Garage Organization: Help Your Clients Create Buyer Appeal

In many homes, the garage is often the designated dump site, a place where misplaced boxes, old boxes and miscellaneous tools abound. Homeowners fill their garage floors with clutter and if they run out of floor space, they start stacking objects. If there is one thing home buyers hate, it’s clutter. Clutter will drive buyers away whether it’s a little or a lot. Share these garage organization tips with your home sellers to help them appeal to many buyers.

Advise Sellers to Set Aside Time for Organizing

Organizing a garage takes time – from several days to several weeks – so home sellers must plan in advance. They can ask their families or friends for help. Kids can carry things out to the driveway or work on an area that is free of dangerous objects. Homeowners should schedule their organizing on dry days, especially if they plan to take things out to the driveway.

Cleaning is Paramount

Reclaiming a garage is no easy task, it all depends on the size of the pile. The pile wasn’t built in one day so home sellers must break down the organizing procedure into different steps. First, they should clean the area. Some basic cleaning – like cleaning the floor, scrubbing stains, and removing debris like cobwebs – will make a homeowner’s work easier.

Items Should Be Categorized

Home sellers should put items into categories like sports, recycling, garden tools, seasonal décor, and camping gear. They should consider storing things like paint and luggage elsewhere. Items that don’t fit into categories should be donated or thrown away. If homeowners decide to keep them, they should place them in clear storage boxes so they can remember they have them.

Sellers Should Choose a Versatile Garage Layout

A garage without a layout looks disorganized. Home buyers can easily know that the home seller did not make an effort to organize his garage. Before choosing a layout, home sellers should measure their garages and record their dimensions. They should note down the location and size of windows, doors, switches, and even receptacles. They should also know how much space their cars and other floor items will take up.

Tell your clients to choose a good layout for their garages. They should decide where to place each item depending on its frequency of use and the available space. For example, they can place tools near the workbench and objects to be recycled near the entrance. They should put frequently used items on shelves at eye level or within reach and rarely used items on very high or very low shelves.

Make Use of Vertical and Overhead Space

Home sellers should install modular storage or built-in cabinets. These save space as they occupy the walls and not the floor. Homeowners can also install wall-mounted wire grids and pegboards that hold a myriad of things – from garden tools to sports equipment. They get items off the floor and out of the way.  Home sellers should make the most of overhead space by using strong shelves that rise to the ceiling. After determining what to keep and the amount of space they have, they should choose the ideal storage containers.

Most homeowners have chaotic garages. They fill them with objects that don’t have a place in the house. Organizing professionals say that only 30% of homeowners store their cars in their garages. The reason? Too much clutter. If your clients use their garages as receptacles, chances are they haven’t tackled al the organizing challenges in their homes. Advise them to reclaim their garages and restore order with these garage organization tips. They will be sure to impress home buyers.