Why Bother Cleaning Out the Garage?

Garages were originally designed for car owners to store their car. They replaced carriage houses which once stored the family’s horse drawn carriage. 

Garages come in all sizes, from two stalled to four stalled, and even more and can be attached or detached from the house. Most new houses today are built with an attached two stalled garage. 

Recently, I changed insurance carriers, and was astounded that I qualified for a discounted rate because we actually keep our cars in our garage. 

“A garage, whether attached or detached, is the best and safest place to store vehicles,” my new insurance agent explained. But you’d be surprised that only one in four people actually store their cars in the garage.” 

So why doesn’t everybody use their garage for its original purpose?

Clutter Takes Priority 

New housing developments are sprouting up all over our little town. The house designs are all the same and each home includes an attached two stalled garage. These garages are designed for the homeowners convenience. Ideally, when pulling into their attached garage, they can close the overhead door automatically, eliminating any possibilities with an inconvenience. For instance, the garage will keep you dry when it is raining, and protect you from pesky dogs roaming the neighborhood. In your attached garage, you can transition from your car to your house without the nosy neighbor observing what you’ve purchased from the store.  Not only that, but your car has less of a chance of being hit or broken into while inside the garage. But you have to actually park in the garage before you can benefit from any of these conveniences. 

From my non-scientific observations, many people do not appear to be using their garages for their intended purpose. Instead, I see shiny new cars and trucks parked in driveways or on the street. 

Just last week while pedaling my bike to the post office, I cruised through one of the new housing developments and gazed at the contents inside some of the garages. With doors wide open, all was exposed. There were racks of clothes, furniture draped in plastic, and storage tubs piled to the ceiling. In others there was exercise and recreational equipment along with tool chests, refrigerators and gardening pots. Their garage space was filled to the brim with no room for one, let alone two vehicles. The safe and convenient space designed for a vehicle was instead being used as an oversize junk drawer. 

To me it seems a little backwards. Aren’t those shiny new cars and trucks more valuable than a dusty treadmill? It would seem so. But then again I’m one in four of those people who get the insurance discount because I can actually park in my garage.

Why bother cleaning out the garage? Though it may be difficult to part with that piece of exercise equipment you’ve always wanted to use,  it might be worth it to make room for a car. After all, a discount rate from your insurance agent might be waiting for you.