“There isn’t enough storage or closets in this house!” the buyers wailed. Um, okay. They were right. But I had an idea. And I knew some talented people. Many times, prudent buyers will home shop armed with a checklist of must-have (and would-like-to-have) features, from bedroom layout to architectural style/era all the way to gas fireplace and attached garage. Even if we can find a home that checks many of their boxes, one of the challenges we often find – especially with older homes – is an underwhelming amount of storage and closet space. In fact, the higher the charm factor, the lower the “closet factor” in many cases.
An experienced agent armed with some visualization skills should be able to help clients see the forest through the trees when what presents doesn’t quite work. In other words, a trained eye for scale who’s paying attention can suggest a possible alteration – whether it’s opening up a wall, adding better lighting, or repurposing a room – that might actually result in that detraction becoming a plus instead!
Here is a case in point. Below are photos taken of a custom-designed and built closet solution for client homebuyers. They almost passed on the house entirely because there was some awkward space marooned by an addition that seemed to lack purpose, as well as an adjacent master bedroom closet that was woefully inadequate for two people. Otherwise, the house was a great fit for them, at the right price, in the right location, and with the right layout for their needs.
Their former home was a different style, a Craftsman bungalow, and it had the typical feature of pretty, glassed-in bookcases flanking the living room fireplace. I remembered that theirs were actually filled with books, too. Hmmmm. This newer house had NO bookcases or shelves. Would something custom make sense here that could address both problems? I floated it out to the buyers. And then made some calls. The answer was “yes” – and in the end, we all agreed that this amazing-looking solution added more value to the home than it cost to make, too!
Also, a shout out to Introspecs and Raven Builders for collaborating on this sweet symphony of design and build for these happy homeowners. At L+F, we love helping our clients with the vision and resources to tackle all kinds of challenges.
