Why You Should Update Your Garage Before Listing Your Home for Sale

Thinking of putting all your home improvement efforts into the rest of your home, and leaving your shabby garage as-is before putting it on the market? 

Think again.

While it’s true that you certainly don’t need to fully renovate your garage in order to get it to sell, there are certain updates that can add a lot of value to your home in potential buyers’ eyes. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

First things first: DON’T convert your garage into a living space prior to selling. 

It might seem as though having more living space in your home would make it more attractive to buyers, but that’s actually not the case. Instead, homes without a functional garage can be more difficult to sell, as converted garage spaces often look and feel awkward...as if they used to be garages, basically.  

If you want to finish your garage, which generally means adding things like built-in storage and resurfaced flooring, that likely won’t hurt your home’s value, but it probably won’t help it much either. Finished garages are very much a take it or leave it feature for most home buyers. 

Focus on storage. 

With garages, buyers tend to want two things: a place to put their car, and storage space. 

The first is a given, and unless your garage is in actual disrepair, that part of the equation should be taken care of. 

The second, however, is where you can add some value. 

One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to improve your garage’s storage is to add shelving. Shelves can be built in to your walls, or installed as a separate plastic, metal, or wooden unit. 

Once you’ve got the shelving done, fill it up—neatly, of course!—with items from the space that need a home. If you have too much to fit, you probably need to do a good decluttering. Consider tossing or donating any items you haven’t used in a year or more.  

The goal is to show potential buyers how useful those shelves are, and how much of their own stuff they’ll be able to store there—without making the space look overly full. 

Clean floors and adequate lighting will help the garage look its best. 

If your garage floors are cracked and covered in oil stains from cars gone by, it’s a good idea to give the floor a good pressure washing and repair those cracks (depending on how big or noticeable they are). You can also add an epoxy finish to protect the floor from further damage. 

Another DIY garage update that can add value is to put in LED lighting, especially if you’ve still got old fluorescent lights or single bulbs on a pull chain. There’s no need for anything fancy—chances are, buyers won’t be looking at the lights to see what they look like. Rather, changing out the light bulbs will make the garage look cleaner and brighter, which goes a long way toward making any space more appealing. 

Make your house listing even better with a SMART garage. 

Looking to make your home stand out from the crowd? Consider installing a Nexx Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Controller. A smart garage by Nexx helps automate and modernize your home by delivering the ability to open, close, and monitor the garage door –– anytime, anywhere. When your home sells, simply reset the device and have the new homeowners download the Nexx Home app. Once they configure their WiFi, they’ll enjoy total control over the garage door. Just be sure to buy a new Nexx Smart Garage for your new home!

Looking for more smart home automation ideas? Check out our post, Five Quick, Easy & Inexpensive Ways to Automate Your Home.