Does Removing Garage Door Impact Value?

thelastofman

Thank you all for the insightful info. It’s really interesting that people do value having a traditional looking garage with an up and over garage door. To be honest in this case it’s not about the living space that’s required, the idea is a sports room + storage space. But the main benefit of removing the up and over garage door would be better insulation and more natural light by putting a window in. The drive is big enough for 4 cars and the area has no issue with crime. Cars have been out on the drive for few years with no issues.

This is a friend’s house and I’m more interested in how people generally feel about the lack of garage door as I couldn’t find much info online. Will make the suggestion of asking estate agents though

I did see one post about someone replacing the door with a better insulated garage door.

Megaross

An insulated garage door would add value imo, I wouldn't build a garage without one these days.

Makes the garage imminently more usable as a space plus they're usually more secure.

subjecttocontract

Most people who don't use a garage to park their car usually have a single garage. Everyone I know with double garage or larger use it to park a car in. I would never buy a property that didn't have a garage. If the garage had been converted into something else e.g. utility room.....id just think that it had been done because the house was to small.

markin

Doozergirl said:

thelastofman said:

I’ve heard a few people say that if you’re converting a garage into living space and replace the up and over garage doors with a normal door and windows, your house will reduce in value. This is because you can no longer market it with a garage. Given that many people want a garage to be able to make use of the space for another reason than parking a car, what’s the rationale behind this? Is there any truth to it?

Surely a house with a converted garage is a plus as it means the new buyers needn’t worry about converting it. How many buyers are actually looking for a garage to keep it as a garage?

People saying that haven't done the maths. 

If you look at the price of living space per square metre where you live, a garage can be an incredibly lucrative piece of real estate once converted.  

Where I live, houses are perhaps £3000 per square metre.  That's probably around national
average right now, not an expensive area.  The value of a modest garage converted into a room could be £72,000 - I could definitely build something decent in the garden that would hold ski gear and a chest freezer items for less than £72,000.   Designed cleverly, it would also take up less space than a garage does.  

If you need more living space, then converting a garage is a bit of a no brainer for a lot of people.   Not everyone, but with house prices where they are, it certainly isn't a case that converting a garage reduces value.  It is the opposite.  

Yes, some people insist on garages but maybe they would think more imaginatively if they appreciated the value.  As much as there are people who want garages, there is a different buyer who just needs as much living space as they can get and need bang for buck.  For those people, 150 square metres of living space is always going to be more valuable than 125 square metres and a garage.  

Aren't most garages too small to fit a car? 2m x 6m = 12m so £36k, But most importantly if the is no side access to the back then the bikes and everything else would have to through the house now, Including a dirty lawnmower.

Clearly its a case by case situation if adds value or devalues. And in fact in my postcode it may not add more than it would cost to do, and that could apply to many places up North.

Doozergirl

markin said:

Doozergirl said:

thelastofman said:

I’ve heard a few people say that if you’re converting a garage into living space and replace the up and over garage doors with a normal door and windows, your house will reduce in value. This is because you can no longer market it with a garage. Given that many people want a garage to be able to make use of the space for another reason than parking a car, what’s the rationale behind this? Is there any truth to it?

Surely a house with a converted garage is a plus as it means the new buyers needn’t worry about converting it. How many buyers are actually looking for a garage to keep it as a garage?

People saying that haven't done the maths. 

If you look at the price of living space per square metre where you live, a garage can be an incredibly lucrative piece of real estate once converted.  

Where I live, houses are perhaps £3000 per square metre.  That's probably around national
average right now, not an expensive area.  The value of a modest garage converted into a room could be £72,000 - I could definitely build something decent in the garden that would hold ski gear and a chest freezer items for less than £72,000.   Designed cleverly, it would also take up less space than a garage does.  

If you need more living space, then converting a garage is a bit of a no brainer for a lot of people.   Not everyone, but with house prices where they are, it certainly isn't a case that converting a garage reduces value.  It is the opposite.  

Yes, some people insist on garages but maybe they would think more imaginatively if they appreciated the value.  As much as there are people who want garages, there is a different buyer who just needs as much living space as they can get and need bang for buck.  For those people, 150 square metres of living space is always going to be more valuable than 125 square metres and a garage.  

Aren't most garages too small to fit a car? 2m x 6m = 12m so £36k, But most importantly if the is no side access to the back then the bikes and everything else would have to through the house now, Including a dirty lawnmower.

Clearly its a case by case situation if adds value or devalues. And in fact in my postcode it may not add more than it would cost to do, and that could apply to many places up North.

2m wide is an underestimation.  I'm thinking of garages we've converted for people.  Of course there are cheaper houses where they cost less to buy than build, and there are smaller garages, but 2m is an underestimation.  

Having hard flooring, a door either end of the house and a mop solves any through-access problems.  Millions of people cope without side access or garages because they don't have the option. 

People have choices, but does the lack of a garage devalue a house? No.  It just makes it more suitable for some people and less for others, but the result is almost always improved value because habitable space holds more value than storage, which is also cheaper to build.  

twopenny

A lot will depend on the area and the house/garden.

When viewing I've seen a house with a big garden that needed a lot of large stuff removed and only access through the house.

Another where a glazed front on the garage was the front door directly onto a visible room and no access to the garden.

Another where the coversion was home done and needed stripping and redoing.

All sold eventually but it took a lot longer to find the people who had the same appreciation.

If you have an area with families that need space being the majority of buyers then it may be a good thing. If you have an area of singles with bikes/canoes needing storage or a high theft rate it may not.

There is no one answer. You need to look at who you are trying to sell to for maximum buyers therefore best price and as said, apart from some common knowledge and estate agent may be the best to ask. However they may go for the extra room for the hope of a higher price, commission. Much better to start with your own research. Look at what is for sale. Look for ones converted and the price. You can do that from your arm chair.

Eventually, having a garage gives a buyer the option to convert to their needs. Already converted may affect their view of how to change it to suit which is less easy to visualise and mentally estimate for the average person.

Working_Mum

I moved into a house in 2020 which had a detached garage - it was behind the house but previous owners had built a wall and a patio and there was now a step of almost a foot down into the garage!

You couldn't have got a car down the drive and into the garage as the gate which had been built to secure the back garden was simply too narrow.

I converted the garage into a store room so my builder bricked up the front and installed a secure Upvc door and I now have all the storage I need. I love my storage space, not sure if I've added value but it has neatened up my outside patio space and it now has an identity.

NatNat77

It's horses for courses IMO, and as another poster said, it's down to whichever pool of buyers is larger. We moved last year and wouldn't even look at any houses without a garage, as we have so much crap to store. Yet the people who bought our old house have taken out the lovely cedar garage doors we had, and bricked it up (badly) to create a room!

TripleH

We have an integrated garage. We've turned it into a home gym. When we leave it can be a garage again.

I have seen 1 house on our estate where the garage was built as an extra room.