October 23, 2015

What Adds More Curb Appeal? A New Roof or New Garage Door?

Want to Help Your Kids’ Garage Band? Read This!

At first glance, comparing the investment and value of replacing your home’s roof to installing a fresh, new garage door may seem absurdly lopsided. Surely a new roof costs significantly more than a garage door? When you are hoping to add curb appeal to your home before putting it on the market, however, the comparison takes on greater urgency.

Cost Versus Value

You can calculate the ratio of your cost to replace a garage door weighed against the added value (which translates to curb appeal). Or, let the experts at Remodeling magazine do it for you. For 2014, they found that a cost‑versus‑value ratio of 83.7 percent when you “install new 4‑section garage door on new galvanized steel tracks; reuse existing motorized opener. New door is uninsulated, single‑layer, embossed steel with two coats of baked‑on paint, galvanized steel hinges, and nylon rollers. 10‑year limited warranty.”

For 2015, the numbers are even better: typical garage door cost was C$1,935 while the value was C$1,859. This yields a cost‑versus‑value ratio of 96.1 percent.

Compare that investment value to the costs of putting on a new roof. Remodeling magazine found in 2014 that cost‑to‑value was only 67.6 percent. For 2015, this climbs slightly to 72.8 percent. The cash outlay, on average, is far greater than for the garage door:

  • 2014‑C$22,949 to replace your roof; value added was only C$15,503, so you absorbed C$7,446 of the cost
  • 2015‑C$23,695 to replace your roof; value to be added will only be C$17,342, so you will absorb C$6,353 of the cost

Clearly, for the total cost of the project, you will pay out of pocket far more for a roof than for a new garage door, and recover less value from the roof.

A New Roof?

Just how much value does a new roof create in moving your home to the top of buyers’ wish lists? The Waterloo Region Record says “a new roof is generally estimated to account for anywhere from 15 to 40 per cent of a property’s value. The variance is impacted by other factors such as the current real estate market, the region, the quality and the style of the new roof, and the property itself.”

Add to that wide range of uncertainty the amount of roof seen from the street. Owing to their pitch, some houses display very little of the roof, making any increase in curb appeal less likely. A garage door, by contrast, can be up to 40 percent of a home’s facade. It is visible even to the most casual house hunter.

Many Garage Door Options

Just as you can choose color and style in shingles for a new roof, you can select many options with a new garage door. As Angie’s List said, “Some factors to consider include whether you want an insulated door (which can increase your home’s overall energy efficiency); if you want windows in the door; and what style you prefer.”

Automated Door Systems provides beautiful, contemporary doors by Garaga, one of the most trusted names in the industry, and we can help you find the door that best suits your needs.

Browse through our variety of residential garage doors, or even design your own online with our handy tool. Then, get a free quote, and upgrade your garage!

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