Staging: The Garage--The Forgotten Room

This post is for sellers who are going above and beyond--whether it's because you want to get absolute top dollar for your house or because you live in an area with an extremely competitive market. Agents and stagers will tell you that kitchens and baths sell a house, and that's no lie, but it's the forgotten spaces like closets and GARAGES that get you those extra bucks or give your house the edge it needs to beat out the one down the street. 

So let's talk about the garage. I'll never forget the conversation I had with an experienced agent who said he told all of his clients to clean out their garages and put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Why? Because people are let down when they walk through a beautifully staged home and then step into a grungy garage. It reminds them that the house is NOT brand new and it may make them question the interior of the home. A clean, freshly painted garage on the other hand looks new and appealing to buyers since it speaks of a well maintained home.

Often, when sellers declutter their homes, they box up everything and stack it floor to ceiling in the garage. I've seen listings where buyers weren't even allowed to look in the garage. If you are in a hot market, you can get away with that, but if you aren't, not even being able to look at a space is going to turn off potential buyers. So GET RID of that stuff! Now that I've told you what not to do, here are some good tips for making buyers want your garage as much as they want your house.

1. Fresh paint. You can do whatever you want, but I like putting a color in the garage. It makes it feel like a room--perhaps even a room that the man of the house would enjoy spending time in....hmmmm. I like blue or gray, but I once painted a drab garage a sunny yellow that really made it inviting. My current flat builder beige garage is getting a coat of Clark & Kensington Drifting Away in a washable semi-gloss. (Again, I like to do this long before we sell so that I can enjoy the pretty color.)

2. Put up curtains. Maybe you have cheap mini blinds that came with your house. I bet they're dirty and maybe broken. Curtains again make the garage look like a livable space--and it's easy to take them down and wash them. (Yup, that blind is going too.)

3. Hang artwork. Real artwork. A framed poster of a classic car or motorcycle might give the man (or handy-woman) of the house more positive ideas about the space. A nice floral painting is perfect hanging above or sitting on the gardening bench.

4. Clean, clean, and clean some more. Make it as clean as your house.

5. Get organized. Declutter your garage too. Buy pretty colored totes to store your stuff. Clean and hang garden tools in an attractive manner. 

6. Make sure the light fixtures are all clean and have working bulbs so the space feels bright. Consider adding battery powered task light to dark corners, and make sure they are on for showings.

Really, it's pretty straight forward. Treat the garage just like any other room in the house you are trying to sell. It needs to feel like a fresh, clean space that people can imagine using for more than a place to dump their stuff. Create a room that welcomes gardeners, mechanics, hobbyists of any sort, and you've sold your garage as nicely as you've sold your house.