Getting Your Garage Door Ready Before You Sell Your Home

When you sell a home, the garage door gets more attention than you might think. It is one of the first things a buyer sees from the street, and it is something a home inspector is likely to test. A door that runs quietly and passes its safety checks helps the house feel well cared for. A door that groans or fails a test becomes one more item on a repair list.

Here is a simple way to get the door ready before you list.

Start with safety

These are the checks a buyer's inspector is likely to run, so do them first.

• Safety sensors. Start closing the door and pass a broom handle or a cardboard box through the beam between the two sensors near the floor. Never use your hand or foot. The door should stop and reverse.
• Auto-reverse. Follow your opener manual's test for the door reversing when it meets an object. The door should reverse, not crush.
• Manual release. Make sure the red emergency release cord is there, easy to reach and not tied up. Only test it with the door fully closed.
• Wall button. It should sit high enough that small children can't reach it. If it doesn't, have it moved.

Our guide on how to test your safety sensors and auto-reverse walks through both tests step by step.

Look for obvious problems

Stand clear, run the door a few times and watch.

• Does it move smoothly and evenly on both sides?
• Any grinding, popping or banging?
• Do the springs above the door have any visible gap?
• Are the cables at the bottom corners frayed, rusty or loose?
• Are any rollers cracked or wobbly?
• Does the door close fully and sit level on the floor?

Anything involving springs, cables, bottom brackets or opener settings needs a professional. Fixing those before you list is usually simpler than dealing with them during a sale. Our lists of spring warning signs and cable warning signs show what to look for.

Small fixes you can do yourself

• Lubricate. A light coat of garage door lubricant on hinges and roller bearings quiets the door. See how to lubricate a garage door.
• Tighten hinge screws. Loose hardware rattles. Snug the hinge and track bracket screws, and leave the bottom brackets alone.
• Wipe the tracks. Clean them with a dry cloth. No grease.
• Replace worn seals. A cracked or flattened bottom seal or side strip lets in light and water. Our guide to the garage door bottom seal covers replacement.
• Replace remote and keypad batteries. A remote that works on the first press makes a better showing.

Clean it up

The door is a big part of how the house looks from the curb, and listing photos usually include it.

• Rinse with a garden hose, then wash with mild soap and a soft cloth from the top down
• Rinse before the soap dries
• Clean windows gently with a soft cloth, since many are plastic and scratch easily
• Skip the pressure washer, which can strip the finish
• Clean the inside of the garage around the door too, including the sensor lenses

If the finish is faded or peeling, check the door maker's guidance before painting.

Gather what the buyer will need

• Every remote. Collect all of them in one place, including spares in cars and drawers.
• The keypad code. Write it down for the buyer, or plan to tell them how to set a new one.
• The opener manual and model number. The model is usually on a label on the motor unit.
• Any service records. A record of a recent tune-up shows the door has been looked after.

After closing, the new owner should clear the old remotes and set a new keypad code. Our new homeowner garage door checklist explains how, and it is a handy page to pass along.

Don't make the door look better than it is

Don't paint over rust, bypass the safety sensors or adjust the opener's force so a struggling door seems to close normally. Those shortcuts tend to show up in an inspection, and turning up the force can keep the door from reversing when something is in its way. If something needs fixing, fix it properly.

A professional check before listing

A tune-up before you list is a simple way to cover the parts you can't safely check yourself. It looks at springs and cables, tests balance and checks the opener's safety features. You can see the full list in what a garage door tune-up actually checks.