From a Monetary/Resale Standpoint, is it worth it?

[Fastbird]

Speaking of a commercial epoxy floor. I've been talking with a guy from Premier Garage here in the St. Louis area about doing our floor. It's an attached 33' wide three car garage with varying depth (2 car section is 21 wide by 23 deep, 1 car section is 12 wide by 21 deep). I was a bit shell-shocked at the price, but they're doing a lot of work:

The price to do it in a solid color is about $2800 plus tax, but that includes GRINDING the floor, not acid etching. Completely grinding out any stains or residue. Also includes fixing any cracking (this floor is mint, no cracks other than the seams).

Here's the situation: I work on my cars. I have a 93 Trans Am which is a Gen 2 LT1 motor, which means it's GOING to leak oil. I spill things. BUT..........I'm only going to be in this house for the next 3 years, maybe 4-5 if I'm lucky, as I'm active duty Air Force and just moved to Scott AFB last month.

SO from a monetary standpoint, given my hobbies, would the epoxy floor be a worthwhile investment for resale in a couple of years??? From the maintenance standpoint I see that as a simple yes because the floor will be clean, and that's always attractive.

Here's my temple too.

 

[customperformance]

Speaking of a commercial epoxy floor. I've been talking with a guy from Premier Garage here in the St. Louis area about doing our floor. It's an attached 33' wide three car garage with varying depth (2 car section is 21 wide by 23 deep, 1 car section is 12 wide by 21 deep). I was a bit shell-shocked at the price, but they're doing a lot of work:

The price to do it in a solid color is about $2800 plus tax, but that includes GRINDING the floor, not acid etching. Completely grinding out any stains or residue. Also includes fixing any cracking (this floor is mint, no cracks other than the seams).

Here's the situation: I work on my cars. I have a 93 Trans Am which is a Gen 2 LT1 motor, which means it's GOING to leak oil. I spill things. BUT..........I'm only going to be in this house for the next 3 years, maybe 4-5 if I'm lucky, as I'm active duty Air Force and just moved to Scott AFB last month.

SO from a monetary standpoint, given my hobbies, would the epoxy floor be a worthwhile investment for resale in a couple of years??? From the maintenance standpoint I see that as a simple yes because the floor will be clean, and that's always attractive.

Here's my temple too.

Dont spend that kind of money on the garage floor. 99% of the home buyers could care less what the garage floor is covered in wheter its epoxy or paint or tile, they see a garage only as a place to park the daily drivers and the lawn and garden stuff. If your going to be in there longer than 3-5 years then go for it but not otherwise.

 

[rodnok1]

I agree almost no-one will give a **** about the floor unless it's all busted up. Get an absorbent oil mat to put under the car. I am in the habit of not putting high end stuff in garage I cannot take with me. I'd rather spend the money on a lift!

 

[volvo]

I agree that you will not get all your money back out of doing the floor and certainly be big a minis if it was stained or in poor condition for some reason at the time of resale. But then again I would go for it if that is what you want....H

 

[nova65ss]

I do not see you getting your money back on that investment. Worst case scenario you paint it with the cheaper stuff right before you sell for a fraction of the cost. Get you a parking mat or something to help the leaks all of the others can be cleaned before you move. JMO.


Jimmy

 

[Fastbird]

Interesting. I wouldn't have expected that reaction. I know that's one of the first thing I looked at when looking at a house was the condition of the concrete of the garage floor, but then again that's my mecca.

I may do a self acid etching and do a U-Coat-It myself. I just would have to do it in stages, but I've been contemplating that ever since getting hte contract on the house.

Thanks for the guiding words everyone. I appreciate it.

 

[Burner]

Hold on a minute here, just because a few people on this board would not spend the cash on the floor does not indicate what the general public thinks. I should point out here that I am in the Real Estate business so I do actually have a handle on what people do and do not care about when they are buying a home. In case you guys have not noticed the whole garage outfitting trend has become a mainstream concept very quickly, as such spending money on the garage is as legtimate an investment as spending on any other room in the house. Granted I am speaking from my experience working in the Real Estate market where I live, it could well be different throughout other parts of North America though I doubt it.

