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Recent Blog Posts
Which Driveway Style Should You Choose?
Driveway design may seem like an afterthought to many homeowners. Driveways, however, are very important. They play an major role in your overall home design, and the right driveway style can help boost your property value. With the variety of different driveway styles available today, deciding which option to choose can be difficult. You want a driveway that compliments your home and garage, will endure the weather wherever you live, and fits your budget. Below are a few important things to consider during your search for the perfect driveway, as well as a few popular driveway materials.
Plan Ahead
When choosing between the various driveway styles, consider the following:
Curb Appeal: When looking at your home from the street, your driveway makes a big impression. You need to choose a style that compliments your home, meaning that some styles may not be right for you. For example, for a farmhouse cottage style home, a gravel driveway may suit nicely, while a brick driveway may feel out of place.
Liven up Your Home with a Customized Garage Door
For most homeowners, the garage door is a major focal point of the front of your home. Garage doors commonly account for up to 30 percent of the front exterior of a home, so it is important that the door both fits in with the rest of your home and makes a statement. A plain, damaged, or old garage door can lower your property value and stick out like a sore thumb. Fortunately, there are many different garage door customization ideas that can help boost your property value and improve the overall facade of your home.
New Door, New Style
With so many different garage door options to choose from, finding the right fit for your home can be challenging. You want a door that compliments the preexisting aesthetic of your home, but also has that "wow" factor. If you are in need of a door replacement, consult a garage specialist. They can help you pick from the variety of different doors, including stainless steel, carriage, wood, copper, and traditional steel doors. Choose something that matches your home's style but adds some flare to your home. For example, a stainless steel door may be appealing, but it might not fit with a Victorian home. Be sure your door compliments your home.
Why a Detached Garage Is Right for You
If you are in need of a new garage, you are faced with an important choice; do you build an attached or detached garage? Both designs have unique advantages and disadvantages, so it is best to consider your lot size and the intended purpose of your new structure when choosing between the two. Attached garages are often cheaper, as contractors are able to utilize one of your home's pre-existing walls during construction. For those with limited space, however, or for homeowners looking for more freedom during the building process, a detached garage is often the right choice. Below we detail the reasons a detached garage may be the best choice for your home, and some downsides to consider as well.
Lot Size
A detached garage is perfect for a homeowner with ample space behind the home. Many homes in downtown areas have long, narrow lots, providing plenty of room for a detached garage to be constructed. Additionally, if there is an alley behind your home, it is beneficial to have the ability to pull in straight from the alley. A detached garage, however, may eat up a large portion of your back yard area, so if green space is your concern, perhaps an attached garage is the best choice, assuming you have the space on either side of your home for the addition.
Garage Spring Cleaning
While your garage may be one of the lowest maintenance areas of your home, it does require some love, care, and attention every once in awhile. After a long fall and winter, your garage is likely in need of some spring cleaning. Interior and exterior cleaning can help make your garage more usable and help preserve the value of your home. Here is a list of a few common areas that require attention during spring garage cleaning.
Interior Cleaning and Organizing
You might be surprised to learn that 5 percent of homeowners with a two-car garage are unable to park one or both cars within the space. Why? All year long, most of us use our garages as a catchall. Instead of throwing things away, they somehow get relocated to the garage. Depending on how messy your garage has become, you may feel cleaning and organizing is impossible. Do not be discouraged. It may take a weekend or two, but you can get there. Follow these steps:
- Declutter: Depending on the work ahead of you, this project may take a day, a weekend, or longer. Encourage your family to help. Start sorting everything within your garage into four piles – donate, sell, toss, and keep. If the garage is too cluttered to start sorting, pull everything out and sort in the driveway. If you have not used the item within the past year, it is likely time to get rid of it. Take quality items to donation centers, or consider having a yard sale. Recycle anything that can be reused, and toss the rest.
Are You Considering a Garage Expansion?
Whether you are looking to house your in-laws, store an extra vehicle, or add a home office to your property, a garage expansion is a great option to consider. Increasing the size of your garage can be done in a number of ways, and the garage specialists at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. can help you explore the possibilities. An expansion can be done quickly, cost effectively, and can help add value to your home as well as functionality. When deciding whether to expand your existing garage or not, here are few things to consider.
What Is the Purpose of Your Expansion?
The first step in the garage expansion process is determining what the extra square footage will be used for. Are you looking to add living space to your home? Do you need extra storage? Or maybe you are considering adding a workshop to your home? Determine what the extra space will be used for, and go from there.
If extra living space is your goal, consider a FROG, which stands for a finished room over garage. This additional space could be used as a home gym, office, or extra space for guests. Or go a step further, and add a separate apartment above your garage. A new apartment above your garage could be used to accommodate guests, parents and grandparents, or independent teenagers and young adults. Looking for some extra income, or a way to offset the costs of your expansion? Consider adding a separate entrance to the apartment and rent the unit.
Why You May Need to Replace a Garage
Spring is the perfect time to consider updating your garage. How do you know when it is time to rebuild, replace, or remodel? Check out a few signs that may indicate a garage change is right for you.
Your Garage Is No Longer Safe and Efficient
Problems with the structure of your garage can be dangerous. If you have water damage, holes in the roof or walls of your space, or any other structural problems, a garage expert can help you determine if a remodel or rebuild is necessary. You need a space that is safe for your family, and one that stays habitable year round. Additionally, a run down garage will negatively impact the value of your home.
You Want More Living Space
A typical garage accounts for a large amount of a home's total square footage. Whether you are looking for an in-home office, an extra bedroom, or a new workshop, a garage remodel is a great way to add extra living space to your home. Worried about where to park your cars? A detached garage can be built on your property quickly and at a low cost, so you can add extra living space to your home and still have storage for your vehicles.
How a Garage Can Add Value to Your Home
Potential homebuyers often put together a list of "must haves" to help them narrow down their search while looking for houses. These lists detail what a future homebuyer could not live without - things like a washing machine, a pool, a fireplace, or air conditioning. Everyone's list is different, but most include one important thing: a garage. Is no garage a deal breaker for potential homebuyers? Will adding a garage increase your property value? What can you do to improve your existing garage to boost your property value? Here we discuss ways a garage can impact the sale of your home, and what you should know moving forward putting your home on the market.
Is No Garage A Deal Breaker?
Most modern home buyers demand parking, but do they need a covered attached or detached garage? In many cases, yes, but specialists say the answer depends on a number of factors including the neighborhood, value and size of the home, and the area's climate. Homebuyers would likely pass up on a home without a garage in a neighborhood where most homes do have a garage. Additionally, homes in colder climates or in areas with frequent rain and snow may be tough to sell without a garage. Inexpensive homes may sell without a garage, especially because a new buyer can add a garage inexpensively, but most middle of the road to high end homes are expected to have at least a two car garage.
Which Garage Style Should You Choose?
Building a new garage or remodeling your preexisting structure can boost your property value and provide your home with some additional curb appeal. As winter finally comes to an end, many homeowners are pursuing their dreams of a perfect garage. With the wide variety of different styles available, there is no better time to check out a new garage, but choosing which style to go with can be challenging. When deciding what type of garage to build, there are a variety of factors to consider. Should you choose a tried a true gable or hip style garage, or unleash your creative side and pursue a custom garage? The possibilities may seem endless, but the specialists at Blue Sky Builders, Inc. are here to help.
What to Consider When Choosing a Garage Style?
Different garage styles suit different purposes, so it's important that you choose a style that fits your needs. To help with your decision making, we recommend you consult with a garage specialist who can help you make the smartest choice. Ask yourself the following questions:
Ways to Deal with Your Neighbor’s Rundown Property
So, you are about ready to sell your house. You have done everything possible - cleaned, organized, remodeled, repaired - to ensure you get the best offers on your home. There is one tricky area, however, that you do not have as much control over; your neighbors. While your neighbors crumbling garage across the street may not have bothered you, potential home buyers could be scared away. How do you stop the neighborhood eyesore from lowering your property value? While there is no single, simple solution to the problem, here are five potential tactics you can use to encourage your neighbor to tidy up their property.
Talk to Your Neighbor
This strategy may seem pretty basic, but you would be surprised how many people are simply unwilling to have a difficult conversation. While asking your neighbor to clean up their mess may be challenging, there are strategic ways to soften the blow. Try saying, "You know, the more my house sells for, the more your house will sell for if you ever decide to move." Add another nice touch like a bottle of wine to show your neighborly spirit. If direct conversation is hard, send over a very polite note and a gift.
2016 Garage Trends You Need to Know About
While we might not admit it all the time, most of us care about our neighbors' perceptions of our homes. We manicure our lawns, keep our sidewalks shoveled, and maintain our homes' curb appeal, just to ensure we stand out, or at least fit in with our neighbors. It makes sense that many homeowners this year are focusing on one of the main focal points of their homes: their garage.
The garage is often the largest room within a home, and the garage door is the largest entry way into most homes. A little garage updating can go a long way to make your home stand out from the crowd and boost your property value. If you are hoping to make your garage the talk of the block this year, stay up-to-date with these 2016 garage trends.
Garage Door Trends
Today's homeowners only have one chance to make a first impression, so many are focusing on adding a little pow to their garage doors.
Doors Are Getting Bigger: Larger garage doors tend to stand out from the crowd, so many homeowners are going for bigger doors during homebuilding and remodeling. Larger doors allow for more creativity and can help increase curb appeal.
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