Highlight Home Storage in Your Staging

Buyers crave homes with more storage. That’s why it’s so important to keep these areas clutter-free.

In 2018, 80 percent of millennials wanted garage storage, and 79 percent wanted a walk-in pantry. Additionally, 73 percent wanted a linen closet in the owner’s suite bath, and 70 percent desired built-in shelving.

Rest assured, even if the home you’re selling doesn’t have a lot of space, you can still find ways to feature the storage it does have. No matter how much storage you have, there’s probably a way for you to stage your home in a way that’s appealing to the market.

The National Association of REALTORS® shares these ideas.

1. Declutter

You can’t show off storage without taking this vital step first. A neater closet or shelf is more appealing than one jam-packed with stuff. Purchase a few stackable containers. Instead of cramming belongings into bags and cardboard boxes, plastic containers can help make everything look more organized and neat.

Place extra items that they want to keep in boxes and store them in a rental bin or neatly stack them in a basement or garage. Keep these bins arranged vertically in order to show off an optimized storage space; demonstrating an organized garage can be an extra bonus in your decluttering drive, too.

2. Clean

Once you’ve reduced household clutter, you’ll want to clean. Closets and cupboards often go unnoticed in your regular cleaning. Wipe down the walls and any shelving to get rid of dust. If you have a walk-in closet, vacuum the floor so you can show it off better. Buyers can be quickly turned off by dust and debris.

3. Give the spaces an update

If you have enough time before staging, remodel some of the storage areas of the house. Apply a fresh coat of paint to the closets, or add more shelving. White paint can brighten the areas and make them appear larger. Also, you can add lighting fixtures to storage spaces that seem dark and dim.

REALTOR® Association of the Fox Valley : 433 Williamsburg Ave., Geneva, IL 60134 : 630.232.2360 : www.rafv.realtor