So do people care about the garage floor? Yes and no, most will not think about and unless it is on their list of desires will not care. However if the buyer is comparing two homes, one with a finished garage and floor and another without, my experience shows that the finished garage & floor is almost always the deal clincher! You see when people see the finished product and how nice it looks then compare it to bare concrete the finished product wins. I have shown many homes now with finished garage floors and the buyer are always excited to see this aspect of the home being completed. Will you get your money out of it? I believe that you will, what is and additional $3000 on to the sell price of you home, remember you are finishing another room.

As for throwing down a cheap floor paint before you sell, give me a break guys. We come to this board for useful advice and new ideas, floor paint/cheap epoxy kits are a waist of time and money and you all know it. There is more of a tendency towards do-it-yourself projects on this board, which suits me just fine as that what I prefer myself. If I can save some cash by doing it myself then great. That said my time is worth money as well, things like floor coating are best left to the professionals. Spend the cash, get it done right the first time and with a warranty.

 

[nova65ss]

So do people care about the garage floor? Yes and no, most will not think about and unless it is on their list of desires will not care. However if the buyer is comparing two homes, one with a finished garage and floor and another without, my experience shows that the finished garage & floor is almost always the deal clincher! You see when people see the finished product and how nice it looks then compare it to bare concrete the finished product wins. I have shown many homes now with finished garage floors and the buyer are always excited to see this aspect of the home being completed. Will you get your money out of it? I believe that you will, what is and additional $3000 on to the sell price of you home, remember you are finishing another room.

As for throwing down a cheap floor paint before you sell, give me a break guys. We come to this board for useful advice and new ideas, floor paint/cheap epoxy kits are a waist of time and money and you all know it. There is more of a tendency towards do-it-yourself projects on this board, which suits me just fine as that what I prefer myself. If I can save some cash by doing it myself then great. That said my time is worth money as well, things like floor coating are best left to the professionals. Spend the cash, get it done right the first time and with a warranty.

I personally think they are all a waste of time and money. Sure it looks nice but if you are working with jacks, welding, etc it is all going to get messed up I don't care who lays it down. By the time he moves out the floor will not look new and look worn just like an old non painted floor. To me I would rather have a fresh cheap job than an old looking beat up expensive job at time of resale.

In regards to someone buying a house because the floor is painted give me a break. I have never seen a spot on a MLS screen that has "garage floor painted" If someone picks one home over another because the floor is painted I'd really like to meet them and they should certainly be around this "garage junky" site.

 

[rodnok1]

Hang on Burner, nobody said they wouldn't look for high end garage upgrades, but the wife wouldn't give two rats butts about it. Upgrading the kitch/bath would still get you more return on your money. And what exactly is wrong with some last minute sprucing up before you sell your house?? I don't think they were talking about cheapo Big Lots floor paint here. Your opinion is biased based off the fact you make money off us(or them as the case may be).

 

[04 Navi]

How about some good tile and give the buyer the option of keeping it for a price or you take it with you. Or put down tile and remove it when you decide to sell?

 

[burger]

expensive paint on your garage floor would have about just as much return on investment as adding a rifle range or bowling alley.

 

[GearHead_1]

Dont spend that kind of money on the garage floor. 99% of the home buyers could care less what the garage floor is covered in wheter its epoxy or paint or tile, they see a garage only as a place to park the daily drivers and the lawn and garden stuff. If your going to be in there longer than 3-5 years then go for it but not otherwise.

