Durham Garage Door Repair: Disadvantages of Converting Your Garage to a Livable Space

In addition to the issues we talked about in our last post,  there are many more reasons our why Durham garage door repair experts advise against converting your garage into a livable space.
As we mentioned before, converting the garage to a livable space inside will result in the need to remodel the exterior, as well. The space will always look like a garage, otherwise.
Even further, you’ll also have serious issues on the inside, as well. Most garages have a concrete slab floor. It’s not isolated like the rest of the house, so the temperature and sound absorption will be noticeably different. In addition, the flooring will be much lower than the rest of the house.
The biggest problem with converting the garage to a livable space comes when you must determine the value of your home, post-remodel. Homes are purchased with a set price per square foot, minus the garage. Only livable space is included. When you add to that square footage, the price changes. If you convert non-livable space to livable space, you’re getting more living space for less per square foot, of course. But should you decide to resell your home at some point, the price per square foot doesn’t go up. It stays the same.
Another large problem lies with potential future buyers. If you ever decide to sell your home, it’s possible that you’ll have difficulty selling the potential buyer on your converted garage. Most homeowners want a garage. Many buyers will refuse to look at your home, once they realize there’s no garage. The security, storage, and utility of a garage is a modern necessity on today’s homeowner list.
Those that do find your home interesting will almost always put in an offer lower than asking price because there’s no garage. Others will refuse to count the converted garage as livable square footage, no matter how well the remodel has been done.
Worst case, the potential buyer will try to deduct the cost of a new garage or reconversion of the old one in their offer.
No matter what angle you look at it, our Durham garage door repair experts still advise against converting the garage into livable space, regardless of the reasons for doing so. A room addition will be worth the extra cost and will be widely accepted by future buyers, should you decide to sell your home down the road!
If you’ve decided to rethink the conversion of your garage and have been contemplating whether or not you need new a Durham garage door, now might be the best time to purchase one. Weatherproofed, insulated doors are great for keeping the upcoming winter weather out of your garage and home.
If you’re interested in talking with our Durham garage door repair experts about getting new doors installed, be sure to contact Hanson Overhead, soon! You’ll be surprised how much better a new garage door will insulate your entire home, saving you money and energy this winter!

Welcome back! In our last post, Hanson Overhead’s Durham garage door repair experts talked about how important it is to keep the garage decluttered at all times. We also offered tips on how to organize and declutter. Today, we are going to continue with more tips!

Organization Tips | Durham Garage Door Repair

Overhead storage. In our last post, we talked about adding a loft to utilize the high ceiling space that often comes with garages today. While it’s a great way to add storage space, it can also be very pricey. If you’re not ready to invest a lot of time and money into your garage storage, consider overhead storage instead. Overhead storage units are basically suspended shelving that hangs just above the Durham garage doors. They provide an “out of sight-out of mind” type storage.
They’re easy to install and don’t require any remodeling. Because they’re high and hard to reach, it’s best to store things you rarely need. Christmas décor, things you use when it snows, etc.
Slat walls. You’ve seen slat walls numerous times in retail stores and have probably never thought about using them in your garage. They’re great for keeping things off the floor and organizing things you use frequently. Because they’re easy to reach and use hooks and shelves, you can make your own customized storage station for tools and other items. You can even store skis, lawn chairs, and more on larger hooks!
Cabinetry. Investing in a great set of cabinets and drawers from an organizational or home goods store can really cut the clutter in no time at all! You can even add a few shelving units, as well!
Pegboard. Just like slat wall, pegboards are great for effective organization. Great for tools or other materials that are usually found in a garage workshop!
Customized cabinetry. While cabinetry bought from a home goods store is more cost effective, built in custom cabinetry is worth the extra cost, if the extra funds are there! You can have wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling and more! It is the most expensive way to organize your garage but it’s also the most beautiful and user friendly, as you can design it to fit your needs!
Durham Garage Door Repair | Hanson Overhead
If you’ve been contemplating whether or not you need new Durham garage doors, now might be the best time to purchase them. Weatherproofed, insulated doors are great for keeping the upcoming winter weather out of your garage and home.
If you’re interested in talking with our Durham garage door experts about getting new doors installed, be sure to contact Hanson Overhead of Raleigh, soon! You’ll be surprised how much better a new garage door will insulate your entire home, saving you money and energy this winter!