Drivers are being told they risk losing £13,200 if they ignore a key rule about their driveway and garage. Millions of homes up and down the country have both a garage and a driveway, although these days, not many drivers actually bother to drive their car into their garage and lock it away each night.

Whether it’s more rust-proof cars or just a preference for convenience with how often we drive these days, it’s fair to say most drivers don’t actually park in their garage now. Instead, many garages have become glorified storage sheds, harbouring tools, chest freezers, lawnmowers, old tins of paint and all manner of tat, but often not a car.

As a result, a lot of home owners now opt to block off their garage from their driveway, instead opting for extensions which eat into driveway space for more living space inside the house, or putting up fencing or decking which makes it impossible to park in a garage.

But according to home property value experts Property Price Advice, having a garage which is accessible from your driveway is worth an average of £13,200 extra added to your house’s value.

That means no longer allowing your car to be able to drive into your garage - or getting rid of the garage entirely - could knock that amount off your house value.

They said: “First up, garages add value to a property. While it varies, homes with a garage can be worth as much as 5% more than those without – which is around £13,200 for properties valued at £264,000.

“Secondly, garages are somewhat in short supply in 2025. Even though an estimated 11 million homes in the UK have a garage, that’s only a third of properties today.

“Zoopla recently revealed that ‘garage’ and ‘parking’ both make it into the top three most searched terms for both buyers and renters. This indicates that buyers and renters want homes with garages – potentially even seeing it as a priority.

“Plus, not all these properties will have a garage that’s accessible from inside the home, leaving even fewer convertible garages available on the market.”

Joseph Lane, founder of Mortgage Lane, says: "A garage can significantly increase a home’s value. But the type of garage, its functionality, and its location are key factors that affect how much value it adds.”

On average, Joseph says, a garage can boost a home’s value by between 5% and 10% – though this varies depending on your location and how practical or versatile the space actually is. In those areas where off-street parking is limited, he says, a garage can become a major selling point.

Kevin Keen, founder of Keen’s Buildings, agrees: “A finished two-car garage with electricity and insulation tends to bring the highest return. In some cases, we’ve seen garages push a home past appraisal benchmarks that otherwise wouldn’t be met.