I'm with Burner on this one. There is much to be said about the circles one runs in when giving perspective on a topic such as this. I absolutely can't believe that only 1% of the house buying public are interested in a coated garage floor. Literally every new home owner I know has one or wishes they had one. Many wouldn't spend huge sums to have a professional install it but would spend enough to do the job themselves with a first rate product. For me, I wouldn't consider having a home without the garage floor coated but I'm in that 1% minority. I went to a parade of home show about 1 1/2 years ago. I personally went through 19 new homes. All but 2 of these homes had coated floors. Some were stained but most were epoxied. That tells me that many people who are purchasing newer homes would be interested in having this in their garage. I don't know if you would get 3 or 4 thousand dollars return out of your investment but I'm betting you could recoupe a thousand dollar do it yourself job.

 

[carguy123]

I too am in real estate and I have to disagree with the person who said you'd get your money back. Many things have cost but no/little value. A painted floor is one of those things.

Yes, it will make your house more attractive to a certain percentage of buyers and it MIGHT make the difference in the choice between your house and another but your do it yourself floor will have the same intrinsic value.

Do it because you want it and because it has value to you, because it will never have as much value as it has cost. But then again you'll use up some of the cost during these next 2 years with your enjoyment.

 

[mikeyr]

I have to agree with Carguy123, do it because you like it and you want it.

I know of one house sale where the floor made the difference, it did not make a penny difference on the price but it sold while the other 2 on the street sat an extra month, guy that moved in was a not a car guy but his wife has a bunch of hobbies and filled up that garage with shelving and sewing machine, etc. They park theirs cars outside she has so much junk in the garage but she loves that painted floor, she says its "almost like a room in the house"

She lusts after my garage heater because it gets cold in her garage.

So...forget about making money with the job but do it because you will enjoy it, life is not always about money and financial returns, sometimes its about pleasurable returns and if it makes you smile, its worth it.

 

[Fastbird]

The problem with doing tiles is that with as much as I tend to be wrenching, spills WILL happen, and tiles don't seal against that.

I've pretty much decided to do the floor. Reason being is that we may not even sell the house when I get moved again, we may just keep it and rent it out until we can come back. I'm having the guy from PremierGarage come by on thursday to take a look at everything. I just figure that with the coating on the floor, it'll have an impact when the possible resale does come about, but it will be easier for me to clean up after working onthe cars too. FYI, I'm doing a full motor swap here shortly (2-3 months) so I KNOW a mess will be made there.

 

[boiler7904]

You just bought the house a couple of months ago. Talk to the real estate agent you used to buy the house or a local appraiser and find out what kind of return you're likely to get in your area. If they say it will add $1500 to the value of the house, are you willing to spend the extra $1300 for your own personal enjoyment of the space? $1300 spread over 3 years is only $433 a year.

I walked through a local parade of homes about 18 months ago. The garage with the professionally applied epoxy definitely had people talking.

BTW, the next time I build a house, I'll probably have pros epoxy the garage floor if the budget allows. Having done the Rust Oleum Pro system on my current garage and using Pros at work from time to time, I like the product better and think it holds up better than anything I can do myself.

 

[sjsfire]

expensive paint on your garage floor would have about just as much return on investment as adding a rifle range or bowling alley.

That would actually appeal to me except the bowling alley as I am a hunter and enjoy guns. Lets be honest though, for the guys saying do the cheap way before selling.........Come on for gods sake. Would you be happy if you were buying a house and the garage floor looked great only to find out some horse's *** slapped a coat of cheap latex or porch enamel paint just to make it look good. And it starts to peel 3 months after you move. I highly doubt it. I've got a brand new house we've been in just under 3 years. I'm going to do my floor myself, yes it will cost a few bucks and maybe I'd move in a couple of years but at the moment I'm not planning on it. I personally wouldn't worry about resell, I'm doing my floor to satisfy me.

 

[JMURiz]

Save your money, most people don't even park cars in garages these days, it's just a space to store the **** they have too much of anyway. It's just a bonus, no one buys a house because of the garage floor...you have a nice 3-car there that's good enough.

That said, if you want to do it (DIY) and enjoy while you live there, go for it. As an investment it makes about as much sense and modifying a car for resale.

