DECLUTTER
SURVEY SAYS THE JUNK IN YOUR GARAGE COULD AFFECT YOUR HOME’S VALUE.
When you’ve got six cars and three garages that accommodate eight cars, you don’t have to worry about leaving them parked out in the driveway, right? One would think. That’s not the case for Mike and Katie Myers of Harrison. Four of their six vehicles won’t fit in their garages. Why? The garages are where they store stuff. Lots and lots of unorganized stuff.
“I hate all the junk, but it just adds up,” says Katie Myers. “I want it gone and just keep what we use.”
Like the Myers, many of today’s homeowners use garage space for storage instead of a place to park vehicles. It’s not necessarily a bad thing unless you’re a neat freak (and if you are, why is your garage so messy?) or unless you want to sell your home.
“The cluttered garage or laundry room might not just be unsightly, it likely will affect the home’s value,” according to a recent survey from Gladiator Brand Garage Works, a company
that offers pre-assembled and ready- to- assemble lines of garage and household organization and storage systems.
The January 2014 survey of 500 Realtors and agents found that four out of five believe an unorganized garage negatively impacts a potential home buyer’s first impression.
“Nearly all real estate brokers or agents surveyed said that first impression impacts whether a potential buyer ultimately purchases a home,” the survey notes.
Realtor Mike Machaskee, with Keller Williams Realty in Chattanooga, says he and his peers often tell clients it’s important to declutter your house when putting it on the market. And that includes the garage.
“As Realtors, we always stress to declutter,” Machaskee says, noting that renting storage space is an option for getting rid of the clutter. “Declutter and clean, clean, clean — even the garage.”
Another option is to get rid of the clutter by selling it via newspaper ads, he says. “I recommend that folks use the newspaper’s free classified ad program — three lines for three days.”
However, it’s not necessary to turn your garage into a glittering testament to cleanliness and orderliness. Nine out of 10 real estate brokers or agents say home shoppers view garages as more than just a place to park a car, and a little storage is OK, according to the Gladiator Brand GarageWorks survey. Garages rank higher as a storage option than the attic and the basement, the survey says.
“WASTED SPACES”
“The garage is a window to your life,” Karl Champley, a master builder whose “Wasted Spaces” show has been seen on DIY network and HGTV, says in anews release. “We put in a lot of time and money to build value into our homes — and the garage may be the single most visible preview of what a home has to offer and space that showcases your property — not simply hides it.”
At the Myers’ home, only two antiques vehicles — a Jaguar XKE from the
I have a rule. If you take three things from our ‘treasures,’ more.” we give you three — Katie Myers, who is decluttering her three garages
’60s and a 1970 Triumph — are housed in one of the three spacious garages.
“We have a two- car garage and two four- car garages,” says Katie Myers, 57, a retired educator.
The Myers have been married four years and much of the “stuff ” is a combination of things from their previous lives. Instead of vehicles, the two garages house everything from about 20 stoves — her husband likes to buy, restore and flip things, including appliances — to indoor and outdoor furniture, toys, bikes, exercise equipment, Christmas decorations, coolers, garden tools, old doors, craft supplies, car parts, boat accessories. And much more. And it’s messy. “We have so much stuff,” says Myers, who admits that the even the antique cars are covered in “stuff.”
Delinda Davis, 64, of Chattanooga, says her two-car garage has enough space to accommodate one car. Like the Myers, Davis and her husband, Lonnie, have lots of things to store, including many items belonging to her late brother and her husband’s late mother.
“I am always trying to get rid of things,” she says, noting that it’s her husband who likes to “keep things.”
GETTING ORGANIZED
Decluttering your garage may seem like a herculean task — and, depending on how much stuff is out there, it might very well be — but there are steps you can take to tackle the task. And there also is equipment — be it shelving, cabinets or bins — that can make the job easier.
“Today’s garage storage systems can make the garage more of an extension of the home, with customizable storage options that demonstrate everything organized in stylish ways,” says Rebecca Ross, brand manager at Gladiator Brand. “More and more homeowners are interested in upgrading their garage space to serve as a more functional area.”
Katie Myers is ready. She and her husband are making an effort to rid themselves of the excess clutter, she says. In recent weeks, the Myers have taken two carloads of items to Habitat for Humanity and have made several trips to a local dump.
“We are getting rid of stuff. We donate to Goodwill, churches, students, and send unwanted or unusable things to the dump,” she says. “I have a rule. If you take three things from our ‘treasures,’ we give you three more.”
“The garages have always been used for storage and I hate that,” she says.
“I want (them) to store cars, boats, jet skis and our motor coach. We have plenty of room to store things upstairs in the attic — which is huge. It needs a total overhaul as well. Christmas and other seasonal items are stored up there, along with lots of junk.
“It drives me crazy. I want it all organized.”
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6396.