, you get into the car, press the button again, the door closes behind you. The entire process lasts approximately 30 seconds and you do not leave your car.
During winter when it is pouring down with rain? Brilliant. When you are unloading shopping? So much easier. It is midnight, and you do not feel like going out there and struggling to get the garage door open? Priceless.
They are even not that costly now. A decent opener can be installed on PS300-500. Less when you do it yourself, but, unless you are a handy person with electrics, it is likely to be worth hiring somebody.
Driveway Improvements
Unless you have a garage, or you have the space to have a driveway, but you just park on the road at the moment, it is worth considering having a driveway installed.
Yeah, it’s expensive. It will cost you PS2,000 to PS10,000 depending on size and materials. But it will add value to your house, and more to the point, it will place your car on your property where you can regulate access.
The least expensive is gravel driveways. About PS30-60 per square metre. They are fine, they are permeable (no planning permission required) and when someone walks on them they make a noise, which is useful in security.
Block paving is intelligent and permanent. More costly – perhaps PS80-120 per square metre – but it will not require replacement during your lifetime. Also comes in a variety of colours, should you be concerned with that.
The intermediate is tarmac or asphalt. Less expensive than block paving, more expensive than gravel, appears professional. About PS50-80 per square metre.
Whichever one you choose, have a dropped kerb and have it done well. Be not that man who only drives over the pavement and breaks it.
Gates and Barriers
With a driveway, the addition of gates makes it much safer. Thieves do not enjoy the process of going through several obstacles.
You can be plain – a plain manual gate that you open and close. Or you can be fancy with electric gates that open remotely. Electric gates are genius when you can afford them (PS2,000-5,000 depending on size and style), but even simple gates are better than none.
Height matters. A little ornamental gate is pretty and will not prevent anybody. You desire something at least chest high, which can be locked.
Ultimate security is achieved with rising bollards, which are costly and likely to be excessive unless you own a Ferrari or otherwise.
Lighting: Strauss but Strauss.
Proper lighting in your garage and driveway is inexpensive to instal and can make a huge difference.
The best are motion sensor lights. They only turn on when a person passes by, thus they do not waste electricity, but when you get home at night they light up your entire driveway.
I have three around my place. One over the garage door, one at the side gate and one at the front door. They overlap coverage to eliminate dark spots. Approx PS150 each of the three, installed in an afternoon.
Thieves dislike working in broad daylight when they can be observed by their neighbours. Your lights may not stop them, but they are likely to continue to a house with no lights where they can work without being noticed.
CCTV That Actually Works
CCTV is cheaper than ever. A good system can be acquired at several hundred pounds, which captures to the cloud and allows you to view it on your phone.
However, there is a problem with it: you must place it in the right position. A camera that is facing the sky or a wall is of no use. You want coverage of:
- Your driveway and any place you park.
- Your side door and garage door.
- Any access or gates to your property.
The cameras should be high enough that individuals cannot simply reach up and switch them off, but low enough that you can actually see faces, not merely the top of the heads of people.
Cameras in sight are a deterrent. Thieves come and usually go. They are caught by hidden cameras, but you would prefer that they did not even attempt it.
Storage and Organisation
This one is more of maintaining your garage operational than security, but it counts.
When your garage is full of rubbish all over it, you are unlikely to take the trouble of putting your car in. However, when it is arranged with proper storage, then it becomes so easy to use.
Wall-mounted racks, overhead storage platforms, correct shelving units – none of it is costly, and it makes a big difference. When a garage is well organised, you can fit much more in it than when it is simply thrown onto the floor.
My garage used to be chaos. I now have bikes on the wall, seasonal stuff in overhead storage, tools on a pegboard, and my car has lots of room in the middle. Same space, only used better.
Security Doors and Locks
There is a side door in your garage. It is used by most people than the main door since it is easier than opening the entire garage to get something.
Thing is, side doors are usually feeble. Thin wood, no deadbolt, old lock. Easy to force.
Instal a decent external door with a proper lock. You would want a solid core door with a five-lever mortice lock at least, and a deadbolt top and bottom, where possible. You are looking at PS300-600 with installation but it is worth it.
Cheque any door between the garage and your house, too, as long as you are there. When a person enters your garage, you do not want them to enter your house. That door ought to be as safe as your front door.
The Floor: Worth Doing?
Garage floors take a beating. Oil, dirt, water, salt in winter – it all adds up. Assuming that your floor is only bare concrete, it is likely to be stained and cracked at this point.
Epoxy coating is not cheap (perhaps PS500-1000 to cover a double garage), but it covers the concrete, looks cool, and is easy to clean. Spill oil? Wipe it off rather than it being a permanent stain.
Not a necessity at all, but when you are putting your garage in order, it completes the task.
What If You Have Not Much Space?
Not all people have space to have a complete garage and a driveway. Yet you may do better:
Carport – A carport is cheaper than a garage, but provides some weather protection and helps keep your car out of view of passing thieves, should you have access to the side. Approximately PS2,000-5,000 based on size and materials.
Parking space – There are secure parking areas that you can rent on a monthly basis. A little more inconvenience than keeping your car at home, but not as bad as parking on the street.
Car cover – When you are in a real jam and can only afford to park on the street, at least a good car cover will cover up your paint work and make people less able to tell what kind of car you have. PS50-200 depending on quality.
Working Out Priorities
You cannot do it all at once, and there are things that are more important than others. This is how I would rank it in case I was starting all over again:
- Safe garage door (or instal one in case you do not have one)
- Parking area lighting.
- All doors of high spec locked.
- Driveway when you have not got one and you have space.
- CCTV
- Automatic garage opener
- Gates
- Fancy items such as floor coating and insulation.
Naturally your budget and priorities may be different but that is more or less the sequence that makes sense in terms of protection.
Adding Value to Your House
And here is a bonus: most of this stuff is value added to your house. Estate agents will inform you that a good security, a good driveway, and a proper garage are all selling points.
A garage door will increase the value of your house by PS2-3k. Depending on size and area, a driveway will add PS5-10k. The place itself just being well-kept and safe is more appealing to buyers.
You are not only securing your car – you are securing your investment in a house as well.
Just Do It
I understand that all this is a lot of work and money. You need not do it at once. Begin with the most pressing thing – it is the garage door, I suppose, when there is rubbish in it – and go down the list as you can afford it.
Every upgrade will make your house more secure, your vehicle safer, and your life easier. And when you put it all together over the years, you will save money on insurance, your car will have better value, and you will not have the nightmare of having to deal with theft or weather damage.
And you will really have the use of your garage as a garage. What seems to be self-evident, yet it does not seem to be.
