According to a verifiable field study conducted last year, in which more than three hundred realtors were randomly selected to complete a survey, the appearance of a house's garage door plays a huge role in the listing price a house gets. Almost every real estate agent asked agreed that even a few hundred dollars in garage repair work can makes thousands of dollars of difference for those who are trying to sell their homes.
Garage doors, especially those that are on-level with the rest of the faade of the house, can greatly impact the curb appeal of one's home- that is, how attractive and attention-getting it is as you pass it from the street, in the context of the neighborhood where it is. Even just the age or style of a garage door, not necessarily obvious damage, can negatively impact the value of your home.
So clearly, garage door make a difference. When shown before and after pictures of homes with old garage doors and recently installed ones, respondents of the survey consistently rated the second, improved version of the home as the more valuable, more attractive alternative. When asked to assign values to these homes, the change of garage door garnered anywhere from 1to 5% increases in market value. That can add up to thousands of dollars!
That doesn't, of course, imply that everyone trying to sell their house should go out and buy a designer garage door. But if your old one is shabby consider replacing it before trying to find a buyer for your home.