Selling? Not Selling? Organize That Closet!

 

 

Whether you are preparing your house for sale or simply beginning the New Year with a list of resolutions it is time to get those closets organized.

 

One of the closets we staged last year is a good example of how you can take your wardrobe space from “avalanche city” to a place you or your potential home buyers will like to see and use.

 

Here are some of the photos taken before the staging began.

CJ South Wall Before CJ Upper South Wall Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CJ West Wall Before CJ Southwest Corner Before CJ North West Corner Before 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CJ North Wall Before CJ Flag Wall Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now look at the same space after staging.

 

CJ South Wall After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CJ South Wall After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CJ West Wall After Staging

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CJ Full West Wall After Staging

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                   Here are two after photos of the dresser wall.

CJ Dresser Wall After Staging Final Staging CJ Dresser Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the decisions we made was to remove the bent wire sculpture of a woman’s head. Although the sculpture was cute and added balance to the space the decision to remove it was based on the fact that it was “too” cute. We wanted nothing to distract potential home buyers from noticing the large amount of space available to use in this closet.

 

This closet space required no cash outlay and took 2 hours and 13 minutes to complete.

All items used in the staging belonged to the home owner.

 

Here are the steps used to complete the organizing and staging:

 

 

  1. Remove ALL items from the closet.
  2. Replace light bulbs and wash light fixture.
  3. Wash all walls and shelving.
  4. Clean floors.
  5. Use baskets and containers from other spaces in the house.
  6. Replace ONLY clothing, shoes and accessory items.

 

All items which were removed from the wardrobe space were put into these categories:

 

 

  • Return to closet.
  • Give to charity.
  • Remove to more appropriate space. (Some of these items were pre-packed and placed in storage.)
  • Throw away.

 

 

One of the no charge services we offer to each of our clients is the delivery of charitable items to the aid organization of his or her choice. We collect the receipt for the client and give it to him or her for use during income tax preparation.

 

It is time to prepare your closets for best use whether you are selling or simply fulfilling a New Year resolution.  

 

 

This information was prepared by Yvonne Root of rooms b.y. root. Root is the President of SNAPA (Staging Northern Arizona Professional Association.) Root and the home staging team at rooms b.y. root can be found staging homes all over northern Arizona. Look for them in your neighborhood in Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Sedona, Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer, Black Canyon City, Anthem and all places between.

 

 

 

 
This post has been included in Arizona Information
Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...
Post is included in group: Arizona Real Estate
Post is included in group: Arizona's Community
Post is included in group: Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures
Post is included in group: Real World Home Staging for Newbies

48 Comments on Selling? Not Selling? Organize That Closet!

I can't believe you didn't spend any money to stage this closet.  Fantastic.  I love your no charge service of delivering charitable donations and bringing the client the receipt for tax purposes.  That is top notch! 

01/04/2008 01:05 PM by Janice Sutton - Temecula Murrieta Home stager - Home staging (1st Stage Property Transformations)


Hi Janice! The great part about this staging was that the home owner has a lot of baskets. Many of them were hidden away at the backs of the top shelves in the closet. You can also see many of them in the before photos if you look beneath the other items. We simply re-purposed them. Shoes went in some of them and other items in others. By removing the file cabinet and the large jewelry box we simply came up with tons of room for clothing and accessory storage. 

It truly costs us nothing to drop off the donations as we are out and about anyway. We find that offering the service is quite helpful to many clients. Thanks so much for your kind comments.

01/04/2008 01:28 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


One thing I would add, if I may, Yvonne - is that this closet is huge and the home owner had stuffed a lot into it.  So, potential home buyers before our staging would be likely, upon opening this closet door, to feel intimidated by the sheer volume of stuff and just move on quickly.  After your fantastic work, however, potential home buyers could get a sense of the spaciousness and usefulness of the closet and not be scared away by all the things.

Good work...as always!

