Keep closets clear of clutter
Buyers will snoop into storage spaces to see if there’s enough room for their stuff
Q Our condo’s storage isn’t terrible, but the closets are crammed with everything from bags to shoes and jackets. Do people looking to purchase a place actually care about how closets are organized? Will investing in an organizer help the spaces look more spacious, or should we think about renovating a room or two to increase our closets’ size?
A while some buyers sift through drawers because they’re nosy, Bosley Real Estate broker Ryan Roberts says most people dig into cupboards for a very practical reason: They want to know whether it’s realistic to think their stuff will fit in the space. “I find that when buyers see an organized closet it calms their minds and allows them permission to say ‘Yes, I can see myself living here in a similar manner.’ If the closet is overflowing, the buyer will assume they won’t have enough room.” Naturally then, the first thing cupboard-cramming home sellers should do is purge their space of excess items: clothes, shoes, beauty products, unused tech toys, the works. The next step is to relocate some of what’s remaining to a storage locker until the condo sells. What’s out of sight is out of everyone’s mind. Do closet organizers help? No, Roberts says, nor should sellers expect a return on the investment. These units add value to a property only when they’re custom designed for a grand walk-in closet. All that’s really needed to make a closet look organized and appealing is an upper shelf on which folded items can be stored, and a rail for hanging clothes. Knocking down walls or rearranging a room’s layout to increase cupboard square footage won’t do much either. As long as the master bedroom has enough storage for two people, the amount of space should be sufficient for a buyer. “Ultimately, the best advice I can provide is to have your closets neat and organized — not empty, but orderly,” Roberts says. “Allow the discussion to be about your wonderful condo, not about the overstuffed cupboards.”