Canadian Press

Whether selling your Toronto home or just giving it a good spring cleaning, one of the best ways to increase its functionality is to optimize the existing floor space. Most often the largest and most underused room of a home is the garage.

In the US, homeowners are recognizing the potential of this asset. The National Association of Homebuilders estimated that Americans spent 2.5 billion dollars in 2005 enhancing and upgrading their garage. Most real estate agents agree that homebuyers deem the garage to be one of the biggest considerations when purchasing a home.

HGTV offers this advice. “Don’t forget the garage and basement. It’s tempting to stash stuff away in these areas of the home, but when you’re selling, they have to be neat and clean too!

A furnished or organized garage suggests to prospective buyers that the entire house has been well maintained.

“Organizing and optimizing the functionality of the garage will increase the value of your home,” says Parag Shah, President of Garage Living, “it sets the standard for the community and assures that your home will be one of the first to be considered when available on the real estate market.”

So, how does a family make their garage functional?

Installing cabinetry for storing tools does wonders for getting things off the floor. Adding slatwall is great for hanging items to which quick accessibility is needed. A regular garage floor can be transformed into something that is both decorative and stylish through the use of either epoxy or PVC tiles.

The garage becomes so clean and functional that one could actually live in it. Install a matching garage fridge, which is built specifically to withstand extreme temperatures, and the garage converts into the ideal spot to hang out with friends.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information

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