Your Office Manager

01/04/2008 02:00 PM by Tonya Schulte


Thank you Mrs. Schulte for adding that bit of information. I think I should also have noted that we made good use of this tool when preparing this closet. Each of the shirts that are folded on the shelves were placed in this tool before being placed on the shelves. As you know, I value your opinion so thanks very much for commenting! 

01/04/2008 03:03 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yvonne, why do people abuse their closets so?  I spent the entire day New Year's day doing all my closets and the pantry.  I would love to be able to afford those pretty built in looking units, but till then, I have to settle for organized.  I'm sure in a year's time I'll be doing it again though :-)

01/04/2008 04:20 PM by Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495 (Stage it Right!)


I have special kind of love for a well organized closet!  It makes such a huge difference in the feel of a room.

01/04/2008 04:40 PM by Kristina, KFM Staging & Design - A Minnesota Home Staging Company (KFM Staging & Design)


You did a fantastic job Yvonne.  You totally got rid of the chaos in that closet.  I love your charitable drop-off service.  That is such a thoughtful thing to do - you're such a nice lady!

01/04/2008 04:56 PM by Charlene Storozuk - Burlington Ontario Home Stager (Dezigner Digz)


Terry, Do you think that part of it is a mind set? I mean, if we never allow ourselves to have a "junk drawer" then we never have to clean out a junk drawer. Yeah, that is a nice thought. My hubby and I commented just the other day that we clean out the garage about every 6 months. Thanks for stopping in! 

Kristina, You are so right. Having a disorganized closet in a pretty room is like a beautiful woman with a potty mouth -- quite disconcerting. We practice the "one in -- one out rule." If we buy a new pair of shoes it is because one pair wore out so we toss the old pair. That rule gets bent once in a while but for the most part it works.

Thank you Charlene! It seems to me that you are the nice lady. Call me strange, but I do enjoy the end result of organizing a space. This was a fun job. Perhaps I have an ulterior motive for the drop off service -- never know when you may find the perfect mirror to set atop the next home staging mantle at the Goodwill store. :)  

01/04/2008 05:17 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yvonne, Nice blog and reminder that as professional stagers we know that staging the closet is a must!! Great Job Mrs. Root

01/04/2008 05:25 PM by Asheville Stagers- Leslie Godbold (Asheville Stagers - "We do more than make pretty places!")


Thank you Mrs. Godbold! You are correct, of course. We must see the big picture as well as the small details. Fresh closets help to add up to fresh offers; right? Glad to see you stopping in. 

01/04/2008 05:32 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Good call on removing the wire artwork.  I hate when staging distracts.  Good to keep the focus on the storage square footage available.

 

01/04/2008 08:40 PM by Michael Greenslade (Prudential California Realty)


my, my ,my -- what a fun read, Yvonne!  and so true.  I read something on Yahoo today the it has been confirmed through study that CLUTTER causes illness -- I need to go back and read the article.  Did you see it? 

Hmmm . . . Clutter causes illness.  NO wonder I have been under the weather so much lately! Anyone want to come De-clutter?  You can have over night accommodations and a free ticket to the Atlanta Round Table on the 17th! But the closets won't look like Yvonne's. 

Please post for me, okay Yvonne? 

01/04/2008 08:56 PM by Karen Dembsky, Atlanta Home Staging (Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA)


Michael, Thank you for the agreement concerning the fun artwork. Your photography (especially the black and white shots of the architectural details) is so much fun! Wish I could make your upcoming open house. That place looks like fun just from the outside. 

Karen, It is so good to see you jumping in here. I didn't read the Yahoo article but noticed a blog referencing it. Hum, clutter causes illness huh? Well I know that digging for things lost in clutter causes head aches. :) I'm so jealous of your upcoming RT. Does your invitation include a round trip ticket?

What would you like for me to post for you my dear? I would but your posts are always so cool I think your loyal followers would be quite disappointed.  

01/04/2008 11:26 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Wow, Yvonne.  What a huge difference. 

