Imagine if every time someone visited your home, they had to walk past an overgrown, rubbish-filled front garden. What would that say about you as a homeowner? What would visitors assume about the care you take inside your property?
For social housing providers, lock-up garage estates serve as the front gardens of your organisation. They’re often the first thing residents, councillors, and communities see and they’re making powerful judgments about your values based on what they find.
The past decade has brought sustained criticism: rental increases coupled with declining maintenance, empty blocks becoming magnets for antisocial behaviour, and persistent fly-tipping issues. By early 2025, abandoned garages had become one of residents’ primary concerns.
One resident told us, “I used to avoid walking past that block – it felt forgotten.” That sense of abandonment isn’t just visual, it’s emotional. Just as a neglected front garden signals that nobody cares about the property, poorly maintained garage estates communicate organisational neglect to entire communities.
When Your Front Garden Tells the Wrong Story
Recent media reports have described garage blocks as “breeding grounds for anti-social behaviour” and criticised housing providers for “hoarding” unused sites. Poorly maintained garage estates do more than attract antisocial behaviour, they signal neglect to surrounding communities, diminishing residents’ wellbeing and undermining wider social cohesion.
The reputational cost includes:
- Media coverage highlighting dereliction and safety concerns
- Resident frustration over broken promises and poor communication
- Regulatory pressure to demonstrate asset stewardship
But here’s the thing about front gardens: transform one, and it often inspires neighbours to improve theirs too. The same principle applies to garage estates.
Cultivating Your Organisational Front Garden
At Courtman & Co., we help social housing landlords transform their garage estates from organisational embarrassments into sources of community pride. Just as a well-maintained front garden reflects the care and attention inside the home, properly managed garage sites demonstrate your commitment to residents and communities.
Our approach treats each garage site as part of your organisational curb appeal – because that’s exactly what they are.
Know What You’re Working With
Just as any good gardener starts by understanding their plot, we begin by mapping garage stock into practical categories:
Know your stock
We begin by mapping garage stock into practical categories:
- Sites with immediate income potential with low-cost repairs required
- Sites offering medium-term income potential following refurbishment
- Sites requiring urgent attention currently posing a hazard
This helps landlords to act decisively and sensitively, whether through repair, re-letting, or full refurbishment.
Focusing On What Works and Lasts
We stay grounded in horticultural reality: not every patch of land is suited to roses, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be well presented and functional. We assess each site’s condition, local demand, and operational viability to guide decisions around improvement, alternative use, or respectful removal.
Case Study: Maidstone, Kent
A garage block that had become the neighborhood’s equivalent of an abandoned front garden complete with fly-tipping and neglect, was transformed through targeted repairs and strategic re-letting. Within weeks, complaints vanished and new rental income was flowing, just as neighbours often improve their own gardens when someone else leads by example.
“The landlord has done an excellent job, and I can’t ask for anything more; it’s a great improvement for our housing block!” Mrs Jackson – Local Resident
Case Study: Christchurch, Dorset
What had become the equivalent of a derelict front garden, complete with structural hazards and environmental risks, underwent a complete transformation. Following comprehensive redevelopment, the site achieved full occupancy and became a source of community pride.
The result? Like a beautiful front garden that adds value to the entire street, this transformation reduced voids, increased income, and built trust throughout the community.
Speaking the Language of Pride and Place
Just as a homeowner proudly shares stories about their flourishing front garden, the way a housing provider communicates about garage improvements speaks volumes. It’s not only about bricks and mortar, it’s about care, dignity, and connection.
Liz Burton, a resident, shared in a recent review: “Courtman and Co. have been so supportive… showing kindness and compassion when I faced difficult personal issues.” Her experience reflects the kind of personal attention that builds trust and pride in a community.
We believe that every piece of tenant communication, from tenancy agreements to improvement notices, is an opportunity to demonstrate that same care. When residents feel genuinely supported, they’re more likely to see their surroundings not just as infrastructure, but as part of a shared, thriving community.
Beyond Upkeep
Garage sites aren’t just assets to be managed; they’re part of the everyday landscape for tenants and local residents. That’s why our approach goes beyond upkeep. We embed social value into every decision, so each site supports both operational goals and community wellbeing.
Behind every transformation is a team chosen for their care, reliability, and responsiveness. It’s not just about delivery, it’s about earning trust, protecting reputation, and ensuring landlords feel confident at every step.
Why Your Garages Matter More Than Ever
Garage estates are no longer invisible. They’re being photographed, reported on, and debated in council chambers. For landlords, the reputational stakes are high, but so is the opportunity.
For social housing providers, the reputational stakes have never been higher, but neither has the opportunity for positive impact and to reflect the true quality of your organisation.
With the right strategy, garage sites become ambassadors of care, stewardship, and social value. Garage sites don’t need to be a burden – they can be a reputational asset. With clear steps and no added strain, we help you deliver real impact – for residents, reputation, and long-term value.
Lewis Tennent, Strategic Partnerships Director