How Garage Doors Help Increase Home Value

A garage door can last for decades, but replacing an old, worn-out door can drastically increase the value of your home.  In addition to providing a higher return on investment (ROI) than other home renovations, a new garage door will also provide invaluable benefits, like energy efficiency and enhanced security.

While the price to replace your garage door depends on a variety of factors, you can customize your order to accommodate your budget and design needs. Discover how a new garage door will increase the value of your home with this guide.

• Is A Garage Door A Good Investment?
• Does A Garage Door Add Value To Your Property?
• Factors That Influence Garage Door Prices
• 10 Best Home Improvement Ideas To Increase Home Value
• Browse Our Inventory At Olympic Garage Door

Is a Garage Door a Good Investment?

A garage door is a great investment. One reason is that garage doors increase your home’s value, especially if you’ve been having problems with an older one. In the Pacific region of the United States, a garage door replacement has an ROI of 96.8%. As the third most valuable home improvement you can make this year, a replacement garage door pays for itself. Whether you plan on putting your house on the market or you want to increase your home’s curb appeal, investing in a new garage door is a smart, cost-effective choice.

More than two-thirds of REALTORS^® suggest you can sell your home faster with a new garage door. When the exterior of your house is fresh and clean, it invites potential homebuyers to take a look inside. Since the garage takes up a significant portion of the exterior of your home, upgrade it to make an appealing first impression on your guests.

Does a Garage Door Add Value to Your Property?

Does a new garage door increase your home’s value? Besides monetary profit, this upgrade enhances the quality of your living space in other ways. You can have sturdy protection for your garage and the rest of your home by making this simple change to your property. Along with security and safety, you’ll have a stable door that opens and closes when you need it.

1. Security

Thieves can easily break into a garage through old doors with worn-out locks or predictable access code systems. If they can break into your garage, they can access the central area of your home. Around 9% of burglars gain access to a home through the garage door, making it a key area to protect your home.

Newer garage doors and openers have rolling code technology, which works by generating a new code each time you use the garage door opener. It prevents burglars from predicting the code and gaining entry to your garage. These models also have reliable, secure locking systems to keep out unwanted visitors.

New garage door openers can also connect to your smartphone or smart home devices for enhanced security. The opener will send you real-time alerts whenever someone opens the door or if you leave it open for an extended period. You can even open and close your garage door remotely — perfect if you forget to close it or you have a pricy delivery you need to secure.

2. Energy Efficiency

Most attached garages are uninsulated, but since they often share a wall with the interior of the home, they can affect the whole house’s temperature. To help you save on heating and cooling costs, garage door manufacturers create their new products from the highest-quality materials with an extra layer of insulation. If you have insulation on your door, it will preserve the temperature of this living area.

Invest in a garage door with a high R-value so you can keep your living space warm in the winter and cool in the summer. An insulated version regulates the airflow of your garage and the rest of your house by sealing air leaks. You could also increase the energy efficiency of your garage by applying weatherstripping any windows or doors you have throughout this part of your home.

3. Curb Appeal

The curb appeal of your house is an essential factor in whether or not it sells. When a potential homebuyer pulls up to your property, the first thing they notice is the outside appearance. To enhance the aesthetic of your house, consider upgrading your garage door to complement the colors and the overall theme of your living space. With a custom garage door, you choose the style, material and size of its appearance.

A worn-out garage door gives visitors the impression that you don’t care about your property. Dents or missing panels can also make your door dangerous to use. If you update this feature of your living space, you can make the rest of the property look brand-new. Your neighbors will appreciate having an aesthetically pleasing house on the block instead of one that drags down the appearance of the area.

4. Safety

New garage doors come with safety features that protect you, your family and your valuables. Photo-eye sensors prevent the door from closing on a small child or a pet. When the photo eyes sense any obstruction in the door’s pathway, they activate the automatic reversal feature that will send the door back toward the ceiling.

