Want to sell your home fast and at a good market value? Try enhancing the garage! Garage? Before you think I have completely lost my mind, let me explain. Ladies love kitchens, men love the garage. Yet, most people tend to ignore and destroy their garage to the point that they can't even get one car in there. I can never understand that. There is so much value to having a clean, organized garage whether your home is on the market or you plan on staying there until the kids grow up.

When individuals plan to put their home on the market their thoughts sometimes turn to "What can I do to make my home wow someone on a limited budget?" Renovating the kitchen or the bathroom can cost upwards of $15,000. Cleaning, organizing and making over the garage could cost under $3,000 and can provide a big bang for the buck especially if you are trying to sell your home in a competitive market. Every family has one neat freak and sometimes it is the man of the house. And, remember what I said earlier - guys love garages. Many times when I am showing homes, the women migrate to the kitchen and the men go right for the garage.

Here's some easy and cost effective suggestions for your garage:


- Do a thorough sorting of the items in your garage. Make separate piles of keep, toss, and donate. Follow through on the toss and donate before you move on to the next step.

- Paint the walls in a taupe or grey color using satin or gloss paint finish. This way when you need to wipe up, it will be easy to do. Plus this finish will last you years longer than the builder's flat white paint you started with.

-Buy some affordable fully finished, full back cabinets with easy clean melamine interiors and exteriors. Make sure that they hold a load of at least 100 pounds per shelf. Things we store in the garage are heavy. Mount some top cabinets for seasonal storage and some lower cabinets for items used more often. Be sure to mount the lower cabinets off the floor a few inches to prevent water damage.

- Look into some of the new finishes for the garage floor . There are some good "do it yourself" finishes and some professional chemical and stain resistant floor coatings that will truly wow the family or the prospective buyer. If you go for the "DIY", do not fail to fully adhere to the instructions of the product you select - you could end up with a peeling mess. It is best to consult a specialist for floor coatings .

One of the biggest benefits to you as a homeowner when you put the time and effort into organizing your garage is the expanded living area and ease of finding all the essential tools and utility items quickly when you need them, not to mention a home for your valuable vehicles. The other advantage is the added and increased dollar value the extra, usable space has just brought to your home. When you are trying to sell your home quickly and at top dollar in a competitive market, focus on the garage, it will bring you some great results.
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