Garages enjoy makeovers

Garages can sell a home. Just ask Bayleys agent Karen Spires, who sells upmarket property in Ponsonby and Herne Bay. Spires has sold two homes recently thanks to their garages.

In one case the vendor had installed a media room and wine cellar in the four-car garage.

"The guy who bought the home, bought it for that room," says Spires.

If you only have one living area, dressing the garage when you sell to make the space look more usable can make sense. Or if you're short of a spare bedroom, putting in a couple of blow up beds could pique buyers' imagination.

Home stager Anthea Baker, of Homebase, recommends some owners put garage carpet down. Installing shelving increases storage in a home and can woo buyers.

Baker has helped stage garages as gyms, pool room, or media room for the duration of the sale period. She points out, however, that home stagers don't tend to have gyms, pool tables, and other such accessories and clients do have to provide the equipment or hire it themselves.

The benefit of dressing the garage is that it allows potential buyers to imagine the space as a room, rather than simply a garage. "That way they can see how they would use the space," says Baker.

Spires says parents are impressed when they see usable space in a garage.

"The wife thinks of the children using the space and from a male point of view the husband sees the children out of the parents' hair," she says.

Kiwi families have traditionally used their garages for teenage parties. It's becoming all the more common for families to add a bar area to their garage thanks to lower drink-drive limits.

Carpeting the garage, is cheap, says Baker and it opens the space up to a whole lot of uses in the buyer's mind. These days, for example, many businesses start in garages.

"My business was one of them."

More than a few yoga businesses operate from garages.

Owners will pay about $1200 for a 6m by 6m rot-proof polypropylene carpet to be laid in a double garage, says Duane Moul, a director of GarageCarpetPro.

Carpet makes the garage warmer, quieter and safer for children to play in. It is glued straight on to the concrete and doesn't need underlay. If the floor needs grinding first, add about $150 extra says Moul.

Devonport-based Premium agent Kurt Piper has seen garages used for many purposes.

"We have seen pool houses, media rooms, home office/show rooms, recording studios, spa-like retreats, games rooms, and bars, pubs and breweries."

There are also man caves and she sheds.

"With space becoming scarce a good shed or garage has become much more then storage, it's become an opportunity to transform your lifestyle at home and the possibilities are limited only to your imagination."

Homeowners do need to beware of breaching planning laws. You may need building consent if you do major renovations such as adding a kitchen, kitchenette, plumbing and sinks.