What's better than a garage with a lift and a kitchen? Not much, UK owners say

Some folks look to change houses because they need more room, or perhaps their current home's basement floods.

Others want a “perfect garage” with a hydraulic lift.

In the United Kingdom — where priorities may be different from those in the United States — research from eBay indicates that nearly two-thirds of UK motorists (65 percent) would consider moving for the ideal garage, and they’d be prepared to pay about 5% over asking price to have one.

Reporting the results of a survey among 2,000 car enthusiasts, eBay says the lift and custom toolboxes would satisfy the need to makes repairs to the Aston Martin DB5 or the Jaguar E-type (the cars respondents said they’’d most want installed in the garage).

Certainly a built-in drain would be a nice touch for washing the vehicles, as well as proper ventilation for those paint touch-ups.

A small kitchen in the garage and a jukebox would be lovely, also. Those polled were also asked to make a list of nifty additions to the garage space. Among the suggestions: a snooker table, decorative lighting, a La-Z-Boy recliner, and engine hoists.

According to the research, more than 4-in-10 homeowners feel that their current garage stops them from fulfilling their passion for cars. More than half would be more likely to own a classic car if they had a garage to store it in.

Said Oliver Bindloss of the Bindloss Dawes Architects firm that worked with eBay on the poll: “Garages are so much more than just a functional space for cars, they must be tough and work hard, but also be enjoyable spaces to relax in. For us as architects, the perfect garage has to start with the cars themselves.”