Sometimes it’s fun to sit in front of your TV and watch dramatic transformations of the homes you’d never imagine could be saved.
Other times, it’s fun to take matters into your own hand and test your skills at home renovation. The fun usually tends to lie in the creativity involved. Maybe you enjoy watching these shows because you want inspiration, or motivation, to find your own creative outlet. However, when you begin your own home flipping project, the creativity transfers to you and trust us, it’s a great feeling.
Along with creativity, the point of renovation for flipping a home is to improve the property and make it better than when you found it. And while it’s a ton of fun, there is definitely a lot of work that goes into it. Along with re-designing, you need to address all of the logistics before you begin. This includes thinking about storage, before, during and even after the project.
Why do you need to consider all of these?
Well, before the project, you’ll want to consider how you can increase the amount of storage that a home has. This is because more home storage, especially when done efficiently, usually relates to an increase in property value. This is an area that you can really get creative with and has the potential of really “wowing” the potential buyer. The opportunities are endless. During the project you will need to utilize a place to store all of the furniture and appliances that occupy the home. Keeping them safe and out of the way will save you money and stress. After the renovation, if you decided to change the look of the home, you may have some furniture and items that just don’t seem to go anymore. Storing them away helps maintain their value. You can look for a new buyer, or even save them for future house flips.
Investing in a self-storage unit is recommended in order to continually have a safe, weatherproof place to store everything. It’s always easier to get things done efficiently when you have the proper space to do it. It also protects you from potentially damaging your furniture and appliances, which saves you money in the long run. The Lock Up Self Storage has multiple different types of storage units available to choose from to help make your house flipping projects easier.
Okay, so once you’ve planned out where you’re going to store everything, the fun part begins. Here are some of our favorite DIY storage ideas to implement in your next house flip.
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Smarter Use of Space
If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “work smarter, not harder” then you know where we’re going with this. Homes contain so much space that often goes completely unused. At first, you might be wondering where this magical extra space comes from, but the following ideas will help you gain a sense of clarity.
Recessed Walls
With drywall, you often have tons of usable space that is left between the studs. In order to take advantage of this space, think about installing some recessed shelving or walls. While there are restrictions in the dimensions, you can still create things like single shelving, bookshelves or displays. The limits are endless and give you tons of space for storage and interior design.
Staircase
One of the most underrated spaces in homes is the space under the stairs. It has huge potential, but often goes wasted. During your home renovation, work on taking advantage of that space by either installing pull-out drawers or making a small useable space. You can transform it into a reading nook or even a small office. The open space design will make you feel less cramped and gives off a modern design.
Near the Ceiling
This is one of our favorites. It’s takes no floor space away from you and gives you a place to store those things that you don’t use everyday. Try installing shelving that extends all the way to the ceiling. You can do this in a laundry room, bathrooms, an entryway, or even in bedroom closets. When you finally show the house, include some baskets in the shelves to demonstrate that things can be easily pulled out rather than needing a step stool to sort through your items. Take this idea and apply it to your garage as well. People love extra garage storage that doesn’t take away space from their vehicles!
Kitchen Islands
Another great option is upgrading your kitchen islands to be an essential piece of storage for your kitchen. If you don’t currently have one, consider adding one to double your cabinet space. It also gives you more counter space, which can be great for large families and the natural born chefs. It’s a great area to socialize around during get-togethers.
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Bathrooms
Bathrooms have tons of unused storage potential. One of the greatest areas that go unused is the sink. If your bathroom currently has a freestanding sink, trade it in for a sink cabinet. You’ll add more room for towels, personal hygiene products and extra toilet paper. This can help you by keeping everything that you need close as well as freeing up the area that is currently being used for these products. Our other favorite way to increase the efficiency of your bathroom is by installing a vanity cabinet. This, along with an under the sink cabinet will increase your bathroom storage space 100x over.
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Open Shelving
We’re moving in the direction of modernization, both with home décor and our lives in general. Bring the home that you’re flipping up to date by utilizing open shelving. This is an exceptional trick, because it not only increases storage space, but also makes your space feel larger than if you were to use clunky cabinets. It’s especially good for homes that have smaller kitchens or bathrooms. If you decide to install an under the sink cabinet, like we previously mentioned, but still need more space, try open shelving for things like towels and toilet paper.
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Closets
You’d be surprised at how many people focus on closets when they do their initial walk through while house hunting. People love finding doors to open, hoping that they will be glorious empty closets waiting to be filled with all of their things. When you create additional closets, they will take notice. If you don’t have much room on your main floor, try utilizing basement space. You can also knock down walls and create more usable space in order to add closets without making a room seem smaller. The convenience and location of closets is also an important factor to consider.
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Built-Ins
You can add built-in storage. It’s similar to our idea with recessed walls, but can be taken to the next level since there are no limitations by studs. Find an awkward space, or space that would commonly be used for shelving or an entertainment center, and let your imagination take wild. Here are our favorite ideas.
Bookcases
One way to add a special charm to your renovation project is by building a large built in bookcase. It allows increased space for storage, without taking up much room. If your future prospects aren’t book lovers, they’ll see it as a place to display all of their cherished family pictures and heirlooms. Bookcases are multi-functional and add a feeling of homeyness to any room they’re in.
Office Desks
A great way to make use of awkward spaces (think angled ceilings) is by installing a built-in office desk. This is perfect for any family, since both parents and children can use it. It can also be used for craft stations and a place to store your important documents.
Entertainment Center
An entertainment center is a stylish addition to your house flip. You can include an area for a TV, a fireplace and shelving on either side. One thing we recommend is when creating the area for the TV, opt against a recessed area. When you allow the option for open mounting, you don’t limit the prospects preferred TV size
Bedroom Headboard
Bedroom headboards are another area that you can add a built-in. You can make it elaborate or simple, but it draws attention and offers great alternative to clunky nightstands. Side note: book lovers will go crazy over this.
Closets
Finally, our favorite thing is creating built-in custom closets. Everybody remembers the California Closets craze and it has not faded away yet. Built-in custom closets allow you to create a space for everything. Create shelving for shoes, hanging space for dresses, suits, shirts and more. It screams organization and will be a huge selling point for prospective buyers.
As you continue to build on these storage ideas with your creativity, don’t forget about the storage needs that are involved in a house flip. Like we mentioned, it’s much easier to work when you have a clear space. Head over to The Lock Up Self Storage at www.thelockup.com to check out all of the available options. All of their units are weatherproof and affordable.
Sources:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/storage/organization-basics/hidden-storage/?slideId=0a689399-1a29-45e5-a28e-166cee446eac
http://www.bhg.com/blogs/better-homes-and-gardens-style-blog/2016/07/22/8-built-ins-youll-need-to-try-for-your-next-remodel/
