By Block buyer’s advocate Nicole Jacobs
Ample space for storage and clever use of cupboard space are two of the most important things buyers look for when purchasing a new home. Here are some top tips to help store away stress and declutter a home, which in turn will increase perception of space and could potentially add thousands of dollars to the sale.
- Fashionable finds. Those clogs you wore in 1995 that you found in the back of your wardrobe probably need to be stored away… forever! Make the best use of your wardrobe space by throwing out pieces you haven’t worn, or even considered for the last 12 months or more. For those who can’t quite say their last goodbye, SmartBox provides a hassle-free storage solution that will help keep your precious pieces well-insulated and protected from external factors.
- Give me a sign… let’s label! Labeling containers will help catalogue ingredients and remind you to restock so you don’t become ‘flourless’ when preparing a meal. There’s a broad range of stackable containers on the market to ensure you achieve storage success.
- Internal measures. Make sure all spaces in internal cupboards are used effectively. Prefabricated shelving units and drawers are easy to assemble and can be added to an existing fixture. Alas, this calls for a #shelfie-selfie!
- Storage solutions that stand alone. Specific units with four or more 40x40cm cutouts are a great way to obtain organisation within the home on a budget. You can usually turn them any way you like to suit the room’s layout and then use material-covered boxes or cane baskets in the cutouts. Swing tags can be used to identify the contents and the sight of baskets or uniform-colored boxes looks neat, tidy and less busy than when everything is on show.
- Digital delights. If you have children (and they’re anything like mine), beautiful pieces of artwork will come home weekly and often end up piled up on the kitchen benchtop. Capture the magic of their masterpieces by taking a photo of them to create a digital mosaic which will last forever. Originals can then be thrown out without any guilt.
- Book shelf re-organisation. Call me crazy, and I never thought I would do this myself but I did (well, in one room anyway), but colour code your book shelf. Arranging your books according to the spine colour gives your bookshelf a new lease on life and instantly takes away the crazy colour patterns that can make a room look cluttered.
- Out of sight storage areas: The roof, garage, deck and shed are all crying out for storage solutions too. Attic stairs that pull down are a fantastic way to store away large items like suitcases, Christmas trees or inflatable beds. A garage that has shelving, hooks for bikes and is well organised will give you so many additional options for things like sporting and camping equipment. Plastic tubs of a uniform size are the cost-effective way to go, however more sophisticated click systems are available that allow you to completely customise your every need.
– Nicole Jacobs is a buyers’ advocate judge on The Block and owner of Jacob’s Buyers Advocate