When home buyers discuss the features they look for most in homes, several things usually top the list. They want nice, spacious kitchens, relaxing bathrooms, large bedrooms, and walk-in closets. If you’re thinking of selling your Denver-area home, it may be worth your while to create walk-in closets – especially in the master bedroom or suite.
What Are Walk-In Closets?
With a traditional closet, you simply open the door and peer inside at your clothing, shoes, accessories, and other stored items. A walk-in closet is more like a small room. You open the door, walk inside, turn on the light, and look at items all around you. Walk-in closets make it easier to store and find items, and that’s why they’re so appealing to home buyers. Such a closet is very important in the master suite, but it’s even better if there’s one in every bedroom.
Is It Possible to Create Them in an Existing Home?
Most of the time, walk-in closets are accounted for during the home design process. Architects and planners will decide where the closets will be, and contractors (including electricians and plumbers) do their jobs according to that placement. This means that adding walk-in closets to existing homes can be a bit challenging, but it’s certainly not impossible. In this case, you’ll likely want to build a wall-to-wall closet, and you’ll need to sacrifice some of the actual floor space to do so. That’s why this process works best in larger bedrooms.
How Much Do They Increase Home Values?
There are a few home renovations that provide a positive return on your investment, which means you’ll make more than you spend should you choose to sell your home. Walk-in closets are one of these renovations. The exact return varies based on many factors, but the most important factor to consider is demand. Buyers want to see big closets during showings and open houses, and if you can provide that to them, it makes your home more desirable, and therefore more valuable. If a potential buyer sees two homes that are the same save for closet size, they’ll almost always be willing to pay a little more for the bigger closets.
Hiring a Professional
Although walk-in closets are great for improving home value and desirability, they’re not projects you should take on yourself. You should always hire a professional to perform renovations like this, especially when you consider that your new closet will need lighting – and therefore wiring. It’s vital that a licensed electrician analyzes your project and plans accordingly. Depending on the location of your new closet, you may also need to plan for water lines and existing wiring, too.
Walk-in closets are investments that will pay off in the end. If you choose to sell your home, the closets make it more desirable to potential buyers. If you choose to stay in your home, your closets will provide you with more storage space, and this keeps clutter at a minimum.