The Versatile Home Feature That'll Boost Your Property Value

Owning a home is a serious commitment that comes with many challenges in terms of maintenance and upkeep. Aside from making occasional changes and fixes, it's also important to ensure you're protecting your investment by doing things that can boost your home's value. This is true whether you're thinking of putting your property on the market in the near future or if you don't have plans to sell for a long time. And one of the best, most versatile features known to increase property values is an enclosed garage. In fact, they're considered must-haves for the majority of buyers.

While the economy and its effects on the housing market are out of your control, making specific improvements like an enclosed garage can definitively increase your home's value. Unlike a carport, an enclosed garage can offer better climate control and multiple other uses. Whether you keep vehicles, a workbench, gym equipment, storage bins, or all of the above in your garage, having the space enclosed can protect these items from weather elements and certain pests. Having an enclosed garage also carries more options for converting the space at a later time, if needed. It's not unheard of to turn an enclosed garage into an additional bedroom or office space.

An enclosed garage will likely boost your home's value, especially if you have extra features such as specialty lighting and storage. EV chargers, accessible doors, and windows are other features that could potentially increase the overall value, too. Garages with rust-resistant metal or vinyl exteriors are also more appealing than wood.

The exact return on investment (ROI) of adding an enclosed garage is variable and also depends on your region. According to Home Light, this project has an average ROI of between 64% and 81%. Nevertheless, building a new garage on your property could be a worthwhile investment to consider for your own household, as well as for future buyers. If your sole motivation is to make more money when it comes time to sell your home, though, you should consider talking with a local real estate expert to see if this type of investment makes sense in your market.

If you're currently house shopping, you may want to consider looking for homes that already have enclosed garages. Both attached and detached enclosed garages can increase the overall usable square footage of your home, thereby boosting the value. Attached garages, however, have the bonus of offering a bit more security since you can access them directly from inside your home. Not only can you use the extra space in multiple ways, but the garage will hold its value for years to come.