Selling Your Home: Garages Are the New Focal Point

Garages can no longer be an after-thought for homes on the market. Garages increase the value of a home, and proper staging mean just as much here as anywhere else in the home. Smart buyers are expecting a lot of garages and will often prioritize homes based in part on the condition of a garage.

You don't have to have an 11-car masterpiece with recessed lighting and custom cabinets to get buyer's attention. Take what you have and work with it. Buyers and their agents in every price range know what is normal for area garages...you want to be sure yours stands out among the crowd.

Here are five quick tips to get you started:

1) Start from the outside: Remove roof debris, replace light fixtures to match the house, power-wash and paint or stain to match the house. Clean all the windows, be sure all the doors lock and have keys. Now is a great time to take advantage of door-opener sales, most of which include installation. Buyers love the idea of automatic openers. And don't ignore the trash pile in the back, or the overgrown vegetation. Your garage should shine from all sides.

2) Just like your house: de-clutter: Now is NOT the time to use your garage as storage for all the things in the house your agent told you to get rid of for staging purposes. Move those items off-site to friends, family or paid storage. The only thing in your garage should be what you need to maintain the yard while your home is on the market, and anything you're using at least monthly. Otherwise, out it goes. Buyers are buying space, and the more it appears you have, the better.

3) Simple, cheap add-ons: Consider adding fluorescent lighting from your local home improvement center, especially in dark corners, above a workbench or near doors. Think about simple touches like a wall clock or a small refrigerator. And don't forget that the focus should be on storage. Make it obvious where the garden and lawn items go, the sporting equipment, the automotive items. Storage baskets, bins, hooks and shelving are easy to install and create an instant sense of organization for home buyers.

4) Repair and replace, but don't go crazy: Repairing drywall holes, cleaning up oil stains on the floor and making sure broken windows are repaired are key. Your garage doors should be straight, with no apparent gaps, good weather stripping and go up and down easily. You aren't trying to create a Taj Mahal, but simply make what you DO have look like it's been well cared for. Now is probably not the time to sheet-rock and insulate, add custom cabinets and create the wood shop you've always dreamed of.

5) When you have a showing: Like the rest of the house, clean up and turn on all the lights. If you have a detached garage, make sure the path from your home is free of snow and debris, and that there are keys or a garage door opener available to the showing agent. If you have a one-car garage, be sure there are NO cars inside, to give a sense of space. If you have a multi-car garage, park a single car and leave the rest of the spaces open so buyers can get a sense of scale and whether or not their vehicles will fit.

Garages require mostly sweat equity to get them show-ready. Whether your home is on the market, or soon will be, putting garage staging on your list of things that buyers will be scrutinizing will pay itself back.