Top 10 Garage Features That Help Sell Indianapolis Real Estate

Your Indianapolis home’s square footage doesn’t end at the garage door. This once neglected, disregarded and, dare I say, abused space is among the largest rooms in the house. For decades it has slid into cluttered oblivion, too jam-packed with “stuff” to even park a car inside. But things are changing. Homeowners are expanding their organizing and remodeling zeal to the garage, which has become an extension of living space that has moved beyond its utilitarian origins. The garage plays an increasingly important role and can be a help or a hindrance when selling your home.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Americans spent .5 billion on garage remodels in 2005. The number one garage rule: turn it into a garage. Buyers aren’t interested in garage conversions. If they needed an extra bedroom or family room, they’d look for a bigger house.

You don’t have to turn it into a show garage, but a finished garage will help sell your house. The garage is simply too big and too valuable to let its space go to waste. Function and organization are the key elements of a garage that will be an asset when you sell.

1. Capacity. The two-car garage is outdated. The trend for three-car garages began around 1992 and these days, four-car garages aren’t uncommon. Many home buyers have project cars, classic cars, RVs or boats to store. Some have teenagers who are driving. Others just want the extra storage space. Whatever the need, the added square footage is as important in a garage as it is inside the house.

2. Size. A standard-sized garage measured about 21 ft. x 21 ft. and was about 7 ft. high in the 1980s. Today’s SUVs, oversized pickup trucks, RVs, boats and trailers demand a larger garage. To accommodate bigger vehicles, the dimensions should be at least 22 ft. x 22 ft. by 9 ft. high.

3. Space. When it comes to garages, it’s all about size and space. Extra space is a bonus that can be used for storage, as a workroom or even as a playroom for the kids, especially if the home doesn’t have a basement.

4. Location. The trend for placement has come full-circle, with many garages now being located at the back of the house and even detached garages on an alley. While that creates better curb appeal out front, many home owners don’t want to sacrifice backyard living space. If the lot is wide enough, the side-load garage is still popular and can be easily disguised to look like a wing of the house.

5. Storage. Because storage is always at a premium, the garage offers another opportunity for stashing seldom-used items or tools and items for outdoor use. Organizational products can cost anywhere from 0 to ,000, but are well worth the investment. At the minimum, add wall hooks or pegboard for hanging up garden tools and bicycles. Shelves keep clutter from accumulating on the floor. Closets are great for hiding coats and boots. Cabinets and workbenches are bonus features that can close a sale.

6. Lighting. Replace that single center bulb with an 8-ft. fluorescent light strip. If you have a workbench or bonus space, additional lighting will be necessary and can include LED task lighting, spot lights or more fluorescent strips. Don’t forget outside lighting. Place two fixtures on either side of the garage door and additional fixtures by every outside access door.

7. Flooring. The garage floor should stand up to dirt, oil, salt, paint and other debris. Flooring not only upgrades the look, but also increases resiliency to stains and tires marks and hides imperfections. Choices range from epoxy resin-based paints to rubber mats and tiles. Paints and coatings come in a limitless range of colors and are now available with a gritty element for more grip, less slip. Mats and tiles provide a vapor barrier and cushion your feet. They also reduce the amount of dirt tracked inside and act as insulation and noise reduction.

8. Access. Oversized garages benefit from a walk-through door to the back or side yard, which also increase air circulation or reduce heat loss, depending on the season. Drive-thru garage designs are convenient for moving lawn tractors, trailers and other equipment out of the garage and for families with multiple cars.

9. Doors. Particularly if the garage faces the front of the house, the door should be an attractive complement to the house’s style. Design, color and materials can make this a stylish aspect of the home’s exterior. Doors should be lightweight, secure, functional and should enhance your home’s appearance. The first automatic garage door opener became commercial in 1954. These days, the door opener is practically a must and often considered a standard feature.

10. Finished walls and ceilings. Finishing a garage makes it look clean and “complete” and prepares the space for customization. It’s one less thing a buyer will have to do. Make sure the garage is insulated before you finish it off; that will save on heating and cooling bills. Don’t expect to get 100 percent return on investment with all these garage upgrades, but these amenities are sure to make your home more appealing to buyers.

Columbus Real Estate Investment Deals…is Good, But Avoid The Tricksters!

Article by David Molnar

When investing in Columbus real estate investment it’s easy to make profits. It’s true that lower priced property is good for profits, but you’ll have to be careful of scams looking to take your money. If you arm yourself with knowledge of home buying scams and follow a few precautions you’ll stay safe while saving money on property.

