Those lucky enough to own a fleet of luxury cars know all too well the importance of a safe, secure garage space.
And it would seem the same rule applies, even if the cars are of the much, much smaller variety.
One clever mother, Angie Taylor of Gippsland, Victoria, has taken a cubby house renovation to the next level with an addition of a three-port car garage.
Angie Taylor of Gippsland (pictured) with her four-year-old son who now has covered parking for his new electric car
Ms Taylor and her family decided to build the addition after previous cars had been damaged by the weather
While her four-year-old was set to wake up on Christmas morning to a pre-assembled and painted playhouse, Ms Taylor decided the extra addition would be perfect for his other present: a ride on car complete with a personalised plate.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Ms Taylor said she started with the now-sold-out $199 Kmart cubby but wanted to add to this to create some shelter for her son’s new electric car.
Though she didn’t really have a plan, the creative mum roped in her family to help build the structure that wouldn’t just offer to park for her son’s car, but also for her two nieces toy cars.
‘Me, my dad and brother-in-law went to Bunnings and we just spoke to someone about what we were trying to do,’ she said.
‘We discussed what we needed, now big the cars were and how much space we needed in between them.
‘Once we had the timber, we framed it out from there,’ she continued. ‘But we basically winged it.’
The Kmart cubby – in its original form – cost $199, Ms Taylor spent a further $400 to create the extension
She explained the three port car garage measures 1.2 metres by 1.2 metres high and is 3.4 metres long.
Keeping everything under wraps until the big day was also a major consideration, Ms Taylor said.
‘We built it at my dad’s sheet metal factory and then brought it home in my dads truck so the kids didn’t see it.’
Construction took place away from home so it would be a surprise come Christmas morning
While she admitted putting together the Kmart cubby was simple, construction of the carport took the three a little longer.
‘We worked on it over three days, just doing a few hours at a time,’ she said.
Ms Taylor also took the time to ensure both the cubby and carport were painted using an exterior paint to protect it from the weather, and she also installed a laser light roof to stop the sun from discolouring the cars.
The mother-of-one outlined that she lives with her sister, her partner and their two young girls and had plenty of space to built the extension. She also revealed the family have a four-port garage where they park their three cars.
Come Christmas morning, her son and her two nieces woke to the surprise of their lives
Driving in style – the ride-on electric cars not only have shelter from the elements, they also come with personalised plates
While not a cheap Christmas gift, it’s one she and her family couldn’t have been happier to receive.
‘When they saw it they were just screaming and yelling. They just loved it,’ she said.
Though the cars, which come with personalised plates are a huge hit with the three children, the carport and cubby, also continue to prove popular, notes Ms Taylor.
‘They are going to playing in this for many years to come.
‘I don’t think this is going to get old anytime soon,’ she concluded.