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Selling Your Home... And The Magic Power Of Closets...

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Corcoran Legends Realty NYS# 10491202097

At first, when you are thinking of the closets in your home for sale they may seem very insignificant or unassuming rooms to you. Reality, however, is that closets can be real "magic" selling features. Homes must have storage. From clothes to toys, food to cleaning supplies, closets are at the very heart of every clean and organized home. So in the end, it seems to make a lot of sense to spend some time and effort into getting these often neglegted and abused rooms into prime showing condition.

The initial thing to do when revamping your closets is to get rid of the clutter! Everyone of us is a little bit guilty of holding onto clothes and other "valuables" that are no longer needed or used. These "stored" items can make closets burst at the seems and can turn a ready and willing buyer off in no time.

After you donated or sold these no longer needed "treasures" it's time to get organized. Even simple and inexpensive fixes can make a real difference. First, freshen your closets up with a neutral coat of new paint and then organize your closets by color sorting your clothes, grouping like items such as pants and shirts, and transferring smaller items into storage totes or boxes. You can also remove off season clothes and store them by themselves. Tame your shoe and tie collections with racks. Make sure that you can see as much flooring as possible in your closets. The less there is in your closets the larger they'll appear to potential home buyers. 

Are you needing to organize your kitchen pantry and cabinets? Use the same principles as with your bedroom and other storage closets. Remove un-needed items, get storage totes, boxes and/or racks for small and miscellaneous items, and then group like items together.

Every closet needs shelving, racks, poles and hooks. Depending on your budget there’s a wide range of choices available. Simple and inexpensive Rubbermaid shelving can be put up in a multitude of configurations and can be installed with nothing more than a drill and a screwdriver.

 


However, custom built-in California type units can make your potential buyers take immediate notice and put your home at the top of their final list. And it's even better if you have walk-in closets. Walk-ins are super selling points in any size and style home, so make sure to maximize the show-stopper potential of these spaces with well thought-out storage elements.

The main key with walk-in closets is to allow buyers to see the true size and sheer functionality of these rooms. You don’t want buyers to be overwhelmed by your junk and mess the minute they open a door... and yes, they most certainly will open your closets!

Instead, let them be inspired by the sheer organization and the unbelievable amount of space your closets have to offer!

 

 

 

Posted by

Westchester County - Phyllis Lerner, Realtor

 



Phyllis Lerner, Realtor - Broker/Co-Owner - 914.438.3903
Westchester County NY - Real Estate Listings, Sales, Rentals & Services



Voted 2010 through 2023 FIVE STAR Real Estate Agent by Westchester Magazine

(Disclaimer: Any and all grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes located within my blogs, web sites and any other content, are purely for your amusement and entertainment.) 

Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Declutter ing so key to my work with Feng Shui elements. Owe a sizable amount of business to it! :)

Mar 06, 2012 11:27 AM
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

"The less there is in your closets the larger they'll appear to potential home buyers."

   This is so true...  I tell Sellers it is better to box stuff up and put it in the garage, under the bed, wherever... just get it out of the closets so they will look bigger and brighter.

Mar 06, 2012 11:42 AM
Kirsten Mellinger
SkyView Real Estate - Simi Valley, CA
Ventura County Real Estate

Great post! 

SELLERS...take note - buyers sure are!  It's truly amazing what sellers don't put away...just showed a home the other day with panties hanging in the shower....really?!

This is probably one of the best pieces of advice we give sellers.....and probably the least ever followed!

Mar 06, 2012 11:52 AM
Jo-Anne Smith
Oakville, ON

Hi Phyllis!

Such good points.....closets are so important. I usually advise my clients to rent a storage unit and box away a lot of the things that aren't being used in a closet.

Jo

Mar 06, 2012 11:52 AM
Marnie Matarese
DWELL REAL ESTATE - Sarasota, FL
Showing you the best of Sarasota!

Such important information.  How do you sell a the benefits of huge closets when they are so overloaded with stuff that they no longer look functional?  This is one of the first areas I ask my sellers to pare down and organize and probably one of the few areas that I feel really pays back the money that is spent putting in organizers.

Mar 06, 2012 11:54 AM
Winston Heverly
Coldwell Banker Access Realty - South Macon, GA
GRI, ABR, SFR, CDPE, CIAS, PA

Do they come before or after the short sale purchase? I don't see that happening for properties that are caught with the snag of o equity.

Mar 06, 2012 12:26 PM
Phyllis Lerner call 914.438.7556
Corcoran Legends Realty - Tarrytown, NY
Corcoran Legends Realty

Hey Winston... if you have a lot of competing short sales in your area the one with the best features will win out and get offers... in some cases multiple offers... done it, seen it...

Mar 07, 2012 02:04 AM
Pamela Lauridsen-Bache
Century 21 Beachside, Mission Viejo Ca - Laguna Niguel, CA

I was out looking at homes with a client one day and we opened up a closet, we actually had items fall on us. Lucky for us it was nothing heavy.

Pamela Lauridsen Bache

Mar 07, 2012 02:28 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Clostet space and storage space is many times the big selling point for many of the buyers.  both should show extra room!

Mar 07, 2012 06:39 AM
Christin Griffin
Realty ONE Group - Las Vegas, NV
CDPE, Short Sale Queen

lol, i love the pic of the crazy closet at the top.  This is such a true statement about closets.  THEY REALLY ARE MAGIC!

Mar 08, 2012 02:47 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

Great Post.   If you are going to sell the house you might as well pack it up anyway.  How many clothes do you really need in a closet?  I think I only wear about 10% them 90% of the time.

Apr 29, 2012 02:26 PM