Well-designed storage spaces can catch a home buyer’s attention.
Written by MADELINE SAFAVI
Photography courtesy CLOSETS BY DESIGN
If you’re thinking about selling your home, you’ve probably thought about things like curb appeal and fresh coats of paint, but have you considered closet space? It can be a tool for both enjoying your home while you’re in it, and upping its resale value later.
Custom-built closets are proven assets in terms of real estate value, reports Seabolt Real Estate’s Bradford Moody, an expert in luxury property and investment property in downtown Savannah. “What I have observed at any price point is that a built-out closet will always command interest from a buyer,” especially if it is custom.
Moody attributes the increase in demand for personalized, elegant storage to what he calls the “HGTV effect.” Buyers are used to seeing TV shows with homes boasting well-curated, custom-built solutions.
According to 2025 data from HomeAdvisor, a walk-in closet installation averages $5,000 to $7,500. The return on investment ranges a bit, with homeowners able to recoup at least 50% of the cost, according to data from Angi. The size of the closet, as well as elaborateness, materials used, and quality of construction can all affect ROI.
House Digest did a survey and found that walk-ins are by far the preferred type of closet, with 79% of participants selecting that over reach-in closets, armoires, Italian closets (those have slimmer profiles and concealed mechanisms), and wardrobes (like an armoire but only for hanging clothing). And in case you were wondering, closets are indeed counted toward a home’s total square footage.
Standard walk-in closets, though large, are often rather bare bones, and can even come across as tight in size if they have not been well designed. In fact, it is not only the amount of space, but the ability to organize items, that adds to appeal.
“A closet can be the most beautiful thing, but it should also make your day easier,” says Paige Hager of Closets By Design, a firm specializing solely in custom-built closets. “Customers want something that is functional and also built to last.”
Thoughtful details like having enough space for boots to fit on racks, or the ability to hang floor-length gowns without having them touch the floor matter, as do having cubbies for accessories. Buyers “really do appreciate cubbies,” says Moody. “If they are big enough, they can hold a stack of sweaters, pairs of shoes, or handbags,” creating that sense of luxurious, boutique-like storage.
While some homeowners will handle a closet renovation on their own, closet design firms certainly make the project easier. “From the design, to getting the materials, to cutting the materials,” explains Hager, “we have our own warehouse where we do all of that, and then we have our own installers.”
Even if you aren’t planning a move soon, a custom closet can add value not only financially but also to everyday living. As Hager notes, “When your home is organized, everything just works better for you.”
