Home Storage Needs of the Affluent

Most people dream of having the finer things in life, but people don’t often talk about how to store them. Luxury items often require specialized care, whether it be a temperature-controlled storage space or customizing an existing feature of your home to better suit your storage needs, you’ll likely need to put some extra thought into storage and organization. As a real estate professional, it’s important to remind clients of different options for storage when helping them list or purchase a home. Clients will often pay extra for unique features in a home, especially those pertaining to luxury items, so be sure to highlight those features when you encounter them.

We’ve identified some ways for affluent homemakers to make sure their items are well cared for and stored properly. After all, being able to afford nice things takes a lot of work. Why not appreciate them to the fullest?

Wine Cellar

If you have a sizeable wine collection, consider installing a wine cellar in your home. This could even take form in an unused closet, as there are a variety of racks online that could fit into many different spaces. A full wine cellar has the added benefit of a climate control system, which allows the user to control both temperature and humidity. Whether you choose to design your own wine cellar or install a rack into a preexisting space, giving your wine collection some special attention will make opening new bottles all the more pleasing.

Vault/Safe

If you have any valuables at all, purchasing a vault or safe is a great way to achieve peace of mind when you aren’t at home. Family heirlooms, precious jewelry and cash are usually the first things to go when a home is burglarized, so investing in a safe ensures that the most important items stay safe. Making the password or lock code specific to your family is a smart way to keep it secret, but not forget it.

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Guns

If your client owns a gun collection, it’s incredibly important to find the proper storage for it. There is a plethora of options for gun storage, both for hiding or displaying a given collection. Be sure to gauge the needs of your client and their specific need for gun storage. Do they need storage that keeps their guns inaccessible to young children? Are they looking for storage that keeps their guns hidden? Do they have an antique gun collection that they’d like to display? All of this factors into the kind of storage they’ll need as gun owners.

Food Storage

The pantry is a haven to many homeowners, and can even be a deciding factor when it comes to choosing a home. Within a storage space, designating a specific place for spices is a great way to add detail which appeals to prospective luxury buyers. When staging a home, food storage can actually be an effective way to sell clients on the space. As a real estate professional, you can do this by adding lemons to a statement bowl, stocking a spice cabinet with organic spices and using non-perishable food items to show how a space can be used.

Building a walk-in pantry can also be a worthwhile investment if a home isn’t selling, as it can increase the value of a property immensely. Looking to add some value to a home meant for a large family? Consider adding a walk-in pantry for added appeal.

Holiday Decorations

This may not sound like a need specific to the affluent, however bigger houses require special attention when the holidays come around. Hiring a team of people who specialize in home decorating when the holidays come around can give your clients time to focus on the things that really matter. Especially when looking to hang outdoor lights for Christmas or other special occasions, hiring outside help can make the whole season more enjoyable and means the holiday decorations won’t necessarily have to be stored at the home year-round. Additionally, allotting storage spaces within a given home is a great way to show clients that you’ve thought about the little details of their storage needs.

Guest Linen

With luxury real estate often comes an abundance of guest bedrooms. All of that linen might not be used frequently, but it does need a place to live when guests aren’t around. Designating one closet in a home for guest linen is a great way to ensure that everything has a place and nothing gets lost. No surplus of closets? Ask your clients to consider investing in some multi-purpose storage boxes that can fit under a bed. That way, linen storage is out of sight and still available when necessary.

Expensive Cars

Cars are a collector’s item for many, so making sure they’re stored safely and conveniently is almost always of the utmost importance. Car enthusiasts might look specifically for a home with a certain number of spots in the garage, so if a lavish property only has one garage spot, it could be worth the money to expand it. Another option for car storage includes a portable awning meant for protecting vehicles from the elements.

Shoes

With a sizable shoe collection comes the question of where to store it. Shoes are tricky, because they take a lot of space to display properly. There are lots of options online for shoe storage, but consider storage which allows the viewer to see the shoes for a high-end space. An example of this would be shelving or open wall storage rather than drawers.

If a home has a smaller room intended as a second or third guest bedroom, you might consider transitioning it into a closet or shoe room. It’s not uncommon for luxury homes to have closets closer to the size of bedrooms, and can be a major selling point for a buyer with an eye for Jimmy Choos.

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