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When it comes to remodeling, Americans are thinking small. It’s a reflection of the times we live in, according to Remodeling Magazine, a trade journal that each year conducts an extensive study of the typical costs of home-remodeling jobs, compared to ballpark estimates of how much of those expenditures homeowners would recoup at sale time.

The short version: Economic realities have generally snuffed out over-the-top kitchen remodels and room additions in favor of more modest jobs.

In broadest terms, the average return on investment of a remodeling project this past year at sale time was 60%, vs. 64% last year. The magazine studied tightly defined jobs on a national and regional basis, as well as for many cities. The study was conducted in collaboration with the National Association of Realtors, whose members offered payback estimates based on resale’s in their geographic areas.

The top five “moderate projects” with the strongest payback at resale time, returning 72% or more of their cost: steel entry-door replacement (at a cost of about $1,200); garage-door replacement ($1,000); wooden deck addition ($11,000); replacing 10 insulated, wooden windows clad in vinyl or aluminum ($12,000); an attic bedroom addition ($51,428).

The best bang for the buck was garage-door replacement. It was the first time that project had appeared in the survey, though it made sense because consumers seem to have a strong interest in curb-appeal projects these days.

Your Garage Door R.O.I.

For most people who remodel their home, return on investment is important.

The reality is that you usually won’t recover the cost of your investment right away; however, there are projects that recoup faster than others and play a strong role in a home’s resale value. Projects that impact curb appeal tend to impact resale value. When a buyer approaches a house, the curb appeal can affect a potential buyer’s first impression and, consequently, a home’s resale value.

Garage door replacement projects ranked high among a return in investment, recouping from 69 percent of the cost on the upscale garage door to 83 percent on the mid-range garage door. This high rate of return is due to the fact that garage door replacements are among the least expensive projects and that they improve curb appeal instantly.

Look at the overall design of your home when considering a garage-door upgrade. Having the garage on the front of the house is not ideal, architecturally speaking, so the object is usually to make the door look as nice as possible without making it the star of the show.

The design focus should be on your front entrance, rather than the garage. But, if you are planning to replace your garage door, manufacturers today give you several options from which to choose.

Garage doors are comprised of two main elements: the sections and the overlay. The sections make up the basic unit of the door. They are the large panels hinged together to create the door.

Overlays are added for decorative effect. This is where the options seem endless. You can find any design you want with an overlay.

The most commonly purchased garage door does not include an overlay.

It is a standard door with steel sections that have a design pressed or embossed into them and the attempt to mimic wood grain is not very convincing. These doors are typically not insulated, so they are most appropriate for detached, non-heated garages. Insulated garage doors make sense if your garage is attached to your home, or if you have a garage/workshop that is heated for your comfort.

Doors with overlays are more expensive, but they give a garage door more style and character. Overlays can be made of several materials. An overlay option is steel. “Boards” are created with an embossed texture and then applied to the base sections to create the carriage-house look.

The most expensive is real wood. You can choose from many types, including cedar, exotic hardwood and salvaged barn wood. Doors finished with a real wood overlay are quite heavy and require commercial grade operators. There is also some maintenance with wood overlays, such as staining, sealing or painting.

Once you decide the look and material of your garage door then you have to determine how you want it to function. Insulation, safety features, windows and the garage door opener are all elements to consider when replacing your garage door.

An updated garage door that not only looks good but functions well and saves energy will leave a great first impression for guests or prospective buyers.

Garages That Say, `Welcome Home, Cars’

When the car became the dominant means of transport in this country, every new house of any size had to have a garage.

Many if not most of these garages were given a prominent front-row spot – they faced the street. The phrase “attached garage” was a price booster. To be able to walk straight to it from the kitchen without braving the elements was a sign of arriviste luxury.

Often necessitated by lot size, a garage door dominates. Even when it’s not protruding, but set flush in the structure’s front, it manages to draw the eye, to make you look at – because they are closed most of the time – blank walls. The house becomes a backdrop.

“Welcome home, cars,” seems to be the greeting. Here’s the problem: Our cars are bigger and our garages are bigger. Most of our garages face the street so you can’t miss them. Bulky, boring garages make houses look bad and cheap. In certain neighborhoods, the homes look so much alike that the only way to find your house is to use the garage-door opener and see which one goes up.

There is a need to make the front elevation of the home inviting, and not a moment too soon, for communities that could fairly be described as a vast wasteland of ugly garages. Adding distinctive architectural styling to the garage, simply, can add curbside drama.

Steel Doors: Safe, Secure, Durable Garage Doors for Your Home

As a homeowner, you make every effort in ensuring that your home is unique, comfortable, and structurally sound. But sometimes homeowners fail to take into account the safety and security of the family and loved ones, and not pay enough attention to the various entry points of a home, including the garage door. A door is not only to allow you to enter and leave the house, but also to ensure the safety and security of the home. Steel garage doors provide just the safety and security required to ensure the family’s safety.

Steel garage doors are not only sturdy, they are also durable and can withstand any and all types of weather conditions, including the wet weather of Spokane, or the heat of Phoenix.

 

Another reason for selecting steel garage doors is the aesthetic beauty of these doors. A friend, relative, or visitor to your home sees the garage door first when pulling up to your house. The garage door should not only look good, but also look appealing and inviting to visitors, and represents the owners own sense of aesthetics. Steel garage doors do not require much maintenance. The doors can also be custom ordered from hundreds of designs to select from.

Homeowner’s Largest Return on Investment

What would be the most inexpensive project for a home owner to raise the value, bringing the largest Return On Investment? Homeowners can bank on “Curb Appeal” to increase values.

 

Maybe the home lacks character. Or, perhaps its past personality was stripped away by an ill-advised renovation. It’s possible to add or restore “curb appeal” to practically any home. “Curb appeal” is the impression a home projects when you first come up to it. It also helps increase the valuation of the home. It’s all about identifying the spectacular and dramatic architectural details that enhance the home.

 

On average, the square footage of the garage door is one-third of the elevation of the home. You can’t discount the characteristics of a garage door’s large horizontal mass. No curb appeal product can more effectively enhance the diversity and value of a home, especially in a time when capturing every single asset to build a homes value is paramount.

 

Since garage doors are often a home’s most prominent feature, adding a distinctive carriage house style garage door can add a unique embellishment, which equates to greater home value. These types of garage doors are attractive and durable. Plus, they can be customized with various window designs, arched top sections, and decorative hardware to fit each home’s qualities.

Return on Investment from a Garage Door?

Here’s an eye- and garage-opening fact: Replacing your garage door with a new upscale door can boost the resale value of your home. A recent online survey revealed that 71 percent of homeowners who recently replaced their garage door with an attractive new design believe it definitely increased the value of their home.

 

Fortunately, garage door manufacturers have hundreds of new designs to add flair and personality to any home. First United Door Technologies website, http://www.firstudt.com, shows you many ways to increase your home’s curb appeal-and, potentially, its resale value-by replacing your old garage door with a stylish new door.

 

If you’re a builder or architect and it’s diversity in design that you looking for to incorporate into your new project, hundreds of choices are accessible.

The Web site features a variety of doors, along with before-and-after photos of homes that have received a dramatic new look. Best of all, an on-line “Design-A-Door” feature allows you to select the characteristics of the door you want and see the finished creation.

 

Garage doors as a viable investment towards your home? Absolutely.