Remote garage door monitoring, in addition to enhancing the security of your property, can also keep your family safe. Keep an eye on who is coming in and out of your home, and even pair your security camera to activate when it senses movement in and around your garage.

5. Smoother Operation

Garage doors and openers make grinding or squeaking noises as they move because of wear and tear on their metal parts. Opening and closing the door might seem to require more effort than it did a few years ago. A new garage door will increase the valuation of your home by making it easier and more efficient to enter your home.

When you invest in a brand-new garage door, you save money on repair costs. An older, worn-out system requires additional maintenance and replacement of parts. Your new entryway unit will last you for decades, giving you a reliable, cost-effective operating system to allow you into your living space.

Factors That Influence Garage Door Prices

The cost to upgrade your garage door depends on several factors. With a custom-made unit, you can use the Clopay® Door Imagination System™ and create a door that accommodates your personality and style. You could discuss your budget and design options with a local distributor to avoid overspending.

If you’re shopping for a new garage door, these factors will influence the final cost:

1. The Size of Your Garage

The width of the garage will determine how much your new entryway will cost. The most common configurations are one-car and two-car garage doors, though some homes have three- and four-car designs.

With a roomier garage, you can either customize it with multiple single-car or double-car units depending on your desired layout. If you want to increase the size of your garage, there will be extra costs associated with knocking down the walls and updating the electrical.

2. The Door Material

When budgeting for a new garage door, you should factor in the cost of the material. You will have to pay more money to keep up the appearance of high-maintenance materials with sealants and finishes. Here are the types we have available for your entryway unit, from most affordable to most expensive:

• Steel: As the most cost-effective, steel is sturdy and functional, but it’s prone to denting and doesn’t have natural insulation.
• Aluminum: This material is an alternative to steel since it’s lighter and possible to insulate, but it’s sensitive to dents.
• Composite: Wood composite is an inexpensive substitute for wood because it’s low-maintenance, but you have fewer customization options.
• Wood: A wooden garage door is a popular choice because of its natural beauty, but it’s high maintenance and the most expensive.

3. The Style or Theme of the Door

Your garage door should complement the style of your home — in general, it’s best to match the garage door and front door for a cohesive design. While the appearance of the door doesn’t always affect the price, you will have to pay extra money if you opt for a custom garage door. The most common styles available today are as follows:

• Paneled: As the most common style, this door has panels that give it depth and dimension, and it opens in a sliding pattern.
• Carriage house doors: This style of door has gained popularity for its luxurious appearance. It features two doors opening outward, with wood or a wood overlay and an arched top. You may also find paneled doors with hardware to make it look like a carriage door.
• Modern doors: As an option with plenty of windows, modern garage doors feature glass and aluminum that give your house a clean appearance.

4. The Garage Door Opener

If you’re going to get a new garage door, you should also replace your garage door opener to make sure it’s compatible with the new model. The size and horsepower of the opener will affect its price. You will need a bigger, more robust system if the door is a dense material.

You could get a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door opener so you can easily access the operating system from anywhere you have an internet connection. All the Genie^® garage door openers in our inventory come with Wi-Fi compatibility for easy installation.

5. Layers of Insulation

While some materials have natural insulative properties, adding a layer of insulation to your garage door will reduce the price of your utilities each month. For an additional cost, manufacturers typically put a sheet or two of this energy-efficient insulation in the core. The higher the R-value of the insulation, the more you will have to pay, but the more you will save on your energy bills.

If your house has an attached garage, you should invest in polystyrene or polyurethane insulation so you can regulate the interior temperature of your home. Some doors also come with the option for Intellicore^® polyurethane and WINDCODE^® treatments if you live in a windy area.

6. Installation

As with most upgrades to your home, the cost to install your new garage door will also play a role in the final price. It’s important to get proper installation for your garage door to ensure its safety and reliability. 

You should never attempt to install a garage door on your own, and even some maintenance tasks require a fully trained and licensed installation technician to prevent injury or damage. Your garage door technician will remove the previous garage door for you, follow the proper procedure to install the new door and verify it performs correctly. 