I too love the fact that you offer the service of taking it to a donation center of their choice.  Brilliant!  I would imagine that most homeowners love this idea. 

Kathy

01/05/2008 01:19 AM by Kathy Nielsen, Atlanta Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC)


Yvonne - I have 1 closet in this house that is in desperate need of your attention.  I think we'll have to tear the whole thing out and start from scratch to get it to look as good as what you've done.  Great idea there offering to drop off donations - I'm so filled up on V-8 moments I should be set for the year :o)

Jackie

01/05/2008 02:11 PM by Jackie Peraza, Home Stager - Framingham, Massachusetts (Perceptions AdverStaging(TM), LLC)


Kathy, How fantastic to hear, "What a huge difference," from the Before and After Photo Queen. Thank you so much!

Jackie, When does your closet project begin? I'm not into being near Boston in the winter months. You folks are tuff! :) Thank you for stopping in!

To all who have commented on the "haul off service," here is the interesting part about the idea of hauling off the donations. I honestly thought that most if not all home stagers offered this service. I mean, it just seemed like a natural thing to do. Another thing to remember is that if the donations are large (furniture, appliances and the like) then it is quite simple to call the local Goodwill or equivalent and ask for pick up service.

01/05/2008 10:01 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yes and the little things make such a big impact.  People often forget closets and garages, bit mistake.  Good post.

01/06/2008 01:57 AM by Terrylynn Fisher 2007 RESA Staging Realtor of the YEAR (Diablo Realty)


Terrylynn, Yes, you have made me laugh. I don't know how many times I've spoken with folks about "off site storage" and have seen their looks of wonder. "My garage can probably hold all this stuff." Yep, and it can also "hold up" your sale. Thanks for your comment Terrylynn.

01/06/2008 07:38 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Hi - I love this example. I recently redid my own closets at home. It made me like it so much more - although I still want to make changes. How much did you spend to do this? I know you mentioned the homeowner had everything, but it looked like you had new hangers...?

01/06/2008 01:17 PM by A Crye-Leike Blogger, Angie Vandenbergh (Crye-Leike, Realtors)


This was awesome Yvonne!  That was a lot to tackle and complete in a bit over 2 hours.  How did you do that?  Thanks for sharing your pictures.

01/06/2008 02:24 PM by Abby Reilly; NW Atlanta Home Stager (ALR Home Staging and Showcasing, LLC)


Yvonne, I need you right now to come over and clear out my closet. Very timely post and I love when my closet looks like this now getting the motivation..... 

01/06/2008 02:33 PM by Karen Otto, Collin County, Plano, TX Home Stager (Home Star Staging)


Angie, I have a few closets I should get straightened out too. :) There were no extra costs for this staging. What we did with the hangers was "unmix" them. If you look in the original photos you will see that the plastic and wooden hangers were mixed together in various parts of the closet. We simply moved all the wooden hangers to one side and all the plastic to the other. (Look in the third and fourth after photos to best see what I mean.) It was an effortless way to create visual unity. 

Abby, I wondered if anyone would notice the timing. I don't always keep track of the actual time it takes to get a particular portion of a job done. I used my timer to keep track of this one though because I wanted to get a better idea of how long this would actually take. It was 13 minutes longer than I estimated. That time did not take into account the time it took to deal with the items which were not returned to the closet. Glad you noticed.

Karen, It did seem like a good time of the year to discuss organizing. :) I'm trying to figure out why it is easier to organize the closets of others than it is to do my own. Any ideas? If it is true (as I've heard and seem to have experienced) that we wear only about 20% of the clothes we own; then why in the world do we think we need to own so much? I'm as guilty as anyone else.  

01/06/2008 09:55 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


I have just added another item to my growing "New Year's Resolution List"......organize my closet!  Thank you for the post and you did an amazing job.

