If you’re seeking some bragging rights for your home, you can’t get much better than installing a wine cellar.
We all love to raise a glass, and it has never been more true than during the pandemic. Australians increased their home alcohol consumption by 20% during the lockdowns, according to an Australian National University survey.
Many homeowners have become wine enthusiasts, keen to find a special place to collect and store wine in their homes. It’s not uncommon for renovations to now include a space for a wine cellar or refrigerated storage unit.
There’s a wow factor with a wine cellar if you’re selling your home. It’s a fabulous luxury feature that makes your home memorable which can enhance buyer interest and, therefore, have a potentially beneficial effect on the sales price.
If you’re thinking of renovating, perhaps to maximise your home’s value in preparation for sale, here’s five great tips on how to integrate a wine cellar.
Inspiration radar
Take a look at Pinterest and follow some Instagram accounts to seek inspiration for not just the location but the design of your cellar or storage area. Search “wine cellar” on Instagram, for example, and unique, ambitious executions will pop up to amaze you.
Simple option
If you don’t have a mansion and need to find a quiet corner of your home to store wine, the space under the stairs is probably best. It’s away from direct sunlight and has more consistently cooler temperatures than anywhere else.
Bespoke storage
If you’ve got the ideal spot, you’ll add value to your home by commissioning a carpenter to install tailor-made racking. Store the bottles against an internal wall where possible.
Hi-tech cheer
An incredible range of wine fridges exist, offering a storage capacity of 20 bottles to several thousand. The best ones will be UV-resistant and offer an anti-vibration feature. Continuously disturbing wine is a problem, and you’ll find vibration problems near the washing machine, aircon unit or where you park your car in the garage.
The enthusiast
If you intend to start collecting rare bottles, be aware that poor storage destroys wine. So, it’s best to get in the experts to build your cellar. As an aside, counterfeit wine is a constant problem for collectors, so use reputable sources.