10 Best Home Improvement Ideas to Increase Home Value

Besides a garage door, you could increase the value of your home with other remodeling projects. When deciding which ways to remodel your house, consider the ROI of each project and the benefits they would provide. These are the top home renovations that add value:

1. A minor kitchen remodeling: Homeowners and real estate agents often consider the kitchen the focal point of the home. If you take on a small remodeling project for the kitchen, you could recoup 79.2% of the value. The key isn’t to go overboard, but to make your kitchen stand out in simple ways. Your design should blend in with the architectural style of your house. All you need to do is change out the cabinets or add a fresh coat of paint. Consider adding energy-efficient appliances to save money in utility costs over time and potentially benefit from rebates.
2. Deck addition: Outdoor living areas are becoming more attractive for potential homebuyers because they’re a smart way to maximize existing space. A wood deck addition yields an ROI of 52.3%, while a composite wood returns 36.7%.
3. Window replacement: You would know you need to replace your windows if they have damage or condensation or if you have air leaks throughout your home. Energy-efficient windows save you money in energy costs because they eliminate drafts throughout the house. A mid-range vinyl window replacement yields an ROI of 68.2%. Since a window replacement increases the energy efficiency of your home, but not necessarily the appearance, you don’t have to invest in luxurious windows to get the most out of your remodeling project.
4. Change out the siding: Replacing your vinyl siding increases the value of your house, yielding one of the highest ROIs for the Pacific region with a cost recuperation of 98.3%. You could paint your home for the same effect but at a fraction of the price. Most homebuyers prefer neutral colors, like gray or beige, so try to avoid bold colors on the outside of your home.
5. Simple landscaping: Clean landscaping enhances the curb appeal of your home, inviting in potential homebuyers and guests. Laying down fertilizer and spraying weed control gives you a higher resale value for your property. Elaborate landscaping projects aren’t worth the investment, so stick with low-maintenance plants and colorful flowers.
6. Bathroom addition or update: If your home only has one bathroom, adding one can increase the value of your house. Walk through your house to find any underused spaces where you could add a bathroom. You could remodel any of the bathrooms you have in your living space for an increase in property value. A remodel of your current bathroom yields an ROI of 62.5%.
7. Flooring: Homeowners favor hardwood floors because of their low maintenance and luxurious appearance. To enhance the value of your house, install hardwood flooring or refinish the wood floors you already have in your living space. While hardwood is more expensive than carpeting, it lasts longer and enhances the aesthetic of your living space. You could maintain your hardwood flooring by sweeping and vacuuming regularly and reapplying a protective finish every few years.
8. Insulation: You need new insulation if your energy expenses have increased or you have one room that’s colder or warmer than the rest of the house. Filling in new insulation will help lower your utility bills by keeping the temperature stable throughout the house. Besides installing fiberglass or spray foam insulation, a professional contractor can increase the energy efficiency of your home by checking for air leaks throughout the house and sealing cracks in your light fixtures or windows.
9. HVAC update: If your home has an outdated HVAC system, an update can yield a high return. In fact, in the Pacific region, a new HVAC system has the highest ROI at 104.8% — particularly if you have a fossil-fuel-burning furnace. In addition to better performance, a new HVAC system can also help you save money on your energy bills.
10. Front door: If you’re upgrading your garage door, it’s often a good idea to follow that with an update to your front door. If you’re going with a completely different design from your previous garage door, a replacement front door might be in the cards to ensure the exterior of your house has a cohesive theme. However, if your new garage door works with your current front door, you might be able to simply update the paint and hardware for an easy refresh.

Browse Our Inventory at Olympic Garage Door

If you live in the Port Angeles, Washington area, explore our residential garage doors and garage door openers to find one that will increase the value of your house. We also offer repair services if you’re not ready to upgrade to a new door, but you need new hardware. Contact us online or call 360-452-3859 for information about our products and services.

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