Before you start a new home improvement project, consider the impact on your home’s resale value. For example, converting your garage into a living room may make sense for your immediate needs, but many home buyers are turned off by this sort of addition (especially if you have carpeted and plastered over the garage doors). Even if you don’t plan on selling immediately, circumstances can change, and you may have to spend additional money getting your home back to the way it was.

Garage doors are the key to heaven for many a man. Some may use their garage to house their pride and joy of a motor vehicle or boat (if size permits), others may opt for using it as a workshop, nothing like walking through the roller doors into the garage and smelling the masculine aromas of sawdust. Some of my friends have converted their garages into extra rooms in the house – some have even plastered the inside of their garage doors in order to make it feel more like a room.

I have noticed quite a few people turn their garage into a “pool room”. Those of you who are familiar with the great Aussie movie “The Castle” will know of an Australian’s love for his “Pool Room”. In the movie Daryle Kerrigan would recieve gifts from his family and in his son’s words, “You really knew Dad loved a gift if you heard him say these words – ‘this is going STRAIGHT to the Pool Room!’. O.K so the humor may not transfer to writing – but trust me Youtube it.

Organize your garage by buying some clear plastic boxes and arranging items according to type and how often you use them. Label your plastic boxes and make sure they’re stack-able. Make sure you don’t stack anything within 1 metre of the garage doors – for safety reasons. This is a cost effective way of cleaning out your garage, as well as keeping rodents and bugs away from your things.

If you have any garage doors that squeak upon open or closing, try using a little lubricant.  Apply a small amount of commercial lubricant to the door hinge and open and close the roller doors to allow it to enter the crevices.  You can also try this with cooking oil, though the results may not last as long as a commercially available lubricant.

You can make really neat one of a kind plant stands from old stools. You can buy some old stools from yard sales, garage sales or your local thrift shop. The older the better and the more unique your plant stand will be. Weathered stools that you use as a plant stand can add a touch of unique country to your home decor.

Buying new furniture can be very costly. You can add some pizzazz to your rooms with nice furniture by shopping local thrift stores and garage sales. You may find some real hidden treasures among used things, such as furniture. Some may require a bit of work, but with the right time invested, they can be a real asset to your household.