For most homeowners, the garage becomes a catchall place to store clutter. But did you know the garage is a focal point for many home buyers? They expect to see this area staged and ready just like the rest of your house. Getting the garage ready to show means tackling all the clutter, cleaning up cobwebs, and bringing the same attention to detail to a place most people overlook. Check out these garage staging tips to help sell your home.
Don’t Park in the Garage
If you’ve got enough space in the garage that you can park there, that seems like a good thing. Unfortunately, home buyers can’t really see the garage when your car is in there. They can’t see much other than the car. To let potential buyers appreciate all the storage space your garage offers, move the car to the street whenever you have showings.
Keep the Driveway Free of Oil Spills and Vehicles
Oil stains make the driveway look old and neglected. If you have recent stains, they may come up with a baking soda paste. The baking soda will soak up the oil, and the abrasive cleaning action will remove the stain. If the stains are older, pick up a degreaser or engine cleaner. Apply the product using the manufacturer’s directions, then scrub to remove stains.
Remove Anything You Don’t Use and Send to Storage
If you can’t fit your car in your garage because it’s cluttered with stuff, then how will anyone be able to examine the garage?
If you haven’t taken this step already, rent a storage unit for your stuff. This way, you can easily declutter the home and garage once, then keep everything neat for as long as it takes the home to sell. Send everything you are not using to storage.
Then evaluate what’s left. Are these things you need and use? Then see what else can go to the storage unit. Are they things you no longer need or use, or even things you totally forgot you had? It might be better to toss or donate those items— after all, you aren’t missing them!
Power Wash the Garage Floor and Exterior
Now that the garage is tidy, take some extra time to clean it and make it look as new as possible. Power washing the floor is a simple move that pays off big by totally transforming the way your garage looks. Rent a power washer or hire someone to clean the garage floor and exterior so it shines.
Paint Walls
If your garage is old, the walls may be stained and dirty. Consider that garages don’t have a lot of natural light and you will realize that your garage can look dingy and dark. That’s not going to attract anyone. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of work to transform the garage. All you need is a can of paint.
When you give the walls a fresh coat of paint, it will hide the blemishes. White paint works best, because it has a clean and fresh look, and it can actually make the garage look larger.
Organize Tools
At this point, your garage should be clean and tidy. You’ve gotten rid of most of the clutter and all that’s left are items that a home buyer would expect to find in the garage, such as lawn care equipment and tools. As your last step in staging the garage, organize your tools so everything is neat and easy to find.
Most homebuyers won’t do anything to stage their garage. By giving your garage some extra love, you can really wow potential home buyers before they walk through your front door.
If years and years of accumulation has taken over your garage, don’t worry. Our local agents buy homes no matter what they look like. You can leave everything in your garage exactly as it is. We won’t ask you to repair or clean a thing. All we do is a 10-minute walk-through of your property and you get your cash offer on the spot. So skip the staging and showings, sell your house the easy way.
