View Full Version : Garage or Games Room
alanandjude
25-08-2005, 02:21
Hi All,
what would guests rather have - a garage or a games room?
We are about to convert our garage to a games room, but recently had an American guest comment that she preferred the garage to keep their cars cool.
What's your preference?
Thanks
abbeyvillas
25-08-2005, 02:33
Hi Alan,
We have just made a games room in our garage but we decided to still have the option to use it as a garage. We bought an electronic dart board, a fold away table tennis table, some folding chairs and brightened it up with floor paint and posters. We have already had hours of fun in there!
The only time we have needed to put the car in the garage was during a hurricane and wanted to keep this option for our guests.
Jeanette
chrizzy100
25-08-2005, 03:58
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by alanandjude
Hi All,
what would guests rather have - a garage or a games room?
We are about to convert our garage to a games room, but recently had an American guest comment that she preferred the garage to keep their cars cool.
What's your preference?
Thanks
[/quote]
We always keep our car in the garage.......we have a games room at home that no-one uses....
Last year we had a garage and we used it, this year the garage had been converted to a bedroom and we really missed the garage as the car was so hot.
caroline
25-08-2005, 12:29
I guess it depends which way your house faces, the front of our house is North facing so the driveway is in shade for a lot of the day - and the pool in the sun all day[8D] - consequently we've turned the garage into a games room and the cars don't get hot as they're parked on the drive in the shade - best of both Worlds[^]
LiesaAnna
25-08-2005, 12:38
have never looked for a games room, but then again have only used the garage to hang the washing across the lines supplied!!
but would be quite pleased if there was a games room and i wasnt expecting it!
We have heard that a lot of Americans like to have a garage to park their cars in. We always leave ours out on the drive but guess that's probably a British thing. You will probably get some who want a games room and others who would like a garage. If you are looking to the UK market for rentals then probably more would like a games room I would think. (May be wrong!) I would plump for a games room personally.
julieanne
25-08-2005, 13:31
I would have to say a garage - we always put the car in the garage - either out of the sun or safe from hurricanes!!!1
Nick Sayer
25-08-2005, 13:51
An interesting question and i have to say some of the answers have surprised me.
To be honest i just assumed that people would prefer a games room as it is a holiday home. However the keeping the car cool i would say is definatly an American thing as brits don't think about it to much.
Now i am not sure whether to convert the garage or not? Do people think it increses bookings as i thought it probably would.
However when people ask if i have a games room my usual response is "Florida is the sunshine state, i have a pool and a spa, why would you want to be inside playing pool".
I think if you live in a hot country, a cool car is more important than a games room. For a holiday home I guess its not so vital....if its a plus for guests.
In oz everyone has their car in a garage or under a car port, as you just 'wilt and die' when you get in a car that's been parked outside....it takes ages to cool down the interior, and the steering wheel is usually unbearable to touch. The Air Con cools it down, but there is always that 'inbetween' stage when you are waiting for the car to freeze over!
sundowner
25-08-2005, 14:06
We always put the car in the garage because it keeps it lovely and cool so no waiting for air-con to kick in.
Jeanette (Abbeyvillas) has a good idea though - I would imaging that a lot of the time loder kids would enjoy it in the evenings or rainy days.
pieman790
25-08-2005, 14:09
We have a games area in the garage and all of our guests think its a great idea, especially for the kids. We can still move the tables and get a car in the garage if required
Cruella DeVilla
25-08-2005, 16:29
This is all down to personal preference. Personally we would not want to spend our holiday in Florida in a garage playing pool but there are lots of families that would enjoy that. We have electronic remote control access into our garage so use it to keep the car cool as it would be wasted on a games room.
caroline
25-08-2005, 16:44
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
Personally we would not want to spend our holiday in Florida in a garage playing pool [/quote]
Me neither CDV, but my kids love it! as do loads of our guests[msnsmile2]
Andy & Arlene
25-08-2005, 17:25
Just had a request from an enquirer looking for a home with a garage that they can put their car in and it was a UK enquiry. So not just Americans looking for a garage.
