DIY vs. Custom Garage: Which Is Better?

As you probably already know, there are many benefits to having a custom garage installed in your home. From having a place to park the car, to having enough storage room to hold everything from soup to nuts (maybe even literally!), a custom garage will allow you to get and stay organized. It can also add value to your home and reduce your stress level: Who feels good about pulling into or walking through a garage piled with miscellaneous items tossed haphazardly in boxes? While there are companies that specialize in designing and installing custom garages, it can be tempting to try to replicate the process at home. Here are some reasons why professionally customized garages are usually better than the DIY versions:

• Professional custom garages are made for your specific garage and your specific lifestyle.

  You don’t use your garage in exactly the same way as your neighbor or your cousin, so there is no reason why your custom garages should look and function the same. Buying a garage organizer off of the shelf at your local home improvement store might give you a place to stash your stuff, but it may or may not actually fit the space that you have available. Custom garages should be installed tightly, and you should have a lot of choices as far as exactly what products and what type of organizers you have incorporated into your design. This is extremely hard to do with a DIY system, but a professional garage company has the experience necessary to build you a customized system.

• The quality of the materials will usually be better with a custom garage company.

  Because they work on many garages, they buy their materials wholesale. This allows garage companies to pass along the savings on these higher-quality products to you, the consumer. You want garage cabinets that can stand the test of time, as well as the test of inclement weather, humidity and insects that are likely to be factors. Professional-grade products can usually withstand higher weight limits, so you can stack your stuff with confidence. Because everything is measured precisely by professionals, your cabinets and shelves will fit together perfectly.

• Custom garages are about more than just cabinets and shelves.

  When you have your garage customized, you’ll have seemingly endless choices when it comes to wall racks, slatwall, gridwall and overhead storage options. Many homeowners elect to have epoxy garage flooring laid down at the same time. These services are best handled by experts in the industry to ensure that your products last for a long time, making the most of your investment.

Before you have a custom garage installed in your home, you will have a free consultation. Your garage professional will be able to show you exactly what your garage will look like with special industry-specific software. When you see the 3D rendition, you’ll be able to make changes with your professional, so you can be sure that you will receive exactly the system that you want. Before deciding between professionally designed and off-the-shelf DIY custom garage products, ask your garage company for a free consultation to have your questions answered.