Garage Upgrades That Could Increase Your Home’s Value

Most home buyers nowadays, up to 80% in fact, consider a garage an essential part of the home. Whether you have a detached or attached garage, having a safe place to store your car from the weather is becoming a necessity for today’s homeowner.

Garages often serve many purposes. Their primary purpose is to keep your vehicle inside a safe place, but they are also often used for other reasons like extra storage or living space, a personal recreational area, games room, workstation and so much more.

If you are planning to sell, upgrading your garage can increase your homes value by 10% or more, depending on where you live. In fact, a finished vs unfinished garage value can add an extra $10,000 more to your home’s sale price so it is worth putting in the extra time and effort into your garage upgrades.

When doing garage upgrades to increase home value, it’s important to do the right upgrades. What works for you might not attract buyers if you are planning to sell your home. When planning garage renovations to increase your home value, remember what purpose a garage serves for your buyer.

Update Your Garage Door

If you have an old, wooden, heavy, or unsightly garage door, it’s well worth the time and money to replace it with a newer, lighter, more attractive automatic garage door. Older doors are cumbersome and can be hard to lift. Likewise, if the door doesn’t work properly or complement the rest of your exterior, it will take away from your homes curb appeal. A newer design that opens with an automatic door opener will attract more buyers.

Flooring

Although garage floors aren’t something you think about when updating, it is an important feature when it comes to selling your home. Stained, old, and damaged floors quickly take away from the aesthetic look of a garage. Upgrading your floor with a polished cement, epoxy coating, graphite or sandstone, or heavy duty rubber or vinyl tiles not only looks better, but a durable floor lasts longer and easier to keep clean.

Weather Proofing

If you’re wondering if a heated garage increases a home’s value, the answer is yes. An attached garage can cause your energy bills to rise in the winter when the cold air from the garage interferes with your home’s heating.

Because building codes for attached and unattached garages are different than home codes, they are likely to be uninsulated and have more leaks and holes for air to escape from. Weatherproofing your garage with insulation, weather-strips, and sealing off holes and cracks will keep lower your energy costs and attract more buyers.

Lighting

Entering a dark garage is not only scary, but also unsafe. To protect your home and yourself, add extra lighting to your garage so it is well lit inside and out. Extra light fixtures and motion lights will help protect your home and add to its value. Lights are a relatively easy garage upgrade that increases your home’s value.

Storage

Many homeowners find garages to be a great place to store extra furniture, tools, household material and seasonal items. But do garage cabinets increase home value? The short answer is no. Too much stuff stored in your garage can be a real distraction for would-be buyers.

While your garage is a great place to add extra items, when it comes time to sell, using a garage as a storage facility makes it look cluttered.  While some items are OK to store in a garage, be careful how and what you store inside.

Installing a storage loft above the main area to tuck away your extra stuff or shelving cabinets along one side will give you the extra storage you need without taking away from the value of your garage or home.

Garage Exterior

A well-kept garage exterior adds curb appeal to your home. If the exterior of your garage, driveway and surrounding green scape looks good, it will help attract buyers. Upgrading the paint, siding and landscape are easy, cost effective upgrades that will increase the value of your home.