Cruella DeVilla
25-08-2005, 20:34
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by caroline
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Cruella DeVilla
Personally we would not want to spend our holiday in Florida in a garage playing pool [/quote]
Me neither CDV, but my kids love it! as do loads of our guests[msnsmile2]
[/quote]
Absolutely! I am sure many guests are looking for them and if we had teenagers it night be a different story for us too.
chrizzy100
25-08-2005, 21:25
Its a case of unless you have a room in the house for a games room leaving the garage free for the cars...you're not going to please everyone......
orlandodaze
25-08-2005, 21:36
A garage would be more important to us, by the way if you dont have a garage where do you keep the garbage bins?. A games room is not important to us , we prefer the pool and games in the pool, I totally agree with Cruella ,there is no way we would spend our Florida holiday playing pool in the garage.
ctgirlscout
25-08-2005, 21:49
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by alanandjude
Hi All,
what would guests rather have - a garage or a games room?
We are about to convert our garage to a games room, but recently had an American guest comment that she preferred the garage to keep their cars cool.
What's your preference?
Thanks
[/quote]
We always keep our car in the garage.......we have a games room at home that no-one uses....
[/quote]
That's because you have it at home. It's like living in NY and never going to see the Statue of Liberty (guilty as charged!)
I am quite surprised by how many guests prefer a garage as they like to put their cars away. We converted our garage to a games room and guests seem to be delighted by it. More than anything I think it is the children and teens who like to use it and if the children are happy then the parents are!
We never think of putting our car away as it take no time to cool the car anyway with air conditioning(though haven't been in the middle of summer!) and we have made it so that guests can put a car in if they move the games around.
Maybe your own circumstances could make the decision for you, i.e. if like us you have a family, especially teenagers, then it is worth doing, and have to say a lot of our bookings are from guests who specifically want a games room, but there is obviously a market for both!
sunseeker
25-08-2005, 22:41
We prefer to put the car in the garage. Where do people find the time to use a games room when on holiday in Florida?[msneek][msneek]
Dave
chrizzy100
25-08-2005, 23:48
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by dbrook
I am quite surprised by how many guests prefer a garage as they like to put their cars away. We converted our garage to a games room and guests seem to be delighted by it. More than anything I think it is the children and teens who like to use it and if the children are happy then the parents are!
We never think of putting our car away as it take no time to cool the car anyway with air conditioning(though haven't been in the middle of summer!) and we have made it so that guests can put a car in if they move the games around.
Maybe your own circumstances could make the decision for you, i.e. if like us you have a family, especially teenagers, then it is worth doing, and have to say a lot of our bookings are from guests who specifically want a games room, but there is obviously a market for both!
[/quote]
I was surprised too.....I thought I would be the odd one out because we already have a games room.....
eastcoastbranch
26-08-2005, 03:26
We`ve not converted our garage yet to a games room. We just can`t decide what to do. I wouldn`t use a games room in Florida there`s far to much to do and there`s only the two of us but I can understand why family`s might prefer to have one. We`ll wait a few months more and see how we feel when we go back over to Florida.
Hannah
We prefer our garage as a garage. We have a good quality Table Tennis table that can be used ourdoor on the pool deck, or opened in the garage, and have foosball and such in the house. We have remote opener on the garage, and just drive straight in out of rain and sun without any discomfort - plus our drive does not get overcrowded, causing problems for parking - HOA won't allow parking on the road, which you could get with a couple of families..........
Definitely leave as a garage - I know of one person who complained as there was an owners car left in the garage -so they couldn't use it, despite seeing a garage on photos - not a happy bunny.
alanandjude
29-08-2005, 00:16
Thanks for all the advice.
I can see the garage being useful, especially in bad weather, although we usually leave our car on the drive, in fact I've never parked in it. so I'm thinking it might be better to convert it, but it sounds like it might be important to a lot of guests.
Think I might need to do my first poll.
[clap][clap]
Thanks everyone
abbeyvillas
29-08-2005, 04:14
Alan & Jude,
Many people suggest they never have time to use a games room with so much else to do in Florida but during the winter months the parks close early and it gets dark alot earlier than during the summer. Our teenagers love to go into the games room when we return from an evening out.
As for the cars haven't these people heard of sun screens - we have a window shield and leave a towel in the car at all times to cover the steering wheel - works a treat!! You can pick up window shields for a few dollars locally so no problem for guests using hire cars.:)
Jeanette
We converted our garage to a games room despite the fact that we usually use the garage if there is one available. We have never played a game of pool but must admit to having a couple of games on the air hockey table. Basically we decided to add a games room because although this is our holiday home, first and foremost it is a rental home. We added features that we thought renters would want rather than what we would use.
When our neighbours rented our villa for 2 weeks last February they paid for pool heat but then asked the MC to switch it off. They said they wanted to save us some money because they didn't have time to use the pool, they were too busy visiting the theme parks! They did however comment on how wonderful the games room was for keeping the kids amused while they were getting everything ready for their days out. They have booked to go back again next February with no pool heat.
I suppose this just goes to show that different people enjoy different things, we have had lots of positive comments about the games room mainly from people who hadn't really thought about whether they wanted one or not. We have had no negative comments about not having a garage mainly I suppose because if someone really wanted one they wouldn't book our villa. I have noticed more enquirers asking for a home with a games room than ones asking for a garage, but I guess it's all down to personal choice.
We did think about the problems of hurricanes so all the games equipment can be moved to one side of the garage and there would still be plenty of space for one car.
CarolAnn
29-08-2005, 15:38
Sorry to say, on a personal basis, Bizarre!! But, if guests want it... so be it!! Gives you another SP!!
Games room definitely. We visited a friend of ours a couple of years back for two days who had rented a house from this site at Westridge where they had several bedrooms and a garage converted into a bedroom/games room. It was spectacular. All the kids loved it and they played pool for hours while the adults enjoyed a drink by the pool. [msnsmile2]
S&VEdwards
04-09-2005, 00:29
We didn't get a choice our garage had already been converted. Think it would be different if you actually lived there, otherwise, is ok to park on the drive, here we park on the road so that's an improvement. It could always be changed back as well couldn't it.
Regards
Sandra and Victor
http://onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/2251.aspx
neild292
25-11-2005, 02:58
Has to be a games room
sheenallan
25-11-2005, 10:56
We have put games in the garage,but if people want to put a car in the garage they only have to move the games to one side of the garage.Its up to them.
Sheena
gail and david roberts
25-11-2005, 12:17
we also put in a games room last year
but can move the table's to get a car
in if needs must
its been the best thing we have done so far
and all our young guest love it [clap]we also have two teenagers who we never see when we are there
and its nice to see then getting on together instead of shouting at each other [msnscared][msnsad][msnoo][msneek]
I would say games room, from a renters point of view.
The last time we went to Florida, by the time we had left the parks for the day,we were fit for nothing.But kids being kids still had energy left, so this time we are looking to rent a villa with games room, for the simple reason that when we return from the parks,we can just chill and the kids can entertain themselves.
Regards
Taffy
markandpam
25-11-2005, 16:45
For me it has to be a games room. We are just equiping ours as the garage has never been used! I have no idea why renters don't like putting their vehicles away but it's obviously something they don't do. I'm sure it will get more use and, as someone else said, it adds a selling point.
Pam.
jminmaine
26-11-2005, 16:50
I would say a games room. We travel to Florida in March, so it is never too hot for us. Also, being from Maine, where we often have to shovel snow and ice off our cars when left outside, a little heat doesn't seem like much to deal with.
Finally, as a mother of two small children, the games room we had in our last rental was a big help keeping them occupied while we prepared to go out or prepared meals. If we had older kids (say, teenagers) we would likely be out from dawn to late night at the parks, returning to the villa to sleep only. However, with preschool or young grade school children, you do need to keep reasonable hours, and be careful not to overstimulate or overtire them. Thus there are a few hours each day of "villa time" or "down time" as we say, and it is nice for them to have a choice of activities without leaving the villa.
Newhomebuyer
26-11-2005, 17:18
I would have to say neither as we had a home cinema put into ours.
My son and husband love it, it was their project and we did it for them. Of course the people who choose our villa often do so because of the cinema.