The allure of Petur Workman’s $2 million home isn’t a stainless-steel kitchen or over-the-top home theater.
Visitors to this Hilltop house can’t wait to see Workman’s tricked-out garage, complete with painted walls, seamless epoxy floors, canned lighting and custom cabinets.
“It’s like opening a door to a treasured guest room or library,” says Workman, a central Denver real estate broker. “The garage is not just a place for cars and cobwebs anymore.”
Experts say garage makeovers are this decade’s fallout trend from the 1980s push for closet organization and the 1990s zeal for kitchen remodeling.
According to an April 2005 report by the market research firm Packaged Facts, homeowners spent $800 million on garage organizing products in 2004, and $1.25 billion on garage and shed storage products combined. The report projected that spending on garage makeovers would grow to $1.59 billion in 2009 – making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the home-improvement industry.
A quick Internet search will reveal hundreds of companies producing garage renovation products. Most focus on stain-resistant floor coatings and organizational systems to keep stuff from accumulating on the floor.
“It is the last decorative frontier in our homes,” says Jeff Wilson, a home-improvement expert and host of several HGTV and DIY network shows.
“We want to have ready access to … bikes, mowers, ladders and tools,” he says. “At the same time, we want to be able to park our cars in there or use the garage as a workshop.”
Families that once bought bigger homes to accommodate their piles of junk can’t afford to do that anymore. So a frantic search for additional storage leads them to the garage, which is why finished garages have become resale gems in a competitive housing market.
“A remodeled attached garage will make you money for every penny you put into it,” says Workman, who routinely encourages his clients to finish their garages for a quicker sale.
But the true benefit might be relief from the angst, guilt and discomfort of having to face garage chaos.
Workman’s garage used to be “all cement with gray deck paint and drywall that was taped together,” he says. “That just didn’t make sense to me anymore. Now, the garage has become a part of our living space – another room in our home.”
Garage makeovers can range from $500 for the do-it-yourselfer to $100,000 for fancy garages that include flat-screen televisions, sound systems, track lighting, stainless-steel work tops, car and motorcycle lifts, encasements and platforms that automatically reposition a car to face outward.
“People used to require a basement to be finished,” says Scott Berger, founder and managing partner of Park Place Garages in Lakewood. “Now they are demanding to have the garage done” first.
Park Place is one of the few companies in the country that offers garage makeover products and renovation services, including design and construction experts.
In most cases, the goal is to use the walls and ceilings for storage so floors remain unencumbered. A feng shui-inspired garage offering function, order and visual appeal will run about $25 a square foot, for drywall, paint, lighting, new flooring and cabinets, Berger says. His projects have ranged from $2,500 to finish a floor in a two-car garage to $50,000 to install cabinets in an 11-car garage.
Park Place designers meet with homeowners to assess their needs, take measurements of their garage and use a 3-D computer program to create a mock-up of the makeover.
Katherine and Garry Higdem wanted continuity between their backyard and garage in Castle Pines. Park Place refinished the family’s three-car garage so that it doubles as Garry’s workshop. Cherry- wood cabinets line three walls, leaving only the lawn mower, a snowblower and the cars on the floor. Speckled beige flooring and yellow-tinted painted walls complement their home’s French architecture and Southwestern interior design style.
“I have a nice place to work,” says Garry Higdem, who uses the counters to tinker with engine and tractor parts, “and my wife is happy that all the junk is gone.”
Staff writer Sheba R. Wheeler can be reached at 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com.
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If you sell it, they will come
Garage sales are work, but the financial return, and the clutter-cleaning opportunity, make them worth the effort. Follow these tips for garage sale success.
Set a date and time when you can devote your full attention to the sale. Be sure to give the sale a start and end time.
Decide just what you’re going to put in the sale, and whether to team up with neighbors. Anything you no longer use is garage- sale fodder, and nothing is too junky. People will buy just about anything.
Antiques go over big regardless of condition. Additional items that tend to be hot sellers include baseball cards, lawn mowers, camping equipment, guns, tools, coins, old books, comic books (old and new), aprons, old-fashioned bonnets, salt and pepper shakers, needlework, jewelry and dishes.
Doll clothing and accessories are always in demand and especially for Barbie and Ken or teen dolls. Toys go over big at any time. Dolls and stuffed toys make a hit with the kiddies.
Capitalize on the season. Feature luggage at going-away-to-school or vacation time or toys near Christmas.
Have plenty of change on hand on sale day – both silver and paper money.
Advertise. Be specific, concise and honest. State place, date, hours. If you have a large amount of clothing, specify some of the sizes, particularly if you have quite a few in different sizes. You can advertise your sale for free at GarageSaleHunter.com.
Have a large quantity of items to sell, a big variety.
Homemade items are a hit. If someone in your household sews, then sew up aprons, doll clothes, dolls, stuffed toys and the like from whatever materials are lying around the house.
String up a clothesline to display any clothing you may have. Remember, clothing for all ages, men or women, is always in great demand.
Set up card tables or pingpong tables to display small merchandise. Place tables in a manner that will leave room for shoppers to browse without feeling crowded. Display your wares attractively. Be sure they are clean, usable and priced temptingly.
People are looking for bargains. Don’t disappoint them. Remember that what you sell is something you don’t want anyway, so whatever you get is gravy.
Source: “The Garage Sale Handbook” prepared by IFG Inc.; ifg-inc.com
