Door to Door: The Most Bang For Your Buck Is A Garage Door Upgrade

We are always looking for ways to bump up the curb appeal of our home and when Clopay approached us about sharing some interesting new products that do just that, we had to take a look.

But first we wanted to know what a garage door manufacturer knew about increasing a home’s curb appeal. Turns out A LOT! Typically garage doors don’t rank high on the beauty shot scale and we’ve yet to come across a Pinterest board dedicated to beautiful garage door photos, but according to a Remodeling Magazine 2011 cost vs. value report, maybe we should take garage doors more seriously.

According to the study, garage door replacement ranks in the top 5 exterior home improvement projects, netting a 71% cost return at resale, on average, nationwide. This is a huge number that could make a big difference in appraisals and your listing price.

Garage door replacement ranks high in both categories for a few reasons:

1. It is among the least expensive projects in the survey.

2. A new garage door improves curb appeal in a way that can affect a potential buyer’s first impression and, consequently, a home’s resale value.

Garage doors are a major exterior design feature, especially if the garage faces the street. An upgrade doesn’t necessarily cost a lot but it makes a big first impression, considering 73 percent of Americans now enter their home through their garage.

A remodeled kitchen and bath can help sell a home, but curb appeal is what gets buyers through the door. If they don’t like what they see from the street, chances are they won’t waste time going inside.

Door replacement can be done in less than a day and the visual gratification is instant.

3. Smart exterior upgrades improve energy efficiency – another important factor as homeowners look at ways to reduce the long-term costs of owning and maintaining a home.

Before & After

Have you looked at the condition of your garage door? The above study proves a point that you shouldn’t let your garage door become an afterthought when considering the exterior appearance of your home, in fact if you are looking for the best resale value on your home you should carefully consider the door style and condition.

If you think your garage door could use an upgrade, then stay tuned for our next article in which we dive a bit deeper on the overall design of the garage door and show you how to match your front door to your garage door.

This article is reprinted from the Charles & Hudson blog: Door to Door:The Most Bang For Your Buck Is A Garage Door Upgrade

To see before & after photos, click the link above.