Do garages add value to homes?

Two-car garages are the most popular option added to new houses, according to a recent release from the National Assocation of Home Builders. Sixty-two percent of recently-built homes had this feature.

In the Middle Atlantic, which includes Pennsylvania, more than half of new homes had two-car garages, but 21.8 percent had one-car garages, the highest percentage across the country.

What about throughout the commonwealth? Eric Rehling, president of the Montgomery County Association of Realtors® said, “I would also say, from my experience, it depends greatly on the local marketplace. As they say, real estate estate is local.  I find there are less folks looking in the city of Philadelphia that consider a garage a ‘must-have,’ while those searching in the suburbs are more inclined to make it a requirement. In other words, I find buyers to be somewhat realistic with their needs and wants relative to what the area can provide. If you want the lifestyle of a big city, you tend not to care about a garage, not saying you wouldn’t desire one, but it might not be a requirement. Your lifestyle is more likely centered around other means of transportation. If you’re moving to the suburbs you are making a conscience decision to give up location, walkability, conveniences and nightlife for other amenities, such as yard size, garage, etc.”

In Centre County, Marc McMaster, president of the Centre County Association of Realtors®, said that new homes are “almost never built” without garages. “Most new townhomes are built with at least a one-car garages, with some two-car. New homes generally have a minimum of two-car garage, with higher end homes having a three-car garage as the standard,” he said. “I don’t think weather plays as much of a part as storage does. A lot of homeowners don’t park in their garage, especially with one-car garages, and opt to store yard equipment, kids toys, etc. in their garage.”

With some areas of Pennsylvania already seeing snowfall, Realtor® Jennifer Funk, president of the Greater Erie Board of Realtors®, said that having a garage does have an impact on home sales, especially with Erie being located so far north in the state. “However, in the mid-summer? It may be different, due to buyer’s needs,” she said.