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Closet w/ just shelves: bad idea?

fisheggs
14 years ago

Good afternoon!

We're expecting our first baby and are planning to improve the storage in the 6-foot-wide reach-in closet our small guestroom (not the baby's room). Currently, the closet has a hanging rail and single shelf and contains just a big pile of suitcases on the floor.

We'd like to refit it so that I can move all my craft supplies (lots of rubbermaid boxes of yarn and fabric) and varies linens out of the baby's room and into the guest room closet. The most efficient way to do this would be to install 3-4 shelves that take up the whole width of the closet (i.e., do away with the hanging rail altogether).

We aren't concerned with losing the rail ourselves, since no one ever hangs clothes up in that closet, but are a little concerned about resale. Does anyone think that this setup would put off potential buyers? Or would they see it as a plus? It certainly would make for a great linen closet setup, which the house currently does not have.

Thanks!

R

Comments (8)

  • susanjn
    14 years ago

    I think it's a perfectly good idea if that's what you need right now.

    You might consider a reconfigurable system like Elfa or similar. That way you could easily convert it to a hanging closet later.

  • maryliz
    14 years ago

    Make your house the way YOU want it! Don't worry about one closet. If and when you sell your house, the buyers will change everything anyway.

  • oilpainter
    14 years ago

    We did this very thing in our spare room to hold my sewing material and lots of odds and ends of stuff. We added the shelves on the side furthest from the hinges on the door for maximum access. The shelves are held in place by small wooden cleats with 2 screws in each and a couple of finishing nails into the wood shelf. If I ever want to turn it back into a full closet it's just a matter of unscrewing the cleats.

    We took down the shelf. left the rod there and put 1 shelf just above it on both ends. This holds blankets and bedding for that room on one side and special Christmas decorations on the other end. Then we added 4 more shelves. I would suggest you get your storage boxes first so you can custom fit the shelves.

    Our shelves are 15" deep by 24" long and I can put 4-- 10' by 15 by 6" inch high stackable clear boxes on each shelf. I suggest you get smaller boxes so they are easier to get in and out and clear so you can see what's in them. On the floor at the bottom I have a large tub that holds material.

    It works great for me and we can still use most of the rod for guests clothing and a few of ours

  • oilpainter
    14 years ago

    I misread your post..

    If you are worried about resale, go ahead and put in the shelves but think of how you can remove it later. The ones that have the the standards that screw to the wall and brackets to support the shelves would be easy to remove, because you'd just remove the screws in the standards. A swipe with patching compound and a little touchup paint and it's done.

    Who knows maybe someone else would like those shelves too. I don't think you'd loose a sale for this anyway--it's cosmetic

  • dilly_dally
    14 years ago

    Don't live in a house that is cramped and inefficient because you worry about resale years down the road. Configure the closet to what you need to use it for.

  • graywings123
    14 years ago

    The configuration of a closet in a secondary bedroom will have ZERO effect on future buyers.

  • Plow_In
    14 years ago

    Do things the way you want. We've lived in this house for 50 years, and I always tried to consider resale. What a wasted effort! For the last 5 years I've been doing what I want with the house, and am enjoying the house much more. The next buyer will do things her own way.

  • mommabird
    14 years ago

    I agree with everyone - don't worry about resale. We intended to own this house for 2 years. It's been 17.5 years no and no plans to move in sight!

    I did what you're describing to the closet in the "study" which is actually supposed to be a bedroom. I used 2/4 wood boards, cut into lengths the size of the shelf, then screwed into the wall on each end. The shelfs rest on these 'brackets' but are fully removeable with no effort at all. I left the rod in, just put a shelf right over it.

    This is the way closet shelves were built before the 'white wire' shelves were invented and it works great!

    Enjoy your house - it's a home, not an investment!

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