One of the first things to avoid is the simultaneous close. These closings are difficult to get title companies to handle because they have a bad reputation for causing confusion. If you can help it, you’ll find it simpler to just not engage in simultaneous closings on property deals. Scam artists sometimes hire appraisers to appraise a home at higher or lower than its actual market value for extra cash.

There are many who try the faux appraisal scam from mortgage lenders to buyers looking for a better deal. While it’s simple, it tends to leave the unwary investor with a home that isn’t as valuable as they expected. Investors can keep from being lured in by this trick with their own home appraisal or doing their own market research. Market research can help you find the current market values of other similar homes in the local neighborhood.

While these past two practices are simple enough to see through there is another more involved scam that gets many investors. However, there’s still another scam that involves a faux company setting up a free seminar for other investors. Those suckered by this con will get an invitation for a free real estate conference and will have to register by phone with their personal information including a social security number. It’s not uncommon to be invited to a free conference, but most will not ask you to register with your social security information.

This number allows the company to look up your credit and decide if you can get approved for a jumbo loan which they’ll convince you to get on a home at the seminar. Those attendees found with great credit will be convinced at the seminar to take out a loan on a home that the con artists claim is worth more than its selling for. The investor that falls for this scam will end up buying a home with a mortgage for more than it’s worth and partners who disappear with the remaining cash. Make sure to avoid this scam by performing the comps analysis of your Columbus real estate investment.

This way when you invest in Columbus real estate investment you’ll save your money and end up being more successful in the long run. You can also protect yourself by researching to find the title, ensure the homeowner is on the title and getting the true market value of a home. Last but not least, you should probably get any mortgages from a lender of your choice.

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As the best in the real estate business, we’re qualified to get you startedWe have what you are looking for…Columbus real estate investment.

Minneapolis Real Estate Equals Affordable And Quality Living

The price of Minneapolis real estate is one of the reasons some people consider moving to the area. It is definitely cheap compared to other areas. Other reasons that many people are moving to Minneapolis include the way of life; the great education choices, museums, restaurants, waterfront and the number of good jobs are other reasons. There are large company headquarters and plenty of parks and fun areas. For those looking for a strong economy, a great place to move for a job and a popular spot to raise a family, we will explain why people choose the affordable housing choices in Minneapolis real estate.

When you think about Twin Cities real estate purchases, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul give you a wide variety of housing types and locations. They also have some of the best schools in the nation, plenty of health care. Rivers and lakes offer a variety of fun things to do all year. The area has won awards for the best places for young people to live, the best area for couples and one of the healthiest states in the country. Because of location, they have a job market that is not dependent on one single resource. Thousands of people buy Minneapolis real estate every year for these reasons. Whether you are looking for an area that offers you many different small towns and suburbs or just looking for a big city area that has small town charm, it is a perfect area that values family life. It is a fun place to ice fish, hunt or snowmobile because the outdoor fun areas include lakes and rivers, along with forests. It has the Minnesota Twins for baseball and the Minnesota Vikings for national football and those that like watching sports or taking kids for a fun day.

The seven county areas of St Paul and Minneapolis real estate have over two million people that have different interests, but they all enjoy the quality family life, great hospitals and school choices. Forbes voted Minneapolis at the top of the most affordable places to live with a good life and with plenty of things to do. Over half of the areas homes that were sold could be afforded by the average people that work in the area. It ranked high in quality of life, arts and recreation choices. When it comes to large companies, Target, 3M, Best Buy, General Mills, Cargill and United Health support the things to do in the area. Minneapolis real estate is popular because many of the people work for these large companies and their families like the theaters, music halls and museums they support. When it comes to family values and the great things to do that are fun, the area is unlike other large big cities.

The people enjoy the things to do that some areas do not have and the large companies keeps the community fun. Twin Cities real estate enjoys a strong resale value because families are still moving here and jobs are still available. When it comes to raising a young family and finding a good job to support them, Minneapolis real estate offers the chance at an affordable home, a stable job, and a growing area that offers fun things to do. The area has also earned awards for being one of the safest metro areas, which is important to family life. The hometown values, religious beliefs and good jobs are partly responsible.

When you are looking for the best places in the country to raise a young family, enjoy a stable job and buy a home that will hold its worth, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is a popular choice. In fact, as of November, 2009, median price of a home was 0,000 for Minneapolis real estate. This number was up 2% from last year, compared to other areas where prices have dropped. As you can see, when you compare those numbers to Florida, California or Nevada home values and you can see why many people choose Twin Cities real estate over other areas. The diverse area offers many advantages for families that are looking for a great area to raise a family, work and enjoy their life. You can see why Forbes chose this city as the most affordable place that offers a great life. It is the same reasons that you should call a Minneapolis real estate agent, get a great job and move here, too.

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