One of the best ways to update an older Mitchellville home and add incredible value is to renovate your kitchen pantry.

The economic downturn a few years back had a significant effect on the entire United States economy—but especially in places like Mitchellville, where upper middle class families soon found themselves roped into predatory loans and falling home values. It’s taken years for the market to recover, and many families still consider the possibility of cutting their losses and investing elsewhere. That means Mitchellville homeowners are still looking for ways to improve their home value so that they can make a sale that works for their budget.

One of the best ways to update an older home and add incredible value is to renovate your kitchen pantry. New appliances are great, and granite countertops are trending, but if you’re looking for a minimal dent in your pocketbook that comes with maximum value payoff, the pantry is the kitchen renovation you need to get started on first.

Maximizing a Small Space

Row houses are great—they’re cozy in the wintertime, beautifully quaint in appearance, and give a real neighborhood feel to the Mitchellville area. This neighborhood in particular has over 30 percent row houses—more than most anywhere else in the nation! However, there’s one thing these homes seem to lack, and that’s available storage space. The kitchen can be the biggest culprit for that illusive storage opportunity.

When renovating a small pantry, you’re going to want to focus on getting use out of every last square inch of wall space. One way we like to remedy the space situation is to add floor-to-ceiling lazy susans in the corners. This lets you easily access canned goods, sauces, and spices without knocking anything over or resorting to perilous stacking. This is a feature that tends to “wow” visitors to the home, and is therefore perfect for adding before selling.

Another way to add extra storage to a small pantry is to include slide-out bottle racks. This ingenious solution takes care of that extra space at the top of a cabinet that rarely gets much use, and stores beverages for easy access to the adult members of your family. It’s also quite impressive to new home buyers, especially if they enjoy being frequent customers of the MD wineries east of Mitchellville. I personally prefer this idea over a wine rack because it saves counter space and is much sturdier in construction.

Go for Quality Above All Else

When you’re adding value to your home, you don’t want to cheap out at any stage in the process. The DC metro area is full of history, and there’s a reason places like the historic Melford plantation house are still standing: we value quality construction. When working with custom pantry designs, make sure that your team is providing your home with quality materials—from ¾-inch thermofused shelving to soft-closing hinges. It’s these little details that will matter to the savvy homeowner who tours your kitchen, and they may be willing to pay more for the benefit.

A high-quality custom pantry will be incredibly sturdy while also incorporating helpful adjustable elements. Be sure to let your realtor know that the pantry shelves are completely adjustable and that their hardware is easy to use and industry-grade quality.

Even if you decide to remain in your home, rather than sell, you may want to rearrange your pantry as your needs change. If you feel like stocking up on canned goods once winter storm Stella stops and the snowing finally ceases, you’ll have room to do so. You want to be sure that your custom design can grow with your family—especially when adding more square feet simply isn’t an option.

If you’re looking to sell in PG County, you’ll definitely want to keep these ideas in mind when deciding how to add value to your home. The quaint charm of row houses in a close-knit neighborhood community can only be increased by the presence of modern storage systems. If you’re ready to jump in, schedule your free design consultation today. One of Closet America’s expert designers will walk you through the entire pantry process, and will help you decide how best to make use of your small space to ensure that everything is in its place, perfectly.

Lead image source: Flickr user NCinDC