{"id":21416,"date":"2021-01-31T15:47:55","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T23:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=21416"},"modified":"2026-03-30T08:17:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:17:59","slug":"can-you-sell-a-house-without-a-garage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/can-you-sell-a-house-without-a-garage\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Tips to Sell a House Without a Garage When Most Homes Have One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Americans love the comforts and conveniences a garage can offer \u2014 so much so that less than 7% of new U.S. single-family homes constructed<\/a> in 2019 didn\u2019t have one, according to an analysis from Eye on Housing. Given the ubiquity of garages and the desire for ample storage in a post-pandemic<\/a> world, can you sell a house without a garage today?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my market area, not having a garage isn\u2019t going to be a huge dealbreaker,\u201d says Shane Underwood<\/a>, a top Lexington, KY<\/a> real estate agent who sells more condos and townhomes than average and who periodically gets a listing without a garage.<\/a> \u201cEspecially for anything below $250,000 in my market, something appropriate for a first-time homebuyer, it\u2019s not really going to be that much of a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if you can\u2019t lure buyers with an easy way to bring in the groceries or a spot to store a deep freeze, follow these tips covering how to promote a house with no garage for a quick sale. It’s time to highlight your home’s other strengths, like a walkable location, off-street parking, and alternative storage.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (sergio souza \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Price your home based on garage norms for your market<\/h2>\n

Despite the rising popularity of garages, certain markets and neighborhoods don\u2019t value them as much as others. New England and the densely-populated cities in the Mid-Atlantic have more homes being built with carports and other types of off-street parking (20%)<\/a>, normalizing the garageless home as an option. Historic homes built before the arrival and popularity of car-sized garages in the 1920s and 1930s<\/a> may not have a garage on the property, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely market dependent,\u201d says Woody Fincham<\/a>, a real estate appraiser in the Charlottesville, Virginia area and the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award at the 2017 International Valuation Conference<\/a>. \u201cWhere you have to have a permit to park on the street \u2014 any off-street parking is a feature people pay to have. In some condo communities, there are separately deeded parking spaces as well.\u201d Fincham also notes that in urban centers or places with strong public transportation, properties are less likely to have a garage.<\/p>\n

In neighborhoods where garages aren\u2019t common, you can use comps without a garage to help price your own property for the market. Where garages are the norm, the pricing gets a little trickier. Pocket Sense estimates that the typical cost to add a garage is $27,000<\/a>. So if all your comps have garages and are otherwise similar, your valuation might be cut by a similar amount.<\/p>\n

However, make sure you\u2019re not under-selling the value of your home. Features like an amazing view, excellent location, or attractive lot size or style could offset some of the value lost from not having a garage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would tell sellers to see how the buyer feedback goes,\u201d says Underwood. \u201cSee what you hear during the sales process. If someone says, \u2018we would have made an offer<\/a> but the property doesn\u2019t have a garage,\u2019 then at that point we might get estimates to consider offering up some sort of allowance for the new owner to make those improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Share the property\u2019s parking options<\/h2>\n

Given that 91.3% of American households<\/a> report having access to at least one vehicle, you\u2019ll want to address the issue of your property\u2019s parking situation head on with potential buyers.<\/p>\n

If you have off-street parking:<\/b>
\nAbsent a garage, the next best thing a property can offer is off-street parking. Mention your driveway (especially if it\u2019s been newly paved!)<\/a> or a dedicated parking space if you have one.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s room to build a garage:<\/b>
\nDoes your lot have enough space to build a garage or carport on the property sometime in the future? Share that, too. The possibility of constructing a garage may be enough for a buyer to take \u201cno garage\u201d off their list of deal breakers.<\/p>\n

If there are opportunities to reserve a parking spot:<\/b>
\nIf you don\u2019t have off-street parking, then be transparent about the street parking situation in your neighborhood. Communicate any strategies for easy parking or whether you can get an inexpensive parking permit to reserve a spot close to the property.<\/p>\n

If you have a carport: <\/b>
\nIf you have a carport<\/a>, be sure to spruce it up as part of your pre-listing to-dos. Start with a thorough cleaning using a gentle soap and water, and add a coat of paint to help prevent any metal from rusting. Use a neutral tone that complements the color of your home.<\/p>\n

You could also consider adding floral vines<\/a> to climb a wooden trellis<\/a> along one side or the other of the carport. These efforts aren\u2019t expensive and bring a little more privacy to the carport, as well as a touch of beauty.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (Sidekix Media \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Offset the lack of garage with other home highlights<\/h2>\n

So you don\u2019t have a garage, and you\u2019re not going to build one just to sell your home. That doesn\u2019t mean your house has nothing to offer potential buyers. Now\u2019s the time to identify your home\u2019s best features and market them like crazy.<\/p>\n

Our Q4 2020 survey of over 1,000 real estate agents across the country reveals that modern buyers are most drawn to the following upgrades<\/a>:<\/p>\n