01/07/2008 06:57 AM by Tracy Moses~Redefining LUXE~Staging & Redesign (Redefining LUXE)


Tracy, Thanks so much for stopping in. Ahw, New Year's resolutions. Now isn't that a fun way to start a new year. Thank you for the "amazing" word! 

01/07/2008 10:09 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Great Job once again Yvonne! I have seen this woman in action! My family and I are still enjoying the dramatic makeover of our living-room, by rooms b.y. root! Everyone must have the same thing in mind, it's time to clean out the clutter. I thought I was doing a pretty good job sorting, tossing, vacuuming, donating everything below the "rod" but after seeing the whole picture (shelf on top) I felt in great need to run home and get my step ladder out and clear off that top shelf too!  Watch out husband!! Thanks Yvonne for all the great talent you share, have a great and prosperous 2008!!!

01/08/2008 09:36 AM by Linda


Wow!!!  What a difference being organized makes!!!  I can't imagine trying to find something to wear in the "before" shots...the home owner must be thrilled to be able to find everything more easily.  Great job!!

01/08/2008 10:17 AM by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)


Yvonne, great before and after pictures.  A huge improvement....Great job!

 

01/08/2008 05:09 PM by Gary White~ Grand Rapids Real Estate, FLexIt Realty, a call or click away! (Flexit Realty)


Hey Linda, I'm glad you found out about ActiveRain. How nice of you to stop in. It is so nice to see a redesign client stop by. Getting the entire closet organized will make you feel just that much better. Tell Mike I said he is in charge of all the tall stuff. :) Wishing you a fantastic 2008 too! 

Lori, You are so right. Finding items in a "distressed" closet is also time wasting. The broken shoe rack had simply become worthless. Creating new places to store items is sometimes difficult when we get into certain habits. Thrilled clients is always our goal. Thanks for your kind words!  

01/08/2008 06:18 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Good job.  Thanks for listing the steps too.

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

01/08/2008 07:20 PM by Kim Dillon (Creative Eye Home Staging)


Hi Gary. Thanks for your very kind words. It is nice to see you brokers stopping in. BTW my hubby was born in Allegan Michigan. His sister and her family still live in Kalamazoo. I see that you have some excellent promotion and marketing tips on your blog. Do you have some ideas to share with home stagers? For instance, what would you most like to see us do to appeal to you and your clients?

Kim, It is fun to have you stopping by here. Thanks for mentioning the listing of the steps. I think the most important is the last -- put only what you use and what belongs in the space. 

01/08/2008 08:28 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yvonne -- Whenever I look in my closet I am glad I am not selling my home . . .boy is there a ton of stuff in there and I'm not sure I have the energy to tackle it! 

01/09/2008 06:11 PM by Lori Gilmore - One Savvy Move Home Staging (One Savvy Move)


Hi Lori, (smile) there are many places I look in my house and am glad the time is not here for me to sell. It is really funny how it is easier to do this for someone else than to do it for our selves. Could it be that money really does talk?

01/09/2008 08:33 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yvonne

Wow, great before and after photo's.  Makes me want to organize in 2008. Sometimes the closet is the last place to tackle. Thanks for the inspiration. 

When Staging, Stage from curb to closet!!!

 

Brenda

Hiddenpotentialhomestage.com 

01/09/2008 09:02 PM by Brenda Thomas (Hidden Potential)


Hey Brenda! Your sentence, When Staging, Stage from curb to closet!!! may become my new byline. (grin) Thanks! Also thanks for your kind words. Organizing is worth it. If time is money then not spending huge amounts of  time looking for what we need is valuable. 

01/09/2008 09:51 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Nice that you offer to handle the donations as well - others should pick up on that.

01/19/2008 06:19 PM by Kathleen Lordbock (Re$ale Design) ~Minnesota Home Stager~ (Re$ale Design & Home Staging)


Or trailer on it. Some donations are just too big for a pick up. Oh gosh, I've made myself groan and that is a very bad deal. Glad to see you here in the rain again.

01/19/2008 07:26 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Yvonne- You certainly do good work!!! I haven't done any closet organizing, but I do make recommendations during my consultations. People are always so surprised at how much they are willing to part with!! Thanks for sharing! You have inspired me to tackle my own (after my basement re-do, of course)!!!

01/19/2008 07:41 PM by Elaine Manes IRIS ~ A Wonderful Space, LLC (A Wonderful Space, LLC)


Elaine, Thank you for the wonderful complement. I'm wondering if there is a market for specializing in closets. You are in that part of the country which I often told my parents as a child was where I was going to live when I grew up. Now I find that when it gets down to 40 degrees I'm freezing. So I suppose I'll stay down here in the desert. But it is beautiful where you live! 

01/19/2008 07:57 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


WOW!  That really makes a difference...great example of how closets should look!

01/21/2008 10:11 PM by Design To Market Home Staging Cincinnati Jo Potvin (Design To Market LLC)


Hi Jo, Thanks for putting in that all important word -- SHOULD. Oh that all my closets looked so nice.

01/22/2008 07:27 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Oh, Yvonne, I want to MOVE INTO those closets - they look THAT GOOD!  Seriously, you are offering a wonderful service that has universal appeal and that's a wonderful thing!

VAL

01/22/2008 07:57 AM by Val Allocco,HSE; Chapter President ASHSR Owner of Staged 2 Sell NY 516-982-2671 (Staged 2 Sell NY)


Thanks Val! Do you think I should specialize in occupied closets? :)

01/22/2008 08:12 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


Closets are the "Black Hole" of our society.  I very rarely see an organized one including mine!

01/22/2008 10:17 PM by Cindy Bryant~Houston's Home Staging & Home Stagers By Redesign Etc.~RESA~ASHSR (Redesign Etc., Inc.-Texas)


Organized closets make all the difference to HOW a room feels.  It makes the buyer feel the possibilities.  Closets are a BIG selling point...like garages and presented properly give a finishing touch to the well staged home.

01/23/2008 01:37 AM by Terrylynn Fisher 2007 RESA Staging Realtor of the YEAR (Diablo Realty)


I absolutely agree all closets, under sink areas and garages should be staged.  Now if I could only keep my own closets this organized....

01/23/2008 05:37 AM by Sandra Hughes-Redesigned Spaces-Virginia Redesigned Spaces - Fairfax County, VA (Redesigned Spaces - Northern Virginia)


Cindy, haha -- black holes huh? Now that I think about it you've convinced me that closets could be a menace. Perhaps we could each convince our governors to declare a "Clean Out That Black Hole Closet" month in each of our states. (I'm not sure what the equivalent would be for my Canadian friends -- sorry.)

Terrylynn, You are right. As the (perhaps overused) analogy goes -- would you dress for a first date and not take a shower or put on clean underwear? A beautiful home with messy closets, storage areas and garages just won't cut the mustard.

Sandra, Don't worry hon. When you decide to put your home on the market you can hire a home stager to help you prepare all those untidy areas. :) I'm not sure why but we do tend to let our "hidden spaces" go some times.  

01/23/2008 06:30 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


I want a staged closet. Heck I live in 110 year old house. I just want more closets.

Carol Bull Nova Star

01/23/2008 01:22 PM by Carol Bull (Nova Star Real Estate)


Carol, Oh yeah, I know what you mean. The first house my hubby and I purchased was built in 1899+. I think the last "addition" had been done in the late 1960s. Part of the house was built using 18 inch thick adobe walls and part was built using the wooden exterior wall as the interior wall. We had to add studs and an interior wall to the room which became our master bath. There were NO closets -- anywhere -- in the whole house. I still have the armoire we purchased when we lived there. I think that is when I learned that a few pairs of shoes were acceptable as opposed to an entire shoe stores worth. But then --- don't we all want more closets?  

01/23/2008 02:10 PM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)


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Home Stager: Yvonne Root  Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)
Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager
Prescott, AZ
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