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Your home gets one chance to make a good first impression—and it does so largely with its garage door. In fact, research shows that when it comes to curb appeal, investing in a solid, spiffy-looking garage door matters more than various other exterior improvements you could undertake. The benefits of installing a new garage door go well beyond a fresh new facade, though. If you’ve been stalling on an upgrade, read on! You’ll learn why now’s the time to invest in this fast, affordable upgrade that can boost resale value, save you money, and make your life a little easier in the months and years to come.
1. A new garage door boosts your home value.
A good-looking garage door may impress your neighbors and make you smile every time you pull into your driveway, but it also can translate into a tidy profit when it comes time to put your home on the market. Indeed, replacing a garage door offers a solid return on investment (ROI), increasing curb appeal and—just ask any real estate agent—even a seller’s asking price. After all, if prospective buyers aren’t attracted by what they see out front, they won’t bother going inside.
Garage door replacement actually took the top spot in the 2019 Cost vs. Value Report conducted by Remodeling magazine,* which ranks home improvement projects by ROI at resale. The annual survey found that the typical cost of an upscale garage door replacement netted a hefty 98.3 percent ROI on average nationwide—and in 46 out of 100 markets, the ROI was 100 percent! That’s a much better percentage recouped than in other popular home upgrades, such as major kitchen renovations and upscale window replacements.
What’s more, a separate survey of real estate professionals found that 70 percent of Realtors agree that a new garage door helps sell a house faster and for more money. In fact, a garage door upgrade can add $8,000 to $14,000 to the purchase price.**
2. It can lower your energy costs.
Energy efficiency is a top priority for homeowners everywhere, and according to testing conducted by engineers at Clopay®, a company that’s been manufacturing residential garage doors for 55 years, a well-insulated door can keep your unconditioned garage 10 to 20 degrees warmer in winter and cooler in summer. If the garage is attached, this temperature advantage can translate to the house, keeping rooms above and next to the garage more comfortable year-round. That’s money saved in energy bills!
What makes a Clopay garage door so energy efficient? Its proprietary Intellicore® insulation technology, which is available in most of the company’s steel door options. This solid, continuous layer of polyurethane foam completely fills the steel door frame for maximum insulation. One Minnesota homeowner who recently upgraded to a Clopay garage door found that the temperature inside the space now stays around 40 degrees when it’s below zero outside—all without a heater.
3. The right garage door can even mean less work.
The last thing you want to do after completing a home improvement project is worry about constant upkeep. And traditional wooden garage doors, attractive as they are, do require regular surface maintenance to stay in shape. Homeowners must be vigilant to stave off rot, keep out pests, and remove peeling, cracked finishes before repainting or staining every couple of years.
Fortunately, you can get the warmth and character of wood without the hard work and hassle, thanks to several durability breakthroughs available on Clopay garage doors. Consider:
- Remarkably convincing faux-wood composite cladding and overlays are available in both carriage house and modern designs. Find stained options in the Canyon Ridge® Collection Limited Edition Series and the Canyon Ridge Modern Series, or a variety of paint color combinations in the Coachman® Collection.
- Revolutionary Ultra-Grain®—a durable, stained woodgrain paint finish designed specifically for low-maintenance steel garage doors. Check it out in the Canyon Ridge Collection Ultra-Grain Series (pictured above), Gallery® Collection, Classic™ Collection, and Modern Steel™ Collection.
- Extira®, a moisture-, rot-, and termite-resistant wood composite made of eco-friendly materials and available on Reserve® Wood Collection Custom Series and Reserve Wood Collection Limited Edition Series paint-grade doors. Extira carves, routs, and fastens like natural wood yet boasts a perfectly smooth, knot-free surface that allows for detailed craftsmanship and a fine, furniture-quality paint finish.
If you’re inspired to improve your home’s appearance, energy efficiency, and resale value, Clopay’s Door Imagination System will show you exactly how impressive your place will look with a new Clopay garage door. Simply upload a photo of your house to try out a new style, then speak to a professional garage door dealer for guidance on just how fast and easy this project can be. You can leave for work in the morning and come home that evening to wow-worthy curb appeal sure to make you the envy of the neighborhood.
*© 2019 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2019 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
**From a nationwide survey of Realtors’ estimates of perceived home value based on exterior appearance. Not based on actual home sales. Clopay’s Realtor Home Value Study was commissioned by Clopay Building Products in 2018. An online survey was conducted by Hitchcock Fleming + Associates and Qualtrics, an independent marketing and advertising agency and internet-based research company, respectively.