As part of the home searching and buying process, people tend to focus on the main living areas of the home - often, the kitchen, family room, and master suite. Buyers also try to envision their furniture within each living space of the homes being considered, so the concentration of home consideration process occurs within the finished living space. It's easy to forget that each of us usually has a collection of stuff that doesn't go in the living space, but rather needs to be stored. Things like holiday decorations, childhood toys, or other decor items that are rotated in and out of the living space throughout the year. Well, these things will also need space in your new home and that is usually some unfinished space or attic... preferably with easy access (aka walk-through door).
What I have found is that fabulous storage is frequently on the wish list, but can easily be overshadowed by a super-nice finished living space. So much so that it's easy for a buyer to forget about checking for storage space while shopping homes and being dazzled by all the nice interiors. Reminder: check the homes for storage and see if it matches your needs for space and accessibility.
What's ironic is that when we discover that awesome dreamed-about storage space, the thought that many of us immediately think is: "We could finish this out!" Well... yes, you probably can, BUT... if that can be done it may be more in-depth than you think. Most likely that home's HVAC system has not been sized to include that additional space, so you're probably looking at an upgrade or additional unit for that space. Also, if you DO finish it... guess what? You just got rid of the storage space you fell in love with and searched for, so now you may be short on space for the items intended for that area.
Another thought that almost immediately comes to mind with many buyers is: "Why didn't they go ahead and finish this space when the home was built?" Well... the short answer is "They've got to stop somewhere", and where they stopped finishing was their optimum combination for living space, storage space, and price. Why price? Well, if a builder was to keep finishing all the unfinished spaces those square feet would increase the home's price by the per sq.ft. price times the number of additional sq.ft. being finished thereby adding many thousands of dollars to the home which may put it out of range for the community's target price range. For example, if a home had 150 sq.ft. unfinished space and someone wonders why it wasn't finished out, that space at $150/sq.ft. would have added $22,500 to the price of the home. At $200/sq.ft., $30,000. Even if it wasn't at full per sq.ft. price, it would still be a substantial increase in price on the home, so there's a target balance of living space, storage space, and price of the home.
Another aspect of storage space in a home is how usable it is. Is it one big room, or allocated into many different areas? Storage space in a home is often a byproduct of a home's roof design and may not actually be something that was "purposefully designed". If you have a home design with a lot of different roof angles, the home's storage space may be divided among many different areas (you usually see a lot of small access doors). Another thing to consider is how easily are the storage areas accessed, and what size objects do you need to store. Is access a full size door, a small door, or attic drop-down stair set? All of those will come into play while comparing a home's storage spaces with your belongings intended for storage.
All of this may help provide some helpful awareness for when you go home shopping. If you have additional questions about homes, selling, or purchasing, please contact me any time and I'll be happy to help.
