Tidy These Hidden Storage Areas Before Your Open House

It's common sense to thoroughly clean your home before a scheduled open house takes place, but you shouldn't just take excess items and stash them out of sight in a disorganized manner. What you might not know is that those who visit your home for sale may open various cupboards and other storage areas. These people aren't being nosy; they're assessing how much available storage space sits behind these doors. Having these areas crammed with your possessions can make it difficult for prospective buyers to gauge the available storage space in your home, which may be detrimental. Here are some areas that you should ensure are clean and tidy before the open house.

Bedroom Closets

It might be tempting to grab anything that is cluttering your home and jam it in your bedroom closet. Whether you have a walk-in closet or a closet with a sliding door, though, it's reasonable to believe that buyers will check out this area. For example, someone won't seriously consider a home until he or she knows exactly how much space is available in a walk-in closet and how the shelving is set up. If your bedroom closet is already packed, you may wish to box up some items and put them in storage or in your vehicle's trunk before the open house.

Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets can be ideal for storing excess clutter on your kitchen counters or on your kitchen table, but you can count on people opening these doors to see how much space is available. The last thing they want to see is a shelf brimming with dishes, small appliances, boxes of food, and other such items — especially if these items have been crammed into the space and may be at risk of tumbling out onto someone who opens the cabinet door.

Storage Under The Stairs

Many homes have ample storage beneath the stairs that can be accessible through a full-sized door next to the flight of stairs or a series of small doors along the side of the stairs. In either case, this is a valuable storage area that many interested buyers will want to thoroughly inspect. They'll be turned off — and unable to assess exactly how much space is available in this area — if they can barely see the shelves because of everything that you've jammed into this area. It's better to discard some unnecessary items and put large items into storage at a self-storage facility before your open house.