There are many ways to buy wardrobes and the choice you make may ultimately come down to the cost of the unit. At some of the larger furniture chains a popular option is to buy the wardrobe as a flat pack which you then assemble yourself. The do-it-yourself option is also available with built-in wardrobe kits which can be purchased from most furniture stores these days.

The fact that you’ve got to put it together yourself knocks quite a bit off the price. If you’ve got no problem with putting together furniture from basic instructions then you should be able to make your own wardrobe.

With a flat pack wardrobe all of the parts of the wardrobe have been cut to size with predrilled holes where necessary. It can become a bit like solving a jigsaw puzzle. Manufacturers of these units have gone to the effort of marking the pieces wherever possible to make construction even easier.

When you buy and construct a flat pack wardrobe you get a solid wardrobe with a professional looking finish.

These days the horrors of furniture construction that used to surround the early versions have largely been dispensed with. You know what I’m talking about, those instruction leaflets that were virtually incomprehensible and pieces that seemingly had nowhere to connect. In most cases it should be possible to complete the construction of your wardrobe inside of a couple of hours. Although obviously that will depend on the size of the wardrobe.

Taking the DIY challenge a step further is to install your own built-in wardrobe. This can be undertaken if you already have a niche to fit the wardrobe into. Alternatively instructions are often available from the retailer from whom you buy the pack.

Factors to take into consideration include the dimensions of the wardrobe opening and whether you are doing a wall-to-wall installation or one that will require an end panel. Wall to wall installations are obviously going to be simpler because the side walls of the wardrobe will merely be attached to the wall.

If your installation is wall to wall you will have to decide how to handle the skirting boards. You will also have to take into account any moldings towards the ceiling. To ensure that the sliding doors will slide right up to the door, the moldings will have to be adjusted or removed. Alternatively, your new wardrobe may be employing hinged doors which will have to be hung.

It’s likely not going to be a single person job, particularly if the wardrobe has glass sliding doors that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. These are generally very heavy and cumbersome and positioning them correctly often requires assistance.

An important part of building the wardrobe is designing the storage within. This involves coming up with a closet layout that will make the maximum use of the room you have available. Wardrobe manufacturers and suppliers have many wardrobe storage designs available to view to give you ideas on what you can do. But because you’re building it yourself you will be in control of the size of the wardrobe and the format of the various compartments.

You may have to let the hanging space dominate the interior of the wardrobe, particularly if the bulk of your clothes must be hung up. If you wear sweaters and jeans a lot then you will want to put in extra shelves. Some people prefer to place extra cabinets inside the doors of the built-in wardrobe, such as an armoire. The layout will also be determined by whether you need a ‘his’ and ‘hers’ section.

No matter what type of wardrobe you have bought, the obvious conclusion is that if you choose to do the installation or construction yourself you are going to save yourself some money. Overall, just about anyone who can wield an Allen key will be able to construct their own flat pack wardrobe, the ability to install a built in wardrobe unit will depend more on your confidence in your carpentry and handyman skills.