A carport is a low-cost, low-maintenance value add to your house. There are so many ways a carport can be used to bring value to your property and your lifestyle, such as increased curb appeal, insurance savings, and the potential for solar panels and a new shaded outdoor area. All of these benefits can be a huge boost to your home’s value immediately for yourself, or as an investment if you consider selling or renting it in the future. Diamond Patios builds carports in Brisbane and have helped many home owners increase their property value while providing a safe place for their vehicles. 

What is a carport?

A carport’s main role is to provide a safe place to park a car, caravan, boat or any other vehicle (or as storage space for other items). It is a standing roof that is typically the size of a single or double garage, and it can be freestanding or attached to your home. Your carport might have a gravel, grass or dirt flooring or be paved with concrete or tiles. 

Carports are a lot less expensive than garages, so if saving money but protecting your car is your goal, the carport is a fantastic investment. You can even erect it yourself if you’re handy, saving costs of labour. 

Four ways your carport can save/make you money, which you may not have considered:

1. Curb appeal

Curb appeal is an incredibly important consideration for selling. It adds a lot of value to your house, so even if you’re not looking at selling in the near future, it’s important to consider these things now so you can start investing in your future. According to LJ Hooker, ‘Curb appeal sets expectations for buyers. If the outside of the house is rundown, they will expect the same inside. If the outside is pristine, buyers will be enticed inside, garnering more prospective buyers and potentially an increased price for your home.’

Having a carport can bring peace of mind to potential buyers or renters, especially if the property is surrounded by trees or near other potential hazards that could hit the car. Your carport can protect your car from storms if there’s a risk of high winds blowing branches off the trees on your property or nearby properties. Greenery looks lovely around your house, but could be seen by potential buyers as a hazard if there isn’t adequate protection from it. 

If eventually selling isn’t something you’re considering at all, a carport may not have curb appeal as a financial value-add. However, who doesn’t like having a beautiful home they can take pride in? Adding a carport that accentuates your home can make you feel great about the place you live in, and put a smile on your face when you come home every day – rather than coming home to cars/caravans/boats parked across the lawn or street. 

2. Insurance savings

Insurance companies always look at risk when deciding how much to charge for their services. When looking at car insurance, they will always consider a garage to be the best, most secure and weatherproof option for your car. If you have one, you will therefore be charged charge less. On the other hand, parking in the sun, on the street, with absolutely no protection doesn’t look good to these insurance companies.

CompareTheMarket also suggests that even crime rates in your suburb affect insurance costs. In the eyes of these companies, it’s important to have a more secure car parking situation than leaving your car in the street. (It’s great to protect yourself from theft regardless of insurance companies, protecting the items you may leave in your car that aren’t insured – i.e. if you leave money inside and someone breaks in.)

If a garage isn’t an option and you’re looking for something in-between to protect your car and impress insurers, a carport is a great compromise. Like a garage, it will be taken into consideration. Having the protection a carport offers can save you around 10% on insurance costs, which can be quite significant depending on how much you need to pay. 

Of course, it isn’t just about insurance. Keeping your car safer means fewer expenses when there’s damage. Even if you have insurance, you still need to pay a gap, so ideally you don’t want any damage at all!

3. Solar panels

Solar panels are a great way to save money and help the environment! We’re lucky to be based in Brisbane, Australia, which has lots and lots of bright sun. This means solar panels are a fantastic investment. 

A carport gives you extra roof space that can be covered with solar panels. If you have a choice in where to place your carport, you can make sure it’s in the best spot to get plenty of sun and therefore create lots of energy. This is especially beneficial if you currently lack roof space that is in an efficient position. 

According to UNIfied, ‘you can save between $10,000 and $30,000 over the lifetime of the solar system’. With an estimated average carport price of $3000, and solar panel installation at $5000, you’ll make back at least what you’ve spent on the carport and panels in power savings! And, most likely, you’ll continue to save much more. 

4. Outdoor shaded space

Your carport can double as a patio or otherwise shaded area, even if you don’t have any flooring done and keep it as grass. By moving out the vehicle (or other items) you store in the carport, you can use the space as an undercover area. This multi-functional space can be a great investment if you lack a patio/undercover area but don’t have the space or money for one. 

You could set up table tennis, a handball court, a pool table or even a makeshift tennis court or basketball court, depending on the amount of space you have. This is a fantastic way to entertain friends or get kids outside while still having protection from the sun. You could also make it a barbecue area, dining patio, morning coffee spot, or so much more!

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Diamond Patios can help you design and build the carport that is ideal for your home

If your garage is overflowing and you need more space to protect your cars, caravan, RV, or boat, then the answer may be as simple as getting a carport installed. Our carports are built strong to resist the harsh Brisbane weather, and keep your vehicles safe and sound.

The team of professionals at Diamond Patios can help design and build the perfect carport for your home. Not only a practical place to park the car undercover, but carports can also give your home another area for entertaining or other uses too. Diamond Patios offers expert advice and only use quality products for peace of mind.

Want to know what your carport roof will cost?

Get an obligation-free quote using our patio roof calculator as an estimate, or Get in touch with the team at Diamond Patios to talk about your carport plans.