Garage Addition Options | Features For Garage Addition …

If you want to get the most investment value from a garage addition, build in quality details, but dont go overboard on creating a showcase car barn. The Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling magazine has found that home owners who sell stand to recover a higher percentage of their costs if they build a relatively basic garage, rather than one tricked out with finished walls, a decorative floor coating, and designer storage solutions.

The national average cost to build a midrange, 26-by-26-foot freestanding garage addition is $48,806, of which you can expect to recoup about 64% at resale. With upscale finishes, the cost jumps to $80,511 and the payback drops to 54.7%. But with a little planning, you can maximize the use and benefit youll get from a basic garage addition without adding too much to the price tag. Here are the top features to incorporate.

Layout and design

Roof: Most garage roofs are held up by standard trusses. Theyre economical about $88 each in a length that spans a two-car garage but their design blocks the storage space youd otherwise have in the attic. For just $25 more per truss, a total upgrade of about $350, you can switch to storage trusses, which are open in the middle. Or, for an upgrade of about $1,000, you can get attic trusses, which allow for a boxed-in upstairs thats easy to outfit with shelves or even use as a bonus room.

Doors: Some garage plans provide for only the main car door and, in attached garages, a door into the house. Youll be happier if you put in a standard door to your yard as well, so you can retrieve a rake without opening the overhead door. A basic pre-hung steel door costs around $140; add $40 for one with a window.

Windows: Try to include windows, which make the exterior more appealing and bring in natural light. Thats something youll appreciate, especially if youre planning to use part of the garage as a workshop. Generously sized vinyl windows with insulated glass start at around $120.

Floor space: If you have room, build the garage wide enough to allow 4 or 5 feet of space between the car and the walls, which gives you clearance to open the doors plus plenty of easily accessed storage. Adding 2 feet to the width significantly increases usable space but may not add dramatically to the cost.

Storage solutions

The main feature that turns a midrange garage into a upscale version is the addition of a modular storage system, with upper and lower cabinets and a work surface. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, while such systems add substantially to the bottom line, they dont necessarily boost return.

If you want to keep costs more in line with value, you can achieve the practical advantages of the upscale garage at a lower cost by providing simple storage solutions, such as shelves that rest on brackets screwed to studs. Or, if you build your garage with walls 12 or 13 feet high, you can use a few two-by-fours and sheets of 3/4-inch plywood to build a platform about 6 feet high over part of your parking area to store sports gear, holiday decorations, and other bulky things.

See more here:
Garage Addition Options | Features For Garage Addition ...