Are garages out of fashion?
Jun 29, 2007
FOR many years, having a garage on one’s house has been the fashion. It does not matter whether the owner of the house has a car or not, but the prospect of ever acquiring one is the very reason that room for a garage is always created.
By Jude Katende
FOR many years, having a garage on one’s house has been the fashion. It does not matter whether the owner of the house has a car or not, but the prospect of ever acquiring one is the very reason that room for a garage is always created.
However, a good number of house-owners hardly use the garage for its purpose because of their inability to purchase a car.
In such situations, house-owners turn garages into shops, tailoring rooms, drug stores, clinics or even bedrooms. But once you acquire a car, having the ideal garage is something worth considering.
Proximity of the garage to the house
Many people have their garages attached to the main house, although it is safer to have them detached.
However, the advantage of an attached garage to the house is that once you enter the garage, you will head straight into the house without having to worry about bumping into a stranger waiting to pounce on you.
The drawback with an attached garage is that burglars or car-jackers can access your house by following you into the garage undetected.
With vehicle fumes penetrating the main house and the likelihood of fire break-outs, an attached garage is hazardous and needs a lot of caution during construction.
Henry Kintu, an architect with Skas Property, says in the past, house-owners loved detached garages, but today, the trend is running out of fashion.
“People these days have garages as a form of security and not necessity. They keep cars in garages because in the past, there was a lot of insecurity so the garage trend stuck. Today, with the availability of perimeter walls and guarded car-parking areas, garages are dying out,†he says.
Kintu, however, recommends garages for weather’s sake. He argues that when it is cold or raining, a garage will be the only alternative.
One can have a garage for two or more cars if they can afford. Although the garage is almost fading, in developed countries, it is the opposite, with house owners in the US opting for three-car garages.
According to wwwmbaonline, Matt Moroney, the executive director of the Metropolitan Builders Association observed: “With ceilings reaching taller heights, larger garages are becoming a must-have in new homes.â€
For most buyers, the appeal of a sizeable garage that can accommodate three cars is the in-thing because of more storage space.
Additionally, builders are finding that consumers prefer eight-foot by 10-foot garage doors compared to the more standard seven-foot by nine-foot doors so that their larger garages can readily accommodate big 4x4 cars.
Garage doors come in many designs and finish. They could be automatically opened or manual in wooden or metallic material. Local designers can, however, come up with something appealing to you.
As they have gotten larger, garages have also become more sophisticated, said Moroney. “Consumers find elaborate and extensive built-in storage and shelving systems, work areas, utility sinks and many other amenities very appealing,†he added.
Even in Uganda, people can build big garages with space for holding yard and garden equipment, seasonal recreational equipment and much more.
FOR many years, having a garage on one’s house has been the fashion. It does not matter whether the owner of the house has a car or not, but the prospect of ever acquiring one is the very reason that room for a garage is always created.
However, a good number of house-owners hardly use the garage for its purpose because of their inability to purchase a car.
In such situations, house-owners turn garages into shops, tailoring rooms, drug stores, clinics or even bedrooms. But once you acquire a car, having the ideal garage is something worth considering.
Proximity of the garage to the house
Many people have their garages attached to the main house, although it is safer to have them detached.
However, the advantage of an attached garage to the house is that once you enter the garage, you will head straight into the house without having to worry about bumping into a stranger waiting to pounce on you.
The drawback with an attached garage is that burglars or car-jackers can access your house by following you into the garage undetected.
With vehicle fumes penetrating the main house and the likelihood of fire break-outs, an attached garage is hazardous and needs a lot of caution during construction.
Henry Kintu, an architect with Skas Property, says in the past, house-owners loved detached garages, but today, the trend is running out of fashion.
“People these days have garages as a form of security and not necessity. They keep cars in garages because in the past, there was a lot of insecurity so the garage trend stuck. Today, with the availability of perimeter walls and guarded car-parking areas, garages are dying out,†he says.
Kintu, however, recommends garages for weather’s sake. He argues that when it is cold or raining, a garage will be the only alternative.
One can have a garage for two or more cars if they can afford. Although the garage is almost fading, in developed countries, it is the opposite, with house owners in the US opting for three-car garages.
According to wwwmbaonline, Matt Moroney, the executive director of the Metropolitan Builders Association observed: “With ceilings reaching taller heights, larger garages are becoming a must-have in new homes.â€
For most buyers, the appeal of a sizeable garage that can accommodate three cars is the in-thing because of more storage space.
Additionally, builders are finding that consumers prefer eight-foot by 10-foot garage doors compared to the more standard seven-foot by nine-foot doors so that their larger garages can readily accommodate big 4x4 cars.
Garage doors come in many designs and finish. They could be automatically opened or manual in wooden or metallic material. Local designers can, however, come up with something appealing to you.
As they have gotten larger, garages have also become more sophisticated, said Moroney. “Consumers find elaborate and extensive built-in storage and shelving systems, work areas, utility sinks and many other amenities very appealing,†he added.
Even in Uganda, people can build big garages with space for holding yard and garden equipment, seasonal recreational equipment and much more.