Thanks Jimmy, voice of reason
Around 30% of the garage would remain, for storage and tools.
We have very similar budgets, but you get way more up norf for that, compared to Surrey.
That will help. People are looking for (more secure than a wooden shed) storage for things like lawnmowers and expensive bicycles, and expensive kids garden tools. Not many people actually garage their cars nowadays - every house in my street has a garage, but the only ones who put a car in are the ones with doubles (3 out of 22).
Although we're quite lucky on crime rates around here (although the chavs, probably from the new estate, have vandalised the fuel pumps at Tesco, which is causing chaos
) just about everywhere crime is rising, and will get worse with the Police publically stating that they wont really spend much time investigating simple burgulary, and the recession coming.
Mum now has to keep certain garden equipment in her garage for insurance reasons - her brick built sheds/outhouses cannot get cover any more for things like lawnmowers, strimmers, hedgetrimmers and so on.