4 Critical Considerations When Buying Steel Garage Kit

As people begin to appreciate the benefits of steel as a construction material, so too is the popularity of the steel garage kit. Aside from it is easy to maintain, you do not need to paint it all over again and repair it from time to time as you do with wooden structures. Not to mention, pests and rodents do not eat steel. Moreover, the ability of steel to resist fire makes it a more preferred choice than wood, especially in wildland-urban areas.

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Probably unknown to many, however, there is a more important benefit of buying a steel garage kit. This is especially vital to those who bought a house for investment purposes. A study by the Florida State University has found that homes with a regular size garage enjoy around 13 percent increase in value when owners decide to sell them in the future. Reality check, people buying a property wherever possible prefer some sort of a storage space or a garage.

Below are a few reasons how steel garage kit increases home value:

1. It is more appealing to potential home buyers. The reason why some items in a grocery store are selling like hotcakes is that they obviously appear more appealing to consumers. The same is true with a resale property. By serving as a place to store tools, equipment, and other materials as well as a place to secure vehicles, a steel garage appeals to buyers as it adds to the overall functionality of the house. It is very unlikely to find someone who does not want a garage.

2. It provides additional square footage. For a more obvious reason, a property with a square footage results in a higher price value. This is because a market rate per square foot determines the value of the property. In most cases, the size of the property has more direct impact on property’s price than other factors such as age and its overall condition.

3. It can be transformed into something more useful. Whether you would need an extra space for an additional bedroom or a workshop, transforming your existing steel garage is not a bad idea. All you need are a carpet, drywall, an insulation and a few decorations. More often than not, adding a bathroom to a newly transformed garage for a living space is a lot easier since plumbing is usually located near the garage.

With the growing interest in steel garage kit, it does not come as a surprise to see the increasing presence of this asset over the internet. Several companies are taking advantage of the trend and offering different types and styles.

There are several things that you should understand first as follows:

1. Would you like an attached or a detached garage? A detached garage is usually easier to manage since in most cases it can maintain a unique look while still blend well with the existing building. An attached garage on another hand can be more challenging to complete since there are a number of architectural factors to consider including how it will complement with the rest of the home. The study by the Florida State University also specified that whether the garage is attached or detached also influences the home value.

2. Secure building permits. Similar to conventional wooden buildings, you will need to obtain building permits from your local department. The ease of obtaining permits depend upon the type and size of your structure. Hence, before you buy the steel garage kit of your choice, you need to speak with your local department and find out what type of structures are permissible and other requirements such as building plans.

In general, there are three types of a plan required for you to submit. These are a site plan, foundation plan, and engineered building plan. The latter needs structural estimates. Understand that the specifications required in the each plan will vary between projects classified as either residential or commercial. In most cases, there are more requirements for commercial projects than the residential ones.

Does your local building department accept hand-drawn site plans?

3. Prepare an initial deposit. Your manufacturer or distributor will surely require you to put down a deposit that they use for preparing plans and getting the necessary permits from your local department. The initial amount usually includes the cost for engineered plans for your steel garage. Understand that the cost of the site plan and foundation plan are typically not included yet. 

This means that you may need to find a separate local engineer to prepare the foundation plan for you. This can set you back an additional $500 to $2000 on top of the original building cost. As you look for some reputable companies, you would probably encounter some of them including the foundation plan with the price of the steel garage kit. Make sure to clarify this with them.

Just in case, you are able to find a supplier that will provide you both the foundation plans and the engineered building plans, be prepared to supply them some information you have gathered from the local department such as required frost line depth, footer depth, and much more.

Before putting down an initial deposit, make sure however that you only deal with reputable companies. In most cases, a reputable supplier does not require an initial deposit. They ask you to buy the plans though. Putting down an initial deposit is quite a risky undertaking as there are so many variables that may happen that can cause your new building project fail. Worse comes to worst, the amount lost can be very significant.

4. Steel garage styles. There are various garage styles and the prevalence of one style vary depending on where you live. An arch style garage is more common for instance in Alaska and a pole barn-like appeals more in various areas of the Southeast. However, the most important consideration in choosing the style must be based on your area’s climate, return on investment and its intended use.