Garages in Charlotte NC Homes not Just for Cars

 With larger more luxurious kitchens now the heart of many houses, and first floor laundry and mud rooms the new activity centers, it was only a matter of time before the garage also underwent a transformation. Despite the fact that 82% of homes have garages, according to the NAR, space is often the largest most under utilized most abused and most often ignored room in the house writes Bill West in his book. Many people still struggle to find enough space amid the junk in their garage to park a car. But there's a growing desire to create cleaner organized spaces that can contribute to the Charlotte Homes wow factor says West Broker Associate with The Group Inc. in Fort Collins Colorado. You may not raise the price in this market, but it helps win a beauty contest that the buyer is deciding among a few homes, says Jenny Eames salesperson with Coldwell Banker residential brokerage in Chicago. Here are some things owners should keep in mind when undertaking a garage makeover.

Choose a storage style in addition to providing shelter for family cars.  Storage is the most popular use for the garage, especially for homeowners who do not have the luxury of a basement or attic. Owners can find a wealth of storage options for garages at most big box stores and home improvement retailers and also through the many garage and causing organization specialist companies. The least expensive are wood-based stock products such as plastic systems or melamine particle and MDF fiberboard. More expensive and sometimes better more extreme climates are all wood or metal. If homeowners need a visual reminder of where everything is stored, they may prefer to see items on a open shelves, wallboard racks, and ceiling racks. But if clutter, even organized clutter makes them cringe, they should focus on storage boxes or closed cabinets.  Homeowners may also want to purchase units on casters so they can move tools or hobby supplies without unloading drawers. Make it all fit.  It's a good idea to divide the garage into zones, with areas for lawn and garden equipment, sports gear, kids toys, bulky household supplies and so on.  Owners can use all three perimeter walls and the ceiling as storage options.  Little-used seasonal items and artificial Christmas tree for example can often be hung from the ceiling. Another option is retracted both storage platforms made of strong metal. Now there are brackets attached to the ceiling, these platforms help deserved cabinet and shelf space. A great shift is used to lower the platform, says Jeff Crane president of concept creation residential consulting company in Gilbert Arizona. The price for each 4x4 foot platform can range from $150 to $250. Most quality racks store approximately 250 pounds.

Add a space to play. Converting garage space into a flexible living area can be a cost-effective alternative to building a new room. The quickest way to upgrade a portion of the garage to a casual living space by painting it or putting up drywall and open studs and covering the concrete floor with epoxy or polyvinyl paint or interior locking tiles which are available in a variaty of colors and textures. Costs for floor paint vary from $50 to $100 per gallon for do-it-yourselfers or $2-$6 per foot if done by professionals. Since the garage usually has electrical outlets other easy upgrades include installing a ceiling fan, track lighting, and of course a TV. Others can transform the garage into the entertainment center with a front projector, Cinema type screen amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, control systems, seating, and lighting says David Berman with Home Theater Specialist of America based in Chester Spring, Pennsylvania. But some real estate specialists caution homeowners not to go overboard in making an ugly duckling garage into too swank a swan. After all, garages are still garages, and the next owner may have different ideas about what to do with the space. A three-bedroom home in which one of the veterans is in the converted garage is really just a two-bedroom home that used to have a garage says Elizabeth Weintraub a progress associate with Lyon Real Estate in Sacramento, California. It's worth less than a standard three-bedroom home.  Most still want to use the garage for its intended purpose.