 

[birdmayon]

I know of one house sale where the floor made the difference, it did not make a penny difference on the price but it sold while the other 2 on the street sat an extra month,

Maybe it didn't make a difference in the selling price, but assuming the seller had a mortgage on this home, selling it right away vs. sitting an extra month just saved them 1 month's mortgage payment! Depending on where they live, that could be what, $1500, $2000, $3000?

That said, I'd agree that most people could care less about the garage floor. They may like that it is clean looking and less grungy, but many, I'm guessing, would not pay extra for it.

 

[mike944]

I don't think you'll get anything for it from a monetary standpoint, but it might be one of those intangable things that helps a house sell. It would be the difference between "yup, this house has a garage" to "this house has a nice, clean, finished garage"

 

[428]

I don't think you'll get anything for it from a monetary standpoint, but it might be one of those intangable things that helps a house sell. It would be the difference between "yup, this house has a garage" to "this house has a nice, clean, finished garage"

Agreed. And I might add, having had a finished garage I doubt I'd have another house without one. Given equal houses I'd take the finished one. Probably many more out there think the same way.
We listed a house not long ago, didn't finish the floor though, but we did a lot of other quick upgrades to entice buyers because of the months of payments we might have endured had we not. We would have done the garage if that was the only thing needed, but several other things needed attention more.

From the looks of your house I'd think a good realtor could use a finished garage as a selling point. Looks like a nice area, you'll need something to stand out from the rest. And while the woman wants the kitchen and bath, most men want a nice garage, not another project. With a new house purchase, he'll have his plate full for awhile with honey-do's.

 

[boiler7904]

If you decide to go with an epoxy floor - I'd go with a neutral color like a tan or light gray. Makes the garage feel larger, reflects more light, and fits with more people's tastes.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Here's the situation: I work on my cars. I have a 93 Trans Am which is a Gen 2 LT1 motor, which means it's GOING to leak oil. I spill things. BUT..........

I'll buy you spill things...but you can keep your Trans Am from leaking oil.

1. Replace leaking seals and gaskets.
2. Drive the car occasionally to keep new seals/gaskets from drying out.

Phil

 

[mike944]

..... And while the woman wants the kitchen and bath, most men want a nice garage, not another project. ......

But in most cases, as much as we guys don't like to admit it, it's the women that pick out the house....and having a epoxy floor isn't going to appeal to your buyer (the wife). BUT......it does turn the garage from "yucky and dingy" to "nice and clean" which isn't a selling point by itself, but at least it finishes the package nicely.

 

[JohnZ]

When we built our retirement home in 2000 (with 58' x 44' attached garage), the mortgage appraisal listed the "superadequacy of the garage" as a potential long-term negative (the appraiser was a woman, definitely not a "car guy" ). We don't care - my wife designed the 3300 sq.ft. house and got everything she's always wanted, and I did the same with the 2500 sq. ft. garage, after 35 years of car projects and ten homes with 2-1/2 car garages. The only way we're leaving this one is in rubber zipper bags anyway; our estate can worry about the "superadequacy of the garage".

 

[wrigh003]

This whole website is about superadequacy, anyway.

 

[Dave88LX]

Holy huge house! Why is the garage considered a negative at that size?

 

[Uncle Buck]

It seems to me that a garage of that size would be quite appropriate for a home such as the one you have built. Even people with pockets deep enough for that home commonly have hobbies that could justify that garage such as parking a boat, a golf cart, a lawn tractor, perhaps a four wheeler for hunting or a motorcycle, or collectable car or truck. There, I just filled that garage and I did not mention a word about tools, and storage of tools etc.. Na I think the garage is a swell fit for that home.

 

[PAToyota]

You know, when I built my shop there were a quite a few people that said I'd never get my money out of it. First, as JohnZ, I'm leaving this place in the zipper bag so I really don't care about "return on investment" and all that **** - my ROI is the enjoyment I get out of the place! And second, since I built mine there have been two others built on my street about the same size and one of them sold at a premium when the owners had to sell... Sure, it may not be a premium for the average home buyer. But there are quite a few others out there that have the same desires we do!