Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.
RSS Feed
- 2024 | 10 Posts
- 2023 | 48 Posts
- 2022 | 48 Posts
- 2021 | 48 Posts
- 2020 | 49 Posts
- 2019 | 46 Posts
- 2018 | 52 Posts
- 2017 | 110 Posts
- 2016 | 78 Posts
- 2015 | 7 Posts
5
Buyers: Don't Overlook the Garage
While most homebuyers consider a garage a necessary or important home feature, many buyers overlook potential problems that may be lurking in the space. If you're looking around at Ohio homes for sale, our REALTORS® at Haring Realty can help you find a beautiful home with a two-car garage that's in great shape.
A garage is an asset to any home because it can serve many purposes. As a utilitarian space, its primary purpose is storage and protection for your car, which is a big expense. However, a garage can also provide a large amount of storage space for a washer and dryer, lawn care equipment, tools, household items, and clothing. Most homeowners with a two-car attached garage use the space for much more than storing vehicles.
Although your garage is separated from your living spaces in Mansfield or Ashland homes for sale, it's still space with structural components that need attention. Your garage can reveal telltale signs of damage that can have a significant impact on a home's investment. To avoid problems and expensive repairs, pay attention to your garage.
- Roof
Inspect the garage roof and ceiling and look for signs of damage like sagging wood beams, rotten wood, and broken tiles. If the garage is attached to the house, look for damaged or missing roof shingles and broken or rusted gutters that need repair. If the garage is detached, a roof inspection is even more important to prevent the buildup of water and ice damage during winter weather. - Foundation and Floors
Most garages have unfinished concrete floors, wood or sheet-rock walls, and wood beams or tiled ceilings. Before you buy a home, it's important to check the garage for signs of structural damage. If the floor, walls, or ceiling shows signs of water damage, this may indicate roof problems, cracks in the walls, or an uneven foundation. Water damage can lead to icy garage floors in the winter and bacterial growth in the summer. - Garage Doors
Garage doors should be examined for proper operation. First, determine if the garage door moves as a single panel or a roll-up sectional. Lift the door to see if it moves easily and smoothly. If the door has a motorized garage door opener, make sure it's operating efficiently. You can inspect the door's safety sensors by placing a large object in the door's path while it's moving. If it's operating correctly, the door should reverse its path to prevent accidents. - Fire Safety
If the garage is attached to the house, all doors leading from the garage into the house should have a minimum 20-minute fire-resistance rating. There should also be an additional exit door other than the garage door and the door leading into the house. If there is a shared wall between the garage and the house, check to ensure that both sides are dry-walled and there is adequate ventilation throughout the garage. If the garage is detached, check for sprinklers or fire-retardant walls that can prevent the spread of a fire that starts in the garage. - Evidence of Insects
Since the garage is an uninhabited, unfinished space with little or no heat, it is a perfect place for insects and rodents to live and build nests. If you inspect the garage and find rodent droppings and lots of stored pesticides, it may signal pest problems with rats, squirrels, raccoons, and insects.
If you're looking for a home in Mansfield and Ashland, contact us for a tour of available properties in those areas. We can help you find the perfect home for your lifestyle and budget.