When looking to increase the value of your home, you may immediately think of a kitchen refresh or an update to your master bathroom. You might consider new windows or replacing your worn-out carpet with gleaming hardwood floors.
The opportunity to bump up the value of your home may be most evident in the spot you’re least likely to consider: the garage. You may see it as the place to store your trash and recycle bins or where you stash your kids’ bikes and scooters. Some people even use it to house a car or two (shocking).
To a potential home buyer, that garage may be much more. It may tell them a lot about how you maintain your home, and they may be eyeing it for countless Saturdays restoring a classic car or a potential art studio. Here are some ways you can increase the value of your home with a garage upgrade:
Begin with the garage door: If you have a heavy, manual garage door, consider replacing it with an automatic door. At the very least, replace it with a lighter aluminum model that’s easy to lift. When you replace it, consider a style that adds some appeal, like a door with windows or carriage house-style features. These added elements may not increase value like a replacement door, but they may attract buyers to the home.
Add ventilation and insulation: You may want to insulate the ceilings and walls of the garage to improve the climate control of your garage. It also provides a noise barrier for your garage and your home. Consider improving ventilation to limit the impact of carbon monoxide fumes and their ability to seep into your home.
Upgrade storage: The garage is a great place for storage, but home buyers may see your old appliances, stacked boxes and paint cans as an indication that storage in the home is limited. Take an afternoon to purge, and then build a few shelves to hold a few big, lidded bins. These can store items without creating visual clutter and will help potential buyers see what a versatile storage solution the garage offers.
Improve the floor: Most home buyers won’t notice a plain concrete floor, but one that’s coated in epoxy or a tile surface might catch their attention. You can also add grit to epoxy paint to make the garage floor a non-slip surface.
Add a lift: This one’s for extra credit, but if you have the ceiling space, adding a lift can attract the notice of potential home buyers that are looking for increased storage for multiple cars or that like to spend time working on their vehicle.
The garage isn’t the only spot in your home that’s perfect for improving the value of your home. Contact us at Dani Beyer Real Estate. We’ll take a walk around your home and give you some ideas for what will give you the biggest return on each investment you make. Then we’ll help you get the best possible price for your home when you’re ready to sell.