Author: Corey Boldt

Buyers will certainly be checking out your closets as they walk through your home. Too often closets are overlooked spaces when sellers are preparing to put their house on the market. This is a costly oversight!

Closet spaces, if done right, can be leveraged to increase the value of your home. Not only does a tidy, organized and aesthetically — pleasing closet give buyers the impression that you maintain your home, it also creates the perception of space – something purchasers consistently pay more for.

There are certainly ways to improve your closets using professional closet systems or by remodeling, but for the sellers who looking for more budget-friendly ways to organize and modernize closets, here are some recommendations.

 

Pro Tips:

  • Create white space. White space refers to the empty, unoccupied space you leave in your closet — on the floor, on shelves, in between hangers and in storage bins. A great way to think about whitespace is to think about music. In a song, the whitespace is the pause between each note. Without the pauses, there would be no rhythm or melody — the music would sound disorganized and you wouldn’t be able to make sense of it. Similarly, white space in a closet makes it easier for someone to view the area in its entirety and comprehend how it can be used. Without it, the space feels unstructured and lacking in intentional design. A good rule of thumb is try to clean your closets out so they are 50% empty. For bedroom and linen closets limit 3 to 4 folded items in a stack, leave a couple of inches between each hanger and remove items from the closet floor. For storage closets, organize loose items in neutral-colored, matching storage bins with lids, and avoid stacking bins on top of each other.
  • Invest in nice hangers. Those old metal and plastic colored hangers will spoil your chances of creating a showing-stopping closet. Spend the extra cash to invest in matching, neutral-colored wooden hangers. Your clothes will hang better —  creating a more appealing clothing display, and it will add a simple (but significant) touch of sophistication to your closet. Remember: you’re only filling 50% of your closet space, so you’re only purchasing premium hangers for a fraction of your clothing items.
  • Put your nicest items on display. As you work to create white space in your closet, remove items that are less attractive or don’t show well, and select your finest items for display. Dresses, crisp blouses, dress shirts and pants, nice jeans and structured tops are a good start. Avoid items that don’t fold well or look worn. Use storage bins to hold accessories or items that might be considered “too personal” for display. If you use storage bins, make sure they are neutral-colored and matching with lids, and only display one bin per shelf.
  • Group similar colored items. An easy way to improve the appeal of your closets is to group clothing items together by color. The easiest way to do this is to follow the acronym ROY G BIV —  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Add black items behind your blue and violet colors, and white behind black. Within each colored section, place tank tops and sleeveless shirts first, then long-sleeved shirts, sweaters and dresses. Pinterest is a great place to get ideas for how to color coordinate and organize your folded and hanging clothes.
  • Paint your closets. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way to improve the look and create the illusion of space in your closets. Painting also ensures that you cover up unsightly scuffs and marks that cheapen the look of your space. Choose light and neutral colors and opt for a satin finish — it doesn’t show scuffs or other marks like semi-gloss, and unlike flat paint you can wipe away dirt or smudges on closet walls.

 

Want more tips, tricks and techniques for creating show-stopping closets? Contact us today to speak to one of our experienced agents and design consultants.

 

About the author

Corey Boldt is the owner and heart of the Double Boldt Real Estate team. As a lifelong resident of Wauwatosa, Corey couldn’t imagine raising her family in any other community, and nothing feels more at home to her than working with the people directly in and surrounding this area. With 15 years of experience in sales management and 5 years of experience in residential real estate, Corey has the business background needed for negotiating contracts and the realty expertise wanted to find your dream home. Corey works with you through every step of the process—buying, selling, staging—to deliver consistent results and help you find exactly what you’re looking for in a home.