How to boost your home’s value with a new garage door

Few other projects can transform your home’s selling price as dramatically as replacing a beaten-up garage door. If your existing garage door is facing the front of your property, it typically takes up around a third of its front-facing façade–and is an excellent candidate for a garage door upgrade.

Kerb appeal aside, replacement of a garage door typically adds $3,400 in resale value to your property–in material terms alone.

Real estate agents, such as First National’s Rose Koutoumas, are now touting it as one of the most effective investments a home renovator can make.

“When buyers are viewing a home for sale, an updated garage will boost the value of the property,” Ms Koutoumas says.

And once the overall exterior effect is taken into account, the results can be staggering. “A front makeover and new garage door can add up to $20,000 to the selling price,” she adds.

Since a garage door commands so much space, a different colour, material, or style can make a big impact on prospective buyers. In one survey done in the US, real estate agents were shown before and after photos of houses that had recently upgraded garage doors.

Listing prices, as estimated by the professionals, were upped by anywhere from one to four per cent.

Choosing a garage door

When selecting a garage door to boost your home’s value, it pays to match the door to the home’s style.

Modern architectural styles mesh well with roller doors made of stained wood and darker metals. Sectional doors, on the other hand, pair well with rustic suburban builds.

One previous winner of Nine’s The Block, who spent less than $3,000 to replace the garage door in her Victorian home, offered her own guidance on the matter:

“The front of your home gives guests or potential buyers that all-important first impression, which makes it a crucial area of the home to allocate a budget for. Installing a new garage door is a cost-effective way to get a lot of bang for your buck,” said Deanne Jolly.

“Match your roller door style with the style of your home, and then pick up on existing paint or timber colours used on the exterior trims, doors and roof to help select the colour.”

Garage door accessories are another handy way to help boost your home’s value with the upgrade. Painted or accent trims around the door can help to define the entry space, while decorative handles and hinges can help add detail when trying for a more traditional look.

The best way to understand how a garage door can overhaul your home’s look, though, is to play around with one of dozens of garage door visualiser tools available online. Generally free to use, these allow you to experiment with before-and-after scenarios, and to see the impact an upgrade could have on your home–and its listing price.