While homes with garages are more common in New England than in any other part of the country, there are many homes (particularly older homes) that do not have them. Many of these homeowners wonder if its worth considering a garage addition and if the convenience and value added are enough to offset the garage building cost.
Benefits of Adding a Garage:
- Protection from the weather – Winters are awfully cold in New England, and garages provide shelter and some insulation for your vehicle from inclement weather. Additionally, they come in handy on rainy days and hot summer days to keep you, as well as your car, out of the extreme weather conditions.
- Extra functional space – While the degree to which you want your garage to be finished may vary from a bare bones garage to a customized space with a garage room or bedroom built in above it, you are adding useable space to your home. It gives you a place to perform maintenance on your car, provides storage for tools and other items that you are unable to store in the house, and can add additional living space in the form of a garage room or garage bedroom upstairs.
- Increased home value – Adding a garage can add $10,000 onto the value of your home, conservatively. The nicer and more finished the garage, the higher the impact on the resale value. Additionally, it is very likely that a garage could be the amenity that qualifies your home for a certain buyer or makes them choose your home over another without a garage. If your garage is partially finished or has a garage room or garage bedroom over it, even better for potential buyers.
