Walk-in closets have this lore in home design in that having one is a symbol of having arrived. Sure, there are some nice perks to having one. I have one; it came with the house. I can tell you from personal experience that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. There are definite downsides to having a walk-in closet. Here they are.
8. You can end up buying way more clothes, shoes and accessories
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You have the space so you fill it up. It’s Parkinsons Law in action. It’s a real thing. You see empty shelves and hangers and so a natural inclination is to buy stuff you may never wear or use to fill in the spaces.
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7. They make it harder to get rid of stuff
Because you have the space, you’re less likely to get rid of stuff you don’t wear. I definitely notice this. I have quite a bit I don’t wear and should donate but you know what… I have the space for it so there it sits.
6. Walk-in closets quickly become dumping grounds
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Not everyone lives by the saying “put everything in its place and there’s a place for everything.” Walk-in closets by their very nature can easily become a huge dumping ground making it harder to find anything. The goal of a walk-in closet is to provide organized storage and yet for some people it ends up doing the opposite.
5. There are definitely better uses for the space (IMO)
I’d rather a kitchen pantry, second home office, reading room or another bedroom to name a few preferable spaces than square footage dedicated to something as mundane as a walk-in closet. At the end of the day, it’s expensive storage.
4. It’s an impossible space to adapt for other uses
Suppose you declutter and realize “hey, I don’t need a full walk-in closet for my clothes.” What do you do with the space. In most cases, they are dark, oddly shaped, too small spaces to adapt for another use.
3. A pain in the neck to clean
Vacuuming a walk-in closet is a nuisance and yet if not done, it can become a dust magnet. The shelves need dusting. They require some form of regular cleaning or you’re not doing your clothing or home any favors. Yes, a regular closet requires cleaning too but not vacuuming. Moreover, a regular closet is a more efficient use of cubic feet.
2. They are costly to build
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Shelving, additional square feet, lighting and heating all add up to additional cost during the build and as an ongoing cost. Okay, it’s not an outrageous expense but it is an expense. You can easily get carried away with the build and end up with custom cabinetry with an associated cost that could rival the cost of a new kitchen.
1. Could be less efficient for storage than a regular closet with a dresser
When it comes down to cubic feet efficiency, a walk-in closet is less efficient than a regular closet and dressers because of the walk-in portion. If you like an efficient home layout, a walk-in closet is not for you. Check out the example above. Yes, it stores a lot of clothing but it’s a huge, huge space.
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