Are DIY Closets Worth The Cost Savings?

In an effort to save a few dollars, many homeowners tend to tackle some home improvement projects on their own. Some, like replacing a faulty flush handle on the toilet, lend themselves well to this sense of autonomy. Others, like replacing the roof, might not, depending on your level of expertise and confidence in your own abilities! With several do-it-yourself custom closet sets on the market at big box and home improvement stores, you might be tempted to install one on your own. While it might save you money in the short term, over the long haul, you might wish that you’d made a different decision.

• DIY closets are not customized.You open a box, take out the materials and the hardware, and install it as-is. You can make it so that some of your shelves are higher or lower, and you can add or remove some of the shoe racks, but most everyone who buys a DIY closet system is getting the same product.
• Custom closets, on the other hand, are completely customized.Do you need extra shelves or fewer drawers? No problem. Have a huge or minute collection of shoes? That’s accounted for. Do you wear long dresses exclusively, or have you never owned a long dress? The rods will be placed at the heights that you and your wardrobe require.
• DIY closets are usually made with wire or cheaper wood.Wire shelving units are notorious for collapsing if too much weight is placed on them. Further, the brackets used to install DIY systems are often inadequate; you’ll find out the hard way that you need to add sturdier brackets in order to keep them mounted on the walls of the closet.
• Custom closets, because they’re measured and cut to fit precisely in your closet’s dimensions, fit correctly.The wood used is thick and sturdy, and can hold a heavy load. The tight fit and heavy duty mounting hardware makes them sturdier and safer, particularly when piled with heavy items.
• DIY closets don’t come with any type of workmanship or installation guarantee.Their workmanship quality is largely a matter of chance, and the installation may be difficult to do correctly.
• Custom closets from a reputable company come with both.If you’re not happy with your design, quality or installation, your closet company should fix the problem.
• DIY closets are designed and assembled in a factory.No one is looking at your lifestyle and advising you on exactly what you need.

Custom closets, however, are designed by an expert. The professional closet designers and installers work with people, closets and closet organizers all day long, so the product that they put out is outstanding.

"You might even want to tear the whole thing down and hire a professional"

All in all, while you might save a few dollars putting in your own custom closets, chances are that you won’t be totally happy with your purchase and may end up having to do repairs or re-installations. You might even want to tear the whole thing down and hire a professional do the job properly using high-quality, easy-to-work-with materials. In either case, you may be wasting time and money with a boxed custom closet set.