BY MICHAEL ELLIS
Since we’ve been spending much more time at home, we’ve begun to see our garage as more than just a place to store a car. Perhaps it is a work space, or even a whole new living area. Either way, most of us will agree that it is the least organized space of our house. Will a garage makeover improve the value of your home?
A well-organized, updated garage can absolutely help sell your home, but turning your garage into a game room for teenagers—may keep a prospective buyers away.
So before you make over this often-neglected space, it’s a good idea to get input from professionals. We turned to Mark and Melissa Scofield of GarageExperts for their input.
1. Install Easy to clean Epoxy Floor Coatings
Garage FX Epoxy Flooring® systems are bright, attractive, durable and easy to clean. Our industrial epoxy flooring will free you from the hassles and worries of peeling, chipping, stains and spills. Concrete is porous, but if you paint or seal concrete, oil from the car won’t stain the floor.
2. Use A Smart Storage Strategy
It’s fine to keep out-of-season things stored in your garage, but cluttering the space with baseball equipment, plastic swimming pools and the like can send the wrong message. It makes prospective buyers think there’s not enough space in the house. Create a space that is uncluttered, clean and organized. Designed for strength and generous storage capacity, cabinet systems from the GarageExperts are custom built for your space in our own garage. Our custom Slatwalls offer versatile storage, organization and display options. GarageExperts offers 9 different colors of slatwall to match your cabinets, giving you the ultimate, custom look. Organize and display just about any item with a large variety of hooks, baskets and accessories that easily attach to the reinforced T-Channel on the front of your slatwall. Our industrial-strength slatwall storage systems allow you to position hooks and accessories to accommodate your changing needs.
3. Install Adequate Lighting
Have an electrician install motion-sensitive lights, if you don’t already have them. And if they’re not bright enough, add more. A dark garage may be not only unappealing to prospective buyers but also unsafe. We recommend installing two 48-inch shop lights with LED bulbs (at 4,000 lumens apiece, roughly 40 watts) for each car space.
4. Add A Walk-Through Door
If you have a detached garage, hiring a contractor to install a door for people means you don’t have to open and close the main garage door every time. A separate entrance is a huge improvement.
5. Keep The Outside Tidy
If the outside of the garage looks dilapidated, it can discourage prospective buyers, just like a crumbly or cracked driveway might. Buyers form an impression of the house before they walk in the door, and sometimes the garage is the first thing they see.
The cooler months are creeping in, so it is the perfect time to take on a garage renovation. As we spend more time at home, we realize how much clutter is unnecessary and the garage is the biggest culprit. For more information or to learn more about taking the next steps in this seamless remodel, reach out to Mark and Melissa Scofield of GarageExperts at 720-215-2286.