So many times when homes are for sale, people forget that some areas of the home need a little more attention than others. Think about it for a minute, what's the room that gets cleaned the least in your home? Now, I'll bet you didn't answer; "the garage." Garages are an oft-overlooked area when preparing a home for sale. The garage has simply become the old catch-all area for accumulated junk and things that you just can't bring yourself to throw away. You know what I'm referring to, clothes from 12 years ago, that collection of 1970's disco 8-tracks, who knows, there might even be a car in there somewhere!
Garages can be a huge undertaking and an emotional one at that. In cleaning out a proper collection of "stuff" who knows what forgotten treasures you might run across? But remember, the idea here is to get rid of things that aren't being used. The best idea is to set aside a whole day to dedicate to the cleaning of the garage. First things first, everything comes out. Everything. Sort everything into three piles, one goes to the garbage, one goes to goodwill or a similar organization that can use old clothes and such and the third pile is the keepers.
Once everything is out of the garage you can set about cleaning it. If this is the first time you have really cleaned it, this could take a while. This is a great time to practice your skills as a landlord and evict the countless creepy crawlies that have undoubtedly taken up residence in the rafters and dark corners and still have not paid their rent. Give the floor a good sweep and if necessary maybe pressure-wash anything that is holding a stain. at this point your cleaning of the garage could be done, or if you are a big thinker, there are some options such as garage organization systems that are tremendous for keeping things neat and orderly and add some value to a home as well. Usually these consist of a wall-mounted rack system and incorporated storage shelves and bins. Hopefully when this exercise is complete, you garage will be as attractive as the other rooms in your home and will be a good selling point when buyers come to have a look at your home.
CJ deHeer is a certified REALTOR;® specializing in the
Santa Cruz real estate market. For access to some of the most stunning
coastal properties check out
www.cjdeheer.com.
