Something I always HAD to have was getting my stuff dry from the car into the house. Since we are now building a semi-detached house with the entrance at the front and the garage on the side, that was not feasible. I was even about to cancel the whole thing. Solution? Patio roof, exit from the storage room connected to the garage to the side, and tada: Woman walks through the rain into the house, dries off, goes over the terrace into the garage, and can bring all the things dry into the house. Sounds complicated, but it was the only option (changing the floor plan with the entrance on the side would have been rubbish) and acceptable for me. What I mean is: if you want something that doesn't seem possible at first, you should think around the corner a little. PS the metal strips are also noted on my list!