Mission Possible: Staging the Garage If you were a potential buyer looking at your house, what would your garage say to you? Is there actually room to park cars? Is it clean and organized? Does it look spacious enough? | Resources: |
Staging isn't just for the inside of the home. In fact, the garage can make or break a deal. Yes, emotional connections CAN be made in the garage! Sellers who take the time to stage their garage will have a big advantage over the competition. And as an added bonus, they'll have less stuff to pack when the time comes to move. Perhaps staging a garage seems too daunting a task. Just break it down into steps. But before you get started, decide on how you wish to use the space. (And don't forget to take some "before" pictures to document your efforts). 1. Start with one side of your garage, working around to the other side systematically. Take everything out and place it in five piles on your driveway:
2. Now it's time to clean (and I mean really clean) the garage. Scrub those grease stains, clean out all the cob webs, and wipe down the walls. Need help getting the oil spots off the garage floor? Check out the "resources" above! 3. Now that it's clean, paint the walls a light, neutral color. Why? Because paint is like money in a can...a couple coats of paint and a few hours of your time will brighten your garage and make it appear cleaner and roomier. And since you've taken the trouble to clean it thoroughly, why not go that extra mile to create a "wow" impact? Tip: use a flat exterior latex paint. 4. Look at the pile that made the cut to return to the garage. Create "departments" for the items going back into the garage, such as:
5. While the paint is drying, determine where each "department" will go. Be sure to put heavier items down low, harmful items out of kids reach, and frequently used items near the door. Next, select appropriate storage systems to fit what you need to store. Be smart about what you buy - you can find inexpensive wall racks, peg boards, sports equipment organizers, milk crates on shelves, etc. Don't forget to label boxes on more than just one side. Consider larger "department" signs so everyone knows where things go. Be creative! Now comes the rewarding part of putting everything in its place, and taking your "after" pictures. In fact, you'll wonder why you didn't do this a long time ago. Mission accomplished! |
What a GREAT posts. Most people don't think about the garage that much except saying "We want a 3 car." Good one, Susan.
I agree, the garage should be staged and look as good as possible after all the potential buyers are going to look at it and even if it is on a sub-conscious level it will make a good impression.
Kat - we went from a 3 car garage to a 2 car garage on our last move...my hubby still hasn't gotten over it! But a 2 car can be staged to feel like a 3 car garage! I will take before and after pics (if we actually get around to doing it). It's like the cobbler's kids w/o shoes!
Sandra - I agree! So much of our impressions are driven from at unconscious level!
Susan
Thank you! Usually the garage is not even thought about, but very important. Great information to share with us, I now have my project for next weekend.
Be sure to post your before and after pics from your garage project! :)
Susan
I'm hoping to do my garage next weekend...Hubby isn't convinced we should paint, so I have a little bit of internal sales work to do!
Susan
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