Garage Upgrades YOU can do!

Keeping the theme from yesterday regarding improvements and their return on investment, I thought I might mention a few upgrades/improvements that can be done on a budget AND that will add value to your home.  The following links ARE affiliate links to Amazon.  Most of these products can also be found at your local Home Depot or Lowes store. 

Let's start with the floor.  When there aren't any cars in the (hopefully) clean garage, that floor is awfully big.  To make it look nice, an epoxy coat is a great addition.  Regular floor paints do NOT stand up to hot tires.  Epoxy, IF APPLIED CORRECTLY, will stand up to hot tires and a lot of other things...  There are several products from Valspar and Rustoleum that fit the bill.  And while the products may say they cover up to 400 square feet, expect half of that, so a two car garage would likely require two kits.  The kits run $70-$90 each.  If your garage has oil staining, expect to spend some time and money cleaning that up... possibly even bead-blasting or grinding depending on the severity.  But it will be worth it.  If you are willing to put the time into the prep work that might be needed... 

Another easy upgrade for the garage is a Garage Keypad Remote.  A few years ago, they were only on higher end homes, but the cost has dropped significantly.  Depending on brand, the units usually run between $20-$40.

The final easy upgrade for the garage is lighting.  Most builders tend to under-light the garage.  Many two car garage only have one or two small fixtures.  A 400 square foot room needs more than a pair of 75 watt bulbs...  A low cost option is a pair of fluorescent strips.  The power consumption is similar to the incandescant bulbs, but they provide considerably more light.  This is a nice light for the garage.  They are pretty easy to wire into the existing fixture if you are electrically inclined.

There are lots of other upgrades for the garage, but these are projects that can be finished in an evening or a weekend (floor coating...).  They are reasonably priced and should provide a good return on investment. 

The next level would be cabinetry and tool storage/organization.  Those projects are also fairly easy, but can be much more costly, depending on the storage options. 

Good luck... and give your car a cool home, too.