Half-Empty Closets Could Be The Reason Your House Sells. Here's Why

When you're getting ready to sell your home, you're probably spending a fair amount of time figuring out how to make your space look as appealing as possible. When doing so, make sure you're not overlooking a crucial space that potential buyers will absolutely take a peek at — your closets. A well-organized, well-presented closet could make all the difference between how a potential buyer feels about your home, and whether they opt to make an offer on it or not. One insider staging secret to keep in mind when putting your home on the market is to ensure your closets are half-empty.

The reason for this is simple: Ample storage space is often at the top of many buyers' lists as a necessity for their dream home. A closet that's overstuffed and chaotic may give the impression that there's a lack of space, even if the real issue is simply that you haven't gotten around to decluttering. A half-empty closet, on the other hand, makes it seem as though there's an abundance of storage to work with. It also allows the potential buyer to envision how their own items would fit into the space.

Once you've decluttered your closet so that it's no longer overflowing with items, you've already completed the most important step in curating the space to impress potential buyers. However, there are a few other closet changes you can make that could have a big impact on how well your home does on the market.

The first is to incorporate extra lighting. Unless you're working with a walk-in closet, there's a good chance your closet may not have lighting at all, making it feel dark and cramped even when half-empty. Installing a light can make the space feel larger, again adding to the illusion that your home has an abundance of storage space. And, you don't necessarily have to wire in new electrical fixtures — there are many convenient lighting products on the market that use batteries and would work well in a closet space.

Splashing on a fresh coat of paint could also make a big difference. Whether your closet is painted a darker hue or is simply looking a little dingy with age, a simple coat of white paint will make it feel open and airy.

Finally, if you have a bit of room in your budget, you may also want to consider installing a closet organizer system that's a step up from whatever default set-up your closets already have, especially in the bedroom closet. Buyers will definitely notice it and realize that's one less thing they have to do themselves.

First of all, similar to the idea of emptying half your closet space of its contents, you want to ensure the closet floors are as cleared out as possible. That means removing all those shoes cluttering the bottom and either hanging items or putting them on shelves. This allows buyers to feel like there's enough floor space to add their own storage solutions, custom to their specific needs.

In terms of your closet's contents, you want to make things as visually appealing as possible, so a potential buyer feels almost as if they're peering into a space worthy of a design magazine. This means getting matching hangers, having them all facing in the same direction, and potentially even organizing your closet's contents by color and clothing type.

Finally, find some storage solutions for loose items, whether that's extra seasonal accessories in your bedroom closet or cleaning supplies in your hallway closets. If possible, you'll also want to opt for opaque bins or boxes rather than clear ones. This is because clear options still add a degree of visual clutter, even if all the contents are neatly corralled in the bins or boxes.