Staging - A Clean Garage Can Help You Sell The Home

(C) Flickr - Chris.Corwin

Curb appeal is the key word for staging a home for sale. Make the front of the home so appealing that potential buyers can't wait to see the inside. This is probably the most common (sense) advice sellers get from real estate agents. Then you need to follow up with carefully decluttering the interior and remove as much personalization as possible.

Everything in life comes at a price and thing are no different in real estate. One part of the house will probably pay the price so the rest of it looks nice and clean: the garage. Boxes will pile up to the ceiling, covering every corner and making the place look like the perfect candidate for a Discovery Channel episode of "Hoarders." No wonder 86 percent of buyers, according to this article published on realestate(dot)com place "a garage with storage" on the list of desirable or essential features they look for in the hose they want to buy.

Why would you treat the garage differently than any other important aspect of your home now that you know it plays such an important part in catching buyers' attention and interest? Take a look at that neat, impeccable garage of your neighbor and learn the tricks. Take a deep breath, relax, and get to work. You can't do much with all that stuff piled up there so start by emptying the room. Move everything out and prep the space for a thorough cleaning.

Start with pressure washing the walls then get rid of any remaining stains. Follow this guide on how to pressure wash a garage. Paint the walls with semi-gloss paint (don't get too bold with the color, though!) and coat the floor with epoxy. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to epoxy-coat your garage. Then organize the place to make it look tidy and clean. Make sure you do a good job by following these 6 garage-organizing tips.

Now is probably the best time to sort through all the items, discard what’s broken and sell or give away anything that you’re not using. Make sure you group like items together. Attach shelves or cabinets to your garage walls or put up freestanding units and store the heaviest items on the lowest shelves. Hang rakes, brooms, shovels and other flat items on the walls while bikes need to rest on hooks from the ceiling. Here is a diy video for garage clutter control:

Remember, the most important thing you can do to prepare your home for sale is to get rid of clutter. Pay attention to curb appeal but don't ruin the buyer's good impression by neglecting the garage.