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When selling a home, the garage is playing an increasingly important role. A garage is for more than parking cars, stacking boxes, and holding trash bins. The garage can help sell your home if you stage it right. A garage should appear spacious and organized, a place where a buyer can easily imagine their own belongings.

Finish: Consider finishing your walls and ceilings. Insulate first to help preserve temperature and lessen sound. Then put up drywall, tape and texture and, finally, add a coat of fresh paint in a neutral tone.

Storage: Storage is always a premium in homes. Attract buyers with a garage that is well organized. In addition to cabinets, consider having one or two loft-type storage areas built in. These drop down a few feet from the ceiling and allow homeowners to store multiple large plastic bins of seasonal decorations and items they rarely use. Having the extra space will get boxes up off the ground, making the space look larger.

Lighting: Add lighting. It’s relatively inexpensive, but it makes a huge difference in increasing a garage’s appeal. Replacing a single center bulb with a strip of lighting is a great way improve the look and use of a garage, especially if you have a work bench or work space.

Flooring: Consider coating your floor with an epoxy resin-based paint. This is not costly if you do it yourself. With a coating, drippings and spills can be easily wiped up. Plus, it looks nice and is much more welcoming than a concrete floor.

Function: Make sure your garage door and opener are working and quiet. Keep the exterior garage door in the same style of the home in terms of color and overall decor. Make sure the door doesn’t squeak when it's opened. Sometimes all it needs is a little oil.