We often hear about trends in home design and efficiency, but what about trends in garage spaces? For many homeowners that's a space that is often neglected. But if you're in the market to sell your home, you should get familiar with what buyers are looking for these days in garages.

First of all, garages are making a comeback. For a while, many homeowners decided to convert that space into an office, extra bedroom, or studio. But according to Elizabeth Weintraub with About.com, many homes with similar remodels are lingering on the market, because discriminating buyers are looking for true garage spaces.

The obvious use for a garage is for car storage, and in today's world it isn't uncommon for there to be 3 or 4 cars per family. As a result new homebuilders are making new construction garages bigger, not only in how many cars they can accommodate, but also in dimensions since cars have been growing in size over the years.

But older homes still have options for how many cars they can fit. Auto elevators are becoming increasingly popular. It costs less than a used sedan, and it can be very helpful especially if you live in a community that restricts parking cars on the streets. Here's how it works, you drive into the garage space and after you get out of the car, simply push a button and the car rises, making space underneath for another car to park. If that seems a bit lavish, there are simpler ways to make your space more useful, and appealing to buyers.

1. First, finish it out. This includes having finished walls, ceilings and floors. It gives the room a cleaner, fresher look.

2. Next, redecorate. It's amazing what a new coat of paint can do, for any room, including the garage. And don't forget about the flooring. You can stain the existing concrete, add sealed polypropylene tiling, and other more residential looking, yet durable flooring. It can make the room feel like a true extension of the home.

3. And finally, get organized. Organizational systems are widely available and include cabinets, shelves, workbenches, wall hooks, even closets to hide your clutter.

Just a few small changes to the garage space and your home may look better to buyers, and hopefully be easier to sell.

Published: September 24, 2008

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Tara Darby is a head anchor for Realty Times. She began her career in television soon after her reign as Miss Alabama USA 2004. She also landed in the Top Ten lineup at The Miss USA Pageant and participated in a special Miss USA Fear Factor on NBC. Obviously fear was not a factor for her since she won the competition! Later, she appeared as a special guest on Larry King Live to share her experiences. After that the media opportunities grew and so did her love of the camera, and thus her career began. Since then she has hosted several shows including two national series, and a new home builder show.