When it’s time to try to contain your clutter, many homeowners want a quick, budget-friendly closet solution that they can grab themselves from the store. The advantage of this strategy is that it’s easy. Take a few hours, fill your cart with boxes and racks that promise success, and you can feel like you’ve accomplished something. However, before long, you will realize that what’s on the shelves at the store isn’t meeting your needs. It’s easy to overlook some of the big red flags telling you these systems won’t work.

Unhappy man trying to assemble a closet organizer and not understanding the instructions.

Store-Bought Systems Don’t Fit Well

While a store-bought system may technically fit into your closet, the reality is that they don’t fit exactly, and if they don’t fit exactly, you won’t get the full benefit. A store-bought system needs to be able to work in most basic closets, and most of the time, the manufacturers will produce something that will do the job for most spaces. What this means for you is wasted space, and when you’re trying to battle clutter, especially in limited space, you need every square inch working for you.

Store-Bought Systems Offer Limited Customization

One-size-fits-all closet systems usually end up meaning that one-size-fits-none. You can’t customize a store-bought system and will need to tailor your items to fit the system instead of the other way around. While there are modular systems that will allow you to mix and match components, the reality is that you’re still trying to piece together something that might be close – but still not custom.

Store-Bought Systems Use Materials that Won’t Hold Up

Your closet gets a lot of use. Doors, drawers, shelves, rods, and hooks must hold up to daily use and the weight of what they’re storing. If you want a durable closet system, the materials need to be able to hold up to rigorous use, and the fact is that most “budget-friendly” materials are nothing more than pressboards with a tacked-on veneer, plastic or metal with a plastic coating. They may give you a few months of good use, but before long, you’ll be looking at cracks, chips, and other signs that they can’t hold up long-term.

Store-Bought Systems are Tough to Install Correctly

The box may make it look like you can just unpack your closet system and get right to organizing, but there are significant installation requirements in most cases. Assembling components, anchoring them to the walls, lining up rails, and placing shelving are things that you certainly can do, but that won’t make you an expert. Even knowing that you won’t have top-quality materials with a store-bought system, you still want your closet system to hold up to daily use, and poor installation can cause issues with function. There is nothing more frustrating than just trying to grab a shirt off a hanger in the morning and pulling the entire rack out of the wall or grabbing a drawer handle and finding the whole front panel in your hand (both situations that can happen frequently with DIY or builder-grade closet systems). Anchoring a closet system can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing, and if the system isn’t anchored correctly, the whole thing can – quite literally – come crashing down.

Store-Bought Systems Have Hidden Costs

Store-bought systems, especially bargain systems, may initially look like a wise financial choice for your budget, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Several hidden costs will eventually present themselves. The biggest hidden cost comes with the need for frequent repair and replacement. As previously mentioned, low-quality materials don’t hold up to the frequent use your closet will endure, so you’ll need to replace or repair components like drawer runners, panels, and hardware frequently. Because these systems aren’t designed to last, they can’t be adjusted when they no longer fit your needs. You’ll need to replace the entire system or try to fit your new needs into an inefficient system instead of just adapting your customized setup. You’ll also need to consider the cost of the initial installation. It’s expected that you will be able to install the system yourself, but if you don’t have the skills to do that well, you’ll either have to pay someone who can or face the consequences of your inexperienced installation.

Custom Closet Solutions are Well Worth the Investment

There’s no getting around the fact that a custom closet system will have a higher price point than a store-bought DIY system. With a custom closet solution, a designer will visit your home, measure the space, discuss your storage needs, develop a design, and then work with their suppliers to manufacture and install a customized solution that is designed and manufactured for you with high-quality materials and a warranty to back up the professional work that’s been done. This does require an investment. Your initial cost will be higher than if you went to a big box store or online shop and installed the components on your own.

However, there is cost, and then there is value. The value of a custom closet is significantly higher than a store-bought option. The materials are better, the closet can be modified or upgraded as your needs change, and a customized system will increase the value of your home. Not only that, but a personalized closet solution will be significantly more efficient at maximizing your space and managing your storage needs in the best way for you.

A store-bought system can seem like the easier option, but only in the short term if you’re prepared to accept “good enough.” Investing in a custom closet storage system does take more time and budget at the onset, but the added value is significant. Instead of dealing with subpar materials, shaky DIY installation, systems that don’t quite fit, and the knowledge that you’ll end up needing to go back before long and start over, you can work with a professional who will design the custom, durable, and quality solution that is perfect for you and your family and will keep your family organized for years to come.

Ready to upgrade your closet and avoid the frustrations of store-bought systems? Contact us today for a custom storage solution that fits your unique needs and maximizes your space.