A happy home for your new car

If your planning to get a new or second-hand car in the next six months, you’ll want to take good care of it, and here’s a good way to do just that. Revamp your garage and give your pride and joy a roof over its head.

Where to start

If you’re lucky enough to own a garage, then the first thing on the cards might be to de-clutter it. Old pots of paint, a broken lawn mower, and that moth-ridden arm chair you can’t face getting rid of familiar items that may choke up your garage. The first thing you might want to do is to work out what should be kept in the garage – for example bicycles, a ladder or garden tools – and what deserves a one-way ticket to the tip.

Deciding what you need

Once clear, you have a ‘blank canvas’ to decide how you will revamp and fit out the garage. Budgeting for this project is the first step. You may be able to part fund your project with money made through selling items you’ve decided you no longer need. The rest could come from personal savings or a loan.

There are numerous online resources, providing hints and tips on how to make the most of your garage, here are a few more:

Electricity – if the garage doesn’t already have power, one option can be to have sockets fitted by an electrician, especially if you’re into late night car vacuuming or polishing sessions . Keeping your garage illuminated is important if you want to work in the garage during the evenings.

• Water supply – either inside the garage to supply a wash-hand basin to clean oily hands or outside to feed the garden hose.

• Shelves – these are essential since you may need to store car cleaning liquids, polishes and under the bonnet fluids to keep your car performing and looking the part.

• Workbench with a vice – depending on your level of mechanical capability, a workbench is great for basic car maintenance jobs. It can also come in handy for servicing bicycles and other pieces of kit.

• Air compressor – much less effort than a foot pump, a compressor is useful for pumping up tyres and powering tools needed for car maintenance; for example sanders, polishers and spray guns if you want to renovate bodywork.

• Flooring – the surface your car will stand on, such as concrete, might be practical. However, an upgraded finish can be more forgiving to dropped objects, and allow spills to be absorbed more easily.

• Toolbox or chest – there are dozens of creative ways to store your tools to help keep your car and other pieces of equipment in tip-top shape. Less expensive tool boxes and kits are more portable, while pricier, large chests and wall-mounted cabinets are suited to the more seasoned DIY mechanic.

• Security – car insurance policies often require owners to declare where a car is kept – for example in a garage or on a driveway. There are many types of security for garages, including stronger locks, padlocks, outdoor lighting, alarms – and even CCTV.

This guest post was written on behalf of Money Matters, the Sainsbury’s Bank blog. It aims to be informative and engaging. Though it may include handy tips and tricks, it does not constitute advice and should not be used as a basis for any financial decisions. Any links to Sainsbury’s Bank product pages contained within this post are there to provide information, not to directly promote financial products. All information in this post was correct at date of publication.

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