Simple Garage Makeover Ideas
For some homeowners, the garage is as functional a living space as the family room. For others, it is simply used for storage or to park a vehicle. Regardless of how you use your garage, these simple makeover ideas can help keep you organized, boost your curb appeal, and increase your home’s value.
Garage Exterior
The garage door is a natural starting point for your makeover. A garage door replacement is a surefire way to improve the appearance of your home and is a common tactic for drumming up buyer interest when selling. Even if you don’t have the budget for a full-scale replacement, a DIY garage door makeover can still make a big difference.
Begin by prepping your garage door for a fresh coat of paint. Clean and scrub the surface with warm soapy water. Scrape off any loose paint with a putty knife or wire brush. If scraping manually is too taxing, use a wire-wheel brush tool. Rinse and clean the door, letting it dry completely before you begin painting. Once you’ve covered your driveway with a tarp or plastic sheeting to protect it from paint spills, you’re ready to begin painting. Choose a complimentary color for your trim to make the door stand out. Check out different styles of garage-door hardware options that match the style of your home.
Garage Interior
As you turn your attention to your garage’s interior, consider refinishing the floor first. By starting with the floor, you won’t have to continually shuffle your garage items around as you continue your makeover. Start by fixing any cracks or holes with a basic patch kit. Once the surface is flat, sweep and mop from end-to-end. If you are removing a previous layer of paint, use a buffer to jar the old paint loose before repainting. Finishing your garage floor with epoxy will help protect it from stains and damage. Apply two coats of epoxy twenty-four hours apart, followed by a sealing topcoat.
In just a few steps, you can turn your garage from a cluttered oversized closet into an organized storage space. Start by taking inventory of the items in your garage. Do you have lots of tools? Is the space filled with sports equipment? Grouping like items together will help give order to your storage. Next, decide where you would like to store your items. Overhead racks, rollers, and ceiling storage can significantly cut down on clutter, but these options are best reserved for infrequently accessed or seasonal items such as holiday decorations and camping gear.
Keep frequently used items within reach. Magnetic wall panels are a great resource for your everyday tools and gardening equipment. Install shelving and drawers near your workbench to keep things such as your smaller hand tools, screws, and nails tidy and organized. Add labels so you can keep track of them. If space is limited, consider a wall-mounted foldable workbench to save space.
Now it’s time to put the final touches on your garage makeover. Though installation may require the help of a professional, adding electrical outlets will pay dividends for the functionality of your garage. Installing bike hooks on the ceiling will help to save floor space and may provide just the clearance you need to park a vehicle inside. Lastly, consider upgrading your lighting. Newly installed lights will add value to your home and, most importantly, will make your garage safer.
A Short Guide to Pumpkin Carving
Nothing says “October” like a porch full of jack-o-lanterns. Before you start carving, check out these tips and best practices.
❱Remove all of the pulp from the pumpkin before you start carving. SCRAPE the insides thoroughly
with a pumpkin carving tool or an ice cream scooper.
❱Save the seeds to roast later. EXPLORE classic seasonal RECIPIES for a delicious pumpkin
seed snack.
❱DRAW your design on paper. Make sure the dimensions fit the size of the pumpkin.
❱ Either SKETCH your drawing on the pumpkin or attach the paper drawing to it. Poke holes in the design with a pencil or tools from a pumpkin carving kit.
❱Start cutting out the SIMPLE lines first, getting more INTRICATE as you go.
❱After your jack-o-lanterns have lived out their decorative days, there are a few ways to dispose of them wisely. Check out popular pumpkin recipes such as pumpkin ravioli or pumpkin soup. If you don’t plan on going the culinary route, COMPOST the pumpkins or consider donating the scraps to an animal sanctuary or local livestock farmer.
Home Price Guide
Here are the average three-bedroom home sale prices in some of the neighborhoods served by Windermere. Data from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
Apache Junction
Chandler
Cave Creek
Glendale
Gold Canyon
Goodyear
$363,000
$423,000
$709,000
$348,000
$526,000
$403,000
Fountain Hills
Mesa
New River
Paradise Valley
Peoria
Phoenix
$641,000
$392,000
$495,000
$2,163,000
$408,000
$398,000
Scottsdale
Sun Lakes
Surprise
Tempe
Tortilla Flat
$835,000
$470,000
$370,000
$420,000
$855,000
Alameda
Alamo
Albany
Alpine
Anaheim
Antioch
Bakersfield
Baldwin Park
Beaumont
Berkeley
Big Bear
Big Bear Lake
Blackhawk
Brea
Brentwood
Burbank
Calabasas
Cardiff by the Sea
Carlsbad
Carmel Valley
Carson
Castro Valley
Cathedral City
Chino
Chino Hills
Chula Vista
Clayton
Cloverdale
Concord
Corona
Coronado
Costa Mesa
Covina
Dana Point
Danville
Davis
Del Mar
Desert Hot Springs
Diamond Bar
Discovery Bay
Dublin
El Cajon
El Cerrito
El Sobrante
Encinitas
Escondido
Fairfield
Fallbrook
Folsom
$1,430,000
$1,990,000
$1,522,000
$779,000
$715,000
$534,000
$254,000
$583,000
$444,000
$1,565,000
$519,000
$671,000
$1,683,000
$845,000
$751,000
$1,148,000
$1,724,000
$1,913,000
$1,167,000
$1,495,000
$645,000
$1,095,000
$451,000
$611,000
$857,000
$679,000
$951,000
$440,000
$766,000
$645,000
$1,848,000
$1,151,000
$689,000
$2,048,000
$1,486,000
$725,000
$2,167,000
$319,000
$850,000
$824,000
$1,210,000
$669,000
$1,311,000
$751,000
$1,598,000
$713,000
$520,000
$716,000
$622,000
Fort Bragg
Fresno
Fullerton
Gilroy
Granite Bay
Hacienda Heights
Hayward
Hollywood
Huntington Beach
Imperial Beach
Indian Wells
Indio
Irvine
La Canada Flintridge
La Jolla
La Mesa
La Quinta
La Verne
Lafayette
Laguna Beach
Laguna Niguel
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Elsinore
Lakeside
Livermore
Lodi
Long Beach
Loomis
Manteca
Martinez
Merced
Modesto
Monterey
Moraga
Moreno Valley
Morgan Hill
Murrieta
Napa
National City
Northridge
Novato
Oakland
Oakley
Oceanside
Ontario
Orinda
Palm Desert
Palm Springs
Palo Alto
$613,000
$340,000
$828,000
$893,000
$1,006,000
$678,000
$852,000
$1,045,000
$1,213,000
$735,000
$1,073,000
$442,000
$1,119,000
$1,720,000
$2,412,000
$753,000
$754,000
$776,000
$1,634,000
$2,854,000
$1,177,000
$517,000
$449,000
$672,000
$1,007,000
$485,000
$893,000
$725,000
$508,000
$795,000
$304,000
$411,000
$1,253,000
$1,490,000
$441,000
$1,158,000
$536,000
$1,053,000
$575,000
$849,000
$763,000
$1,154,000
$602,000
$608,000
$530,000
$1,723,000
$695,000
$988,000
$3,172,000
Pasadena
Paso Robles
Piedmont
Pinole
Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Pomona
Poway
Rancho Bernardo
Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Mirage
Rancho Santa Fe
Redding
Redlands
Richmond
Riverside
Rocklin
Roseville
Rowland Heights
San Bernardino
San Clemente
San Diego
San Dimas
San Fernando
San Francisco
San Jose
San Leandro
San Lorenzo
San Mateo
San Ramon
Sacramento
Salinas
Santa Clara
Santa Rosa
Santee
Solana Beach
Sonoma
Spring Valley
Stockton
Temecula
Tustin
Vacaville
Vista
Walnut
Walnut Creek
Whittier
Yucca Valley
$1,096,000
$617,000
$2,717,000
$724,000
$975,000
$1,338,000
$552,000
$840,000
$869,000
$459,000
$686,000
$894,000
$2,339,000
$305,000
$597,000
$685,000
$565,000
$588,000
$559,000
$662,000
$399,000
$1,400,000
$901,000
$723,000
$695,000
$1,516,000
$1,223,000
$875,000
$826,000
$1,580,000
$1,347,000
$474,000
$659,000
$1,521,000
$702,000
$652,000
$2,733,000
$873,000
$616,000
$397,000
$740,000
$913,000
$531,000
$711,000
$840,000
$1,291,000
$698,000
$376,000
Arvada
Aurora
Boulder
Castle Pines
Castle Rock
Centennial
Cherry Hills Village
$574,000
$457,000
$1,243,000
$782,000
$557,000
$565,000
$2,486,000
Denver
Englewood
Evergreen
Fort Collins
Golden
Greenwood Village
Highlands Ranch
$611,000
$521,000
$872,000
$527,000
$786,000
$1,383,000
$570,000
Lakewood
Littleton
Lone Tree
Parker
Thornton
Westminster
Windsor
$549,000
$587,000
$1,139,000
$561,000
$469,000
$501,000
$481,000
Big Island
Hilo
Kohala Coast
Kona
Puna
$459,000
$925,000
$960,000
$308,000
Maui
Haiku
Kahului
Kihei
Lahaina
Wailea/Makena
Wailuku
$1,225,000
$770,000
$1,303,000
$2,124,000
$3,740,000
$801,000
Boise
Caldwell
Coeur d’Alene
Eagle
Grangeville
$568,000
$398,000
$526,000
$950,000
$306,000
Hayden
Lewiston
Meridian
Moscow
Nampa
$556,000
$315,000
$539,000
$346,000
$428,000
Post Falls
$452,000
Sun Valley
Hailey
Ketchum
$584,000
$1,816,000
Bozeman
Hamilton
Helena
Missoula
$762,000
$343,000
$416,000
$468,000
Boulder City
Henderson
Las Vegas
North Las Vegas
$482,000
$442,000
$375,000
$334,000
Ashland
Astoria
Beaverton/
Sunset Corridor
Bend
Canby
Cannon Beach
Cascade Locks
Clatskanie
Corvallis
Cottage Grove
Creswell
Dallas
Eagle Point
Eugene
Florence
Gearhart
Gleneden Beach
Grants Pass
Gresham
$569,000
$460,000
$587,000
$667,000
$483,000
$909,000
$389,000
$381,000
$469,000
$361,000
$421,000
$443,000
$403,000
$432,000
$435,000
$606,000
$970,000
$407,000
$449,000
Happy Valley
Hermiston
Hillsboro
Hood River
Jacksonville
Klamath Falls
Lake Oswego
Lebanon
Lincoln City
McMinnville
Medford
Milton-Freewater
Molalla
Monmouth
Newberg
Newport/Seal Rock
$574,000
$291,000
$483,000
$692,000
$620,000
$261,000
$892,000
$354,000
$370,000
$438,000
$382,000
$214,000
$450,000
$426,000
$472,000
$482,000
Portland
North
Northeast
Southeast
West
$528,000
$545,000
$499,000
$697,000
Prineville
Redmond
Rogue River
St. Helens
Salem
Sandy
Scappoose
Springfield
Sunriver
The Dalles
Tigard
Tualatin
Vida
Warrenton
Wilsonville
$411,000
$494,000
$419,000
$378,000
$398,000
$505,000
$457,000
$394,000
$730,000
$373,000
$531,000
$564,000
$259,000
$464,000
$554,000
Bountiful
Coalville
Layton
$442,000
$446,000
$419,000
Midvale
Orem
Park City
$547,000
$401,000
$1,680,000
Provo
Salt Lake City
West Valley City
$431,000
$589,000
$449,000
Aberdeen
Allyn
Anacortes
Arlington
Auburn
Bainbridge Island
Belfair
Bellevue
Bellingham
Bingen/White Salm.
Birch Bay/Blaine
Bonney Lake
Bothell
Bremerton
Brinnon
Burien
Camano Island
Camas
Cathlamet
Centralia
Chelan
Chewelah
Clarkston
Cle Elum
Colville
Deer Park
DuPont
Edmonds
Ellensburg
Entiat
Enumclaw
Ephrata
Everett
Federal Way
Ferndale
Gig Harbor
Goldendale
Granite Falls
Issaquah
Kelso
$248,000
$509,000
$739,000
$561,000
$550,000
$1,249,000
$443,000
$1,424,000
$623,000
$725,000
$559,000
$504,000
$791,000
$446,000
$307,000
$658,000
$680,000
$573,000
$367,000
$370,000
$586,000
$301,000
$269,000
$747,000
$253,000
$409,000
$473,000
$837,000
$463,000
$463,000
$557,000
$262,000
$598,000
$508,000
$542,000
$724,000
$306,000
$480,000
$1,087,000
$333,000
Kenmore
Kent
Kettle Falls
Kingston
Kirkland
Lake Forest Park
Lake Stevens
Lake Tapps
Lakewood
Leavenworth
Liberty Lake
Long Beach
Longview
Lopez Island
Lynden
Lynnwood
Maple Valley
Marysville
Mazama
Mercer Island
Mill Creek
Monroe
Moses Lake
Mount Vernon
MountLake Terrace
Mukilteo
Newcastle
Normandy Park
Northport
Ocean Shores
Olympia
Omak/Okanogan
Orcas Island
Packwood
Port Angeles
Port Ludlow
Port Orchard
Port Townsend
Poulsbo
Prosser
$902,000
$551,000
$297,000
$686,000
$1,234,000
$838,000
$589,000
$750,000
$450,000
$709,000
$512,000
$405,000
$359,000
$1,259,000
$502,000
$693,000
$680,000
$509,000
$770,000
$1,836,000
$838,000
$628,000
$316,000
$523,000
$646,000
$823,000
$988,000
$942,000
$185,000
$373,000
$505,000
$245,000
$1,424,000
$449,000
$407,000
$689,000
$474,000
$538,000
$591,000
$370,000
Pullman
Puyallup
Quincy
Redmond
Renton
Republic
Sammamish
$330,000
$475,000
$299,000
$1,157,000
$717,000
$247,000
$1,307,000
Seattle
North
Northwest
West
Downtown/Central
Southeast
$993,000
$1,075,000
$862,000
$1,342,000
$828,000
Sedro Woolley
Sequim
Shelton
Shoreline
Silverdale
Snohomish
Spokane
Spokane Valley
Stanwood
Stevenson
Sumner
Tacoma
Tri-Cities
Twisp
University Place
Vancouver
Vashon
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Westport
Whidbey Island
Winthrop
Woodinville
Yakima
Yelm
$463,000
$569,000
$382,000
$770,000
$541,000
$720,000
$360,000
$371,000
$593,000
$505,000
$493,000
$469,000
$371,000
$510,000
$595,000
$449,000
$891,000
$365,000
$461,000
$397,000
$603,000
$766,000
$1,074,000
$341,000
$414,000
