Your Guide to Kitchen Countertops
By Tarek El Moussa
When you read about home renovations and rehabs that sell flip houses, you’ll always hear about the kitchens and the bathrooms. And while those are some of the most effective rehabs for selling homes, they’re not the only ones you should pay attention to. I’ve actually been thinking a lot lately about one of the most neglected “rooms” in the house and how Christina and I make it an asset—the garage.
If it isn’t falling apart and the door opens and shuts reliably, a lot of real estate investors will almost completely ignore the garage when they do their renovations. However, you might be surprised at how much a few inexpensive garage rehabs can do to help sell your flip houses faster.
Don’t Convert It
I’m not talking about remodeling the garage to turn it into something else. Garages are selling points. If your buyers want to convert the garage into a rec room or man cave, then that’s their prerogative. Doing it for them will weed out anyone who wants to park their car under cover at night instead of using that room to play foosball. That doesn’t mean that you can’t make a few improvements, though.
Invest in a Fresh Coat of Paint
I can’t tell you how many comps I’ve walked into where I’ve found totally bare, untreated, and unpainted walls in the garage. This looks unfinished and unprofessional, and a new coat of paint is a relatively inexpensive way to add a level of class to the house, starting in the garage.
Upgrade the Garage Door Opener
A lot of older homes don’t have garage door openers, and most of the ones you do find are going to be hurting. When your buyers hit the button to open the garage door, you want it to go up smoothly and quickly, without any creaking, grinding, or other unwanted noises. Invest in an upgraded garage door opener, and you’ll be a step ahead of the competition.
Put in a Workbench
Without taking away the space your buyers will need to park their car, put in a workbench. This way they’ll have somewhere to store tools and get projects done that involve paint or other chemicals that they won’t want to use in the house.
Add some shelving and a pegboard, too. These will let your buyers imagine where they’ll put their tools and equipment, and they’ll start to see themselves working out here and living in the house.
Reseal the Floor
Most garage floors are concrete, which is fine, but if you reseal the floor, you’ll get a nice shine and a good coating that will be “grippy” when your buyers walk across it. Plus, it’ll help keep ground moisture from seeping up through the foundation, so it’ll protect against cracks.
Garage rehabs may not make or break a sale for you, but these tips could help your buyers feel great about the idea of living in the house. They give the garage a more finished look that fits with the rest of the house. Plus, they don’t cost an arm and a leg, and you should be able to find room for any of them in your budget on almost any flip. Consider these for your next flip home rehab project.
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Tarek and Christina El Moussa have over a decade of professional real estate experience and have been featured in national print publications, online media outlets, and a popular real estate TV show. Tarek is known for his determination to get the job done and doing it right.
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