Are Fitted Wardrobes Worth It? The Pros & Cons

Creating your dream fitted bedroom is a life goal for many people; to design a practical, and comfortable environment that is individual for your needs and desires. Suitable storage space is a huge part of that concept, and you may be weighing up the pros and cons of if it’s worth getting fitted wardrobes verses freestanding ones.

There are benefits and cons of each choice, let’s explore if getting fitted wardrobes is the right choice for you.

 

So, are fitted wardrobes worth it?

Let's explore the benefits

 

1. Add an individual touch to your bedroom design

Bespoke fitted wardrobes can easily be tailored to your individual needs and requirements. There's a huge range of door choices... those looking for something contemporary can opt for handleless fitted wardrobes, sliding door wardrobes or a modern door with a funky handle. For people who prefer a more traditional look, there are shaker style fitted wardrobes with panelled, framed doors. Because the internal storage options are entirely bespoke to suit you, they can be made to suit your lifestyle and clothing needs too. For example, if you own lots of long dresses then you can have hanging rails with a long drop, allowing you to storage and even display your garments without causing damage to them or having the fabric bunch up at the bottom.

This may be more adaptable than if you chose freestanding wardrobes, where it's usually a case of "you get what you're given."

Many customers like to have couple's wardrobes, whereby one section is for one partner and the other section is for the other partner, allowing for versatility with the storage.

 

2. Aesthetically pleasing designs

Fitted wardrobes are arguably more visually pleasing than freestanding ones because they are designed to fit the exact shape and design of the available space within a room. Often referred to as 'built in wardrobes' because they look as if they were always part of the space, this makes for a more pleasant environment, as they can match the décor, colour, and style of any room.

Not only that, they can also help with sleep by reducing sound ingress as fitted wardrobes help to block noise from coming through the wall.

 

3. Increasing your property value

Research has shown adding fitted wardrobes to your property can potentially increase the value of your home. Fitted wardrobes are more likely to attract potential buyers as this is seen as a luxury feature which can definitely help when trying to decide if fitted wardrobes are worth it.

It will also save potential property buyers money on having to purchase additional furniture, making the property ready to move in to, also making the property different to others, giving it a special and unique feel. 

Plus, depending on what your room looks like, you might not have to make major modifications. For example, fitted wardrobes can be installed on carpet so you don't need to rip it up if you have a carpeted bedroom.

 

4. High quality and long lasting

If you are going to install fitted wardrobes, the quality of the furniture is generally going to be a lot higher than most cheaper freestanding ones, particularly those from 'big box' flat pack retailers.

For this reason, it can be a worthy investment as your wardrobes should last a lifetime, and there will be no need to replace them which in the long run will save you money. We know we're biased, but because our cabinetry is 18mm MFC with solid backs and sides, we're able to offer an industry-leading 15 year guarantee on all our furniture.

 

5. More practical use of available space

Fitted wardrobes with sliding doors can be useful if you are short on space. Where a freestanding wardrobe will have free air around it which cannot be used, a made to measure wardrobe will fit your space perfectly, allowing you to maximise every single millimetre with usable storage space.

Some of the big, full service fitted wardrobe companies only offer their wardrobes as a frame... the walls at the sides and back of your wardrobe are exposed. Many people don't realise this and end up paying a small fortune for really only half a wardrobe.

Although they claim that you gain more storage space this way, it's really only a few millimetres on each side.

A downside of this is damp... if your wardrobe is against an external wall then the closed-off nature of the wardrobe means there's no airflow, and therefore any damp will transfer onto your clothes causing mould and bacteria. Yuck.

Any awkward size or shape spaces where freestanding wardrobes do not fit can be transformed into a bespoke storage space to suit your needs. If you opt for a sliding door wardrobe or our hinged fitted wardrobes with mirrors, then mirrored doors will also save you space as you will not need an additional freestanding mirror.

As more people are working from home and this is becoming the norm, creating a smart and durable home office set up is increasingly popular. Our fitted wardrobes with desks are ideal for this. Similarly, getting ready in the morning can be made easier with a built in wardrobe with dressing table area.

 

6. You will allow more natural light into the room

Often the path of natural light into a room is blocked by free standing wardrobes as they are not designed to fit individual spaces. A lack of natural light within a room can affect the general ambience of the room if wanting to relax, but also effect the practicality of a bedroom for example if you want to use the space to get ready and put on makeup before going out, or even just finding your items within a well-lit room.

Fitted wardrobes will not only allow more natural light into your room but having mirrored doors will make your room look brighter and bigger as they will reflect light.

 

Now, the negatives

Price... are fitted wardrobes expensive?

Fitted wardrobes can be more expensive than freestanding wardrobes, but this depends on the design and the size that you go for. One way to reduce this cost is to fit the wardrobes yourself and save money, but opting for a supply-only fitted wardrobe company such as Online Bedrooms.

In fact, our average customer spends around £1800 including VAT and with free delivery... some companies in the marketplace have a MINIMUM spend of £2000 just to get started!

This can be seen as a long-term investment as it will add value to your property should you decide to sell at any point.

 

Wait time for fitting

Another downside to purchasing a fitted wardrobe is the time it takes to build and fit a wardrobe whereas you can take a freestanding wardrobe home today. Most companies take 2-3 months to build and install on average, with some even longer... some customers have told us that other companies have quoted them 14-16 weeks!

Here at Online Bedrooms however, we can deliver your wardrobe in around 3-4 weeks on average, which is much faster than almost every other built in wardrobe manufacturer in the UK and means you're not waiting too long for that dream storage solution.

The short wait will be worth it in the end to create the storage space to meet all of your needs.

 

Lack of mobility

Fitted wardrobes cannot be moved around if you decide to change the location, they also cannot be taken with you if you decide to move, but most people end up leaving or selling their furniture when they move, as their new home may be a completely different size or style and they prefer new furniture.

 

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Hopefully, you’ll now have a better understanding of the many benefits and cons of installing fitted wardrobes, to help you make the choice that is right for you.

It’s all dependent on your personal preferences, size, and shape of your space and your individual needs, but fitted wardrobes will bring you that little bit closer to creating the individual home of your dreams.