We often think of granite countertops and fireplaces as key selling points for houses. But custom designed closets also add a lot to your home’s resale value.

I recently talked to a couple who owned one of the historic and beautiful rowhouses that make up much of Foggy Bottom. They loved the place, of course. It’s a fun and vibrant neighborhood that combines present-day excitement with a long and proud history. They loved pretty much everything about their place, but just weren’t thrilled with the space they had, especially when it came to storage.

They were torn. They wanted a custom designed closet, but also knew that they weren’t planning on living in Foggy Bottom for too much longer, so the dilemma was whether to spend the money on a closet now, when they’d be moving, or just struggle with a messy, disorganized, and cluttered lifestyle for the next 3-5 years.

Luckily, thanks to the fantastic return on investment that comes with a custom designed closet, there didn’t have to be a choice at all. The boost to their home’s retail value was matched only by the upgrade to their quality of life.

Custom Designed Closets Offer Maximum ROI

For people who aren’t looking to move right away, “ROI” might seem like a term for fix-and-flippers, or people getting ready to sell now. The promise of a distant return doesn’t always balance out an immediate expenditure. Many people also just think of natural degradation, and that they won’t receive an equal return.

It’s different with a closet. For starters, storage space never goes out of style. The heart of a custom designed closet is not only that it offers space, but it offers an elegant way to maximize whatever space you have, from slide-in belt and tie racks to handy wardrobe lifts.

Now, it’s true that the closet can suffer some wear and tear of its own, but generally not as much as other rooms that people are running in and out of. And regardless of usage, the basic design and structure of an elegant, space-maximizing feature is still there.

Some experts estimate that a custom closet gives you an astonishing 100% ROI. That is, if you spend $1000 now, that’s $1000 you can add to the value of your house. There are two competing economic arguments here. One is that, with inflation, the $1000 you get back in the future will be worth slightly less. The other is that as house prices go up with inflation, you’ll be able to ask for more than the extra grand. Either way, it is hovering near 100%.

The Aesthetic Benefits of a Custom Closet To Home Buyers

Dropping numbers for a minute, let’s just look at the immediate appeal of closet space. Storage, especially closet space, is one of the most important features for a home buyer. When they walk into a home, they look at the kitchen, the bedrooms, and the closets. 

Potential homebuyers are willing to pay more for closet space, especially a custom-designed walk-in closet. As popular as items like en suite bathrooms are, only about 50% of homebuyers want to pay more for them. Fireplaces and stainless steel kitchens are even less, both hovering around 40% (and a fireplace can cost as much